From selling box lunches to becoming a famous Chinese chef

On the first day of the Lunar New Year, even Feng Nuanyou, who is usually the most energetic, couldn't get up early.

The main reason is that everyone stayed up late last night to celebrate the New Year, and the little girl played wildly with her uncles and aunts until late.

So even Feng Nuanyou slept until almost noon before getting up.

The little girl woke up and saw her great-aunt, great-aunt, third great-aunt, and mother taking care of her younger brother and sister.

But I didn't see my father.

Feng Nuanyou sat up sleepily, rubbing her eyes: "Where's Daddy?"

As soon as I finished speaking, I heard my mother and three grandmothers laughing.

Feng Nuanyou looked at them and asked, "Mom, what are you laughing at?"

Luo Qing: "I just told the grandmas that when you get up you will definitely ask where your dad is, and I was right. So your grandmas and I are naturally going to laugh."

Feng Nuanyou was a little confused at first, but the little girl quickly understood.

She got up, went to her mother's side, and hugged her neck.

"Hehehe, I'm looking for Daddy because Mommy is here, so I don't need to look for her."

Luo Qing hugged her daughter and kissed her.

"Okay, okay, you have such a sweet tongue, Mommy believes you."

Grandma: "This little girl has a sweet tongue and is very eloquent."

Grandma: "I wonder where she learned that mouth of hers?"

Third Grandma: "He probably learned it from his father. Zhengming usually has a sweet tongue and knows how to talk to people in a way that makes them feel comfortable."

Luo Qing: "That's right. This girl has helped her father receive many people, and that's how she learned to speak from him."

Feng Nuanyou: "Hehehe, Daddy said that Youyou looks like Mommy because Mommy is pretty."

This made everyone laugh again.

Grandma: "I was just saying that this girl has a sweet tongue, she's so good at talking."

Grandma said, "Compared to this girl, all our children seem like slow learners."

Third Grandmother: "If only our Shengnan could be as eloquent as Youyou."

Luo Qing: "I think they are all great. For example, Hongwei wants to join the army first and then take the postgraduate entrance exam after joining the army. Isn't that great?"

Shengnan is such a smart and beautiful girl. Last night I was thinking that when Shengnan goes to Shanghai for her college entrance exam, she can teach our Youyou more when she has free time.

And although Yu Cheng doesn't talk much, he's very smart. He speaks several languages ​​too, how amazing is that?

After Luo Qing praised her own child, Feng Nuanyou's three grandmothers looked at each other in bewilderment.

Third Grandma: "I've noticed that your Youyou has inherited her sweet tongue from you, her mother."

Grandma and great-aunt both nodded in agreement.

At this moment, the two little ones heard everyone talking and started waving their little hands and twisting around.

Looking at the two younger ones, and Feng Nuanyou.

The three grandmothers couldn't help but feel a little envious of Feng Zhengming and Luo Qing.

"You two are so lucky, you have both a son and a daughter. Three kids make your house so lively!"

“Zhengming was an orphan since childhood and suffered a lot on his own. Having more children would make up for the lack he experienced in his childhood.”

"That's true. I knew Zhengming liked children so much; it's definitely to make up for what he lacked when he was young."

Luo Qing: "So I will take the children with me. If he is in Jinan, we will be in Jinan. If he is in Shanghai, we will accompany him to Shanghai. If he goes to Beijing, we will also accompany him to live in Beijing permanently."

Feng Nuanyou: "Yes, yes, we are with Dad."

The affection shown to Feng Zhengming's family touched the three grandmothers.

After chatting for a while, Feng Nuanyou was urged by her mother to brush her teeth and wash her face.

Then I had lunch with my family.

After lunch, Feng Zhengming, Zhang Hongwei, Feng Shengnan, and Feng Yucheng took their daughter Feng Nuanyou out to play.

Luo Qing and the others were still playing mahjong at home.

This time, however, Luo Qing was playing mahjong with her aunt, second aunt, and third aunt while also taking care of the two little ones at home.

On the first day of the Lunar New Year, some shops had already opened for business in the afternoon.

Feng Zhengming and his group strolled around the streets together, and then visited some tourist attractions in Jinan.

He brought his camera with him and took many photos of his younger siblings and daughter.

Because all of Feng Zhengming's shops, including Huiquanlou, were closed during the Chinese New Year.

Therefore, during the Chinese New Year period, other restaurants and eateries have very good business.

Whether it's a small restaurant on the street or a large restaurant like Jufengde, Taifenglou, or Jubinyuan, business is exceptionally good on the first day of the Lunar New Year.

Many families do not cook at home during the Chinese New Year, or they feel that their cooking skills are not good enough.

Many people choose to book a table in advance at Jufengde, Taifenglou, or Jubinyuan.

Of course, this also shows that the domestic economy is indeed getting better and better.

In the past, people would definitely have stayed at home and prepared for the New Year themselves.

After all, large restaurants like Jufengde, Taifenglou, and Jubinyuan usually have high prices, and the prices will inevitably be even higher during the Chinese New Year.

It's probably really impossible for an average family to book a New Year's Eve dinner at a fancy restaurant.

While everyone was sightseeing, Zhang Hongwei passed by Jufengde and saw that Jufengde was doing very well.

He asked Feng Zhengming, somewhat puzzled.

"Brother, why do you take a break during the Chinese New Year? I see that Jufengde and their businesses are doing very well. If your restaurants and shops were open during the Chinese New Year, wouldn't you make a lot of money?"

Feng Zhengming replied with a smile, "Because I also want to celebrate the New Year. Everyone in the restaurant and shop who works hard all year also wants to celebrate the New Year."

Feng Shengnan: "Exactly, we can't let everyone skip the New Year and just focus on business."

Feng Zhengming: "Actually, operating during the Spring Festival will first affect my own Spring Festival celebration, and secondly, in order to operate normally, I will have to prepare a lot of things in advance."

Many suppliers also take a break during the Chinese New Year, so many items may not be very fresh.

In addition, the limited quantity and scarcity drive up prices, leading to increased costs for many items during the Lunar New Year period.

Under these circumstances, a meal during the Chinese New Year is destined to be significantly more expensive than usual.

Feng Zhengming paused here, looking at Zhang Hongwei: "If it were you, and you ate dishes that didn't taste good and were more expensive than usual during the New Year, wouldn't you feel that it affected your New Year's mood?"

Zhang Hongwei was very frank: "Of course! During the Spring Festival, we invite our families to eat together. If the food isn't good, wouldn't the whole family feel bad?"

Feng Zhengming asked, "So you still think I should stay open during the Chinese New Year to earn this money?"

Zhang Hongwei was convinced: "Brother, your vision is truly exceptional. No wonder your store maintains such a good reputation."

Feng Zhengming: "There's no need to think that other restaurants and hotels are not doing well during the Spring Festival. They sacrifice their own Spring Festival time so that many families who are not good at cooking can also have a good meal during the Spring Festival."

We should acknowledge their efforts, and also be understanding that the food might not taste as good during the Chinese New Year period.

Feng Shengnan asked, "Brother, can't I say their food isn't good?"

Feng Zhengming: "Of course you can say that. Since they chose to operate during the Spring Festival, they have to pay the price for their choice. We can tolerate the fact that some dishes are not available during the Spring Festival, but if they don't do a good job on the dishes that should be done, then they deserve to be criticized or even scolded." Feng Yucheng: "Big brother is smart. He takes a break during the Spring Festival holiday, doesn't compete with them, and doesn't have to be scolded for not doing a good job in a hurry."

Feng Zhengming: "Hahaha, I don't earn that much money during the Chinese New Year either, do I?"

The daughter hugged her father and said, "We don't lack money. Youyou has a lot of lucky money, and she gives it all to Daddy. Then Daddy will play with Youyou during the Chinese New Year."

His daughter's words made Feng Zhengming smile and pick her up.

“Okay, didn’t Dad take a break during the Chinese New Year? Actually, Dad also wanted to rest so he could spend more time with our Youyou.”

Feng Nuanyou listened to her father and immediately hugged his neck happily.

Feng Zhengming and his group then visited some tourist attractions.

Then, at some tourist attractions, he was recognized by many people.

"Wow, it's Scholar Feng!"

"Happy New Year, Scholar Feng."

"So even during the Spring Festival holiday, Scholar Feng has to take care of the kids?"

"Haha, Scholar Feng is so busy all year round, he must take care of his family during the New Year."

"It's just that during the Chinese New Year, when we can't eat the dishes from Feng Zhuangyuan's restaurants, we always feel like something is missing."

"When will your shops reopen, Feng Zhuangyuan?"

Feng Zhengming smiled and explained to everyone.

"All my shops should reopen on the sixth day of the Lunar New Year. Of course, Huiquanlou may be a little later. We need to give our peers enough space and time, and we also need to prepare ourselves well."

After hearing Feng Zhengming's words, many people in Jinan were also puzzled.
"Feng Zhuangyuan, why are you not open for business during the Spring Festival? Actually, if you were back in Jinan for the Spring Festival, your business should have been very good."

"That's right, that's right. If your restaurant is open during the Chinese New Year, we'll all go there to eat."

“When I asked my family which restaurant they wanted to eat at during the Chinese New Year, they all said they wanted to eat at your restaurant, Feng Zhuangyuan.”

Feng Zhengming smiled and continued to explain.

"It's really because everyone in my shop and I have been working so hard all year round. During the Lunar New Year, everyone really wants to have a good rest, so we have no choice but to take a break."

Then Feng Zhengming expressed his gratitude to the people surrounding him.

"Thank you all for your support. After the sixth day of the Lunar New Year, you can come to eat at any of my stores. We will continue to prepare the best food for you."

Having received Feng Zhengming's promise, everyone in Jinan naturally believed it.

Over the years, the taste of Feng Zhengming's various stores has always remained consistently excellent.

On this point, people in Jinan and all over Shandong province trust each other.

If you're traveling around Shandong and want locals to recommend what to eat, what should you do?
Locals would definitely recommend Feng Zhengming's shop first.

Moreover, unless you're looking for something particularly unusual, choosing Feng Zhengming's restaurant will definitely not be a bad deal.

In terms of price, Feng Zhengming has always maintained reasonable prices in all his stores.

In terms of taste, Feng Zhengming has always been able to maintain consistency across all his stores.

Some people took this opportunity to ask Feng Zhengming some questions.

"Feng Zhuangyuan, how do you maintain such great taste in your shop?"

Feng Zhengming: "Of course, I have strict requirements for everyone in the kitchen. Some people may already know that in all my stores, many of the trainees leave after only a few days."

Most young people these days really can't handle the hardships of working in a kitchen, especially in the kitchen of my restaurant, where it's probably even tougher.

Some people expressed their opinions after hearing Feng Zhengming's words.

"Young people should be able to endure hardship."

"That's right, how can you master a skill without enduring hardship?"

"However, many people nowadays really don't want their children to suffer that hardship."

Feng Zhengming nodded and said, "I think it still requires genuine passion from oneself."

If you don't love cooking, it might be really hard to stick with it, even with a high enough salary; many people still can't bear the hardship.

After a brief pause, Feng Zhengming smiled and said, "But those that remain are definitely the best, which is why my shops have been able to maintain their good taste."

This remark caused the onlookers to burst into laughter.

Everyone agreed that Feng Zhengming was absolutely right.

Those who can't endure hardship don't need to stay.

Those who are willing to work hard and learn the skills will stay, which will ensure that the food in the restaurant tastes good enough.

And just as Feng Zhengming said, he was never stingy with the staff in the kitchen.

Everyone in Jinan and Shandong knows that the wages in the kitchens of Feng Zhengming's restaurants are very high.

The high salaries will motivate kitchen staff to work harder and be more committed to their jobs.

After all, Feng Zhengming was completely ruthless when it came to firing people.

It is almost impossible for those who were fired to return to Feng Zhengming's shop.

Then they will also find that they can no longer earn the same high salary as Feng Zhengming's shop.

With multiple reward and punishment mechanisms in place, it is indeed able to motivate many people.

But the most crucial point is actually what Feng Zhengming said: you have to have something you love.

Passion is an emotion that every industry needs.

Without the emotional support of passion, it's unlikely one can persevere in any industry.

Feng Zhengming took a few last photos of his daughter, younger brother, and younger sister by the famous spring in Jinan. Seeing that it was getting late, he led everyone back.

To Feng Zhengming's surprise, he had originally planned to cook for his family after bringing his daughter home with his younger siblings.

When they returned, they found that their aunt, second aunt, and third aunt had already cooked the dishes together in the kitchen.

Even Luo Qing joined in the cooking, and they actually managed to prepare a sumptuous feast.

Seeing Feng Zhengming return, Luo Qing smiled and said, "Tonight, all of us will cook a meal for you, our chef, so you can taste our home-style cooking."

Feng Zhengming: "Okay, I'd love to try some home-style cooking."

Feng Nuanyou rushed into her mother's arms: "Mom, you can cook too?"

Luo Qing was so angry at her daughter's words that she laughed.

"You little rascal, do you think all your mom does is eat?"

As she spoke, she bent down and gently pinched her daughter's nose. "Let me tell you, Mom can cook too. Tonight, I'll let you taste Mom's cooking."

Feng Nuanyou: "Hehehe, okay, I want to try it and see if Mom's is better than Dad's."

Luo Qing: "Is there any comparison? If Mom can cook better than Dad, then Mom would be the champion of the national cooking competition."

My aunt, second aunt, and third aunt came out with dishes to greet us.

"Alright, alright, go wash your hands, let's get ready to eat."

Feng Zhengming and the others quickly washed their hands and then went inside to prepare for dinner. (End of Chapter)