From selling box lunches to becoming a famous Chinese chef

These people from several privately-run kindergartens and schools in Shanghai probably never imagined this.

Given the current reputation of their kindergarten and school in Shanghai, how could they be turned away?

They thought that once they found Feng Zhengming and Luo Qing, the couple would surely agree to provide them with lunch in a polite manner.

They even considered trying to build a relationship with Feng Zhengming.

In the future, there may be opportunities to get discounts at Feng Zhengming's stores.

But to their complete surprise, Feng Zhengming didn't even bother to see them.

When they arrived at Luo Qing's place, they originally wanted to put on airs, but Luo Qing directly refused and asked them to see the guests out.

After leaving the children's lunch kitchen, the group suddenly realized that they seemed to be ignored.

The administrators of several kindergartens and schools looked at each other in bewilderment.

The person in charge of the jointly-run kindergarten spoke up.

"So we've been kicked out?"

These words brought everyone else back to their senses.

"Yeah, why did they kick us out?"

"Don't they know where we come from? Don't they know the identities of the parents of the children in our kindergarten and school?"

Several people were clearly annoyed, and some even wanted to use their resources to put pressure on Luo Qing.

However, there are still some relatively calm people among these people.

One of the translators who was brought in spoke up: "Gentlemen, have you forgotten that Feng Zhuangyuan is behind this? Do you really think that the parents of those children in the kindergarten and school can put pressure on Feng Zhuangyuan?"

The translator's reminder immediately made the group realize the problem.

They might not care about Luo Qing alone.

They could even use the parents' connections to put pressure on the children's lunch kitchen to shut it down.

But Luo Qing is Feng Zhuangyuan's wife, and Feng Zhuangyuan is someone they probably can't afford to offend.

In Shanghai, even the wealthiest bosses have to make reservations in advance before dining at the old-style restaurant, and they even have to put on a smiling face for Feng Zhengming when they arrive.

The administrators of these jointly run kindergartens and schools had long heard of Feng Zhengming's reputation abroad.

Moreover, even if they don't understand Feng Zhengming's current status and position.

They are also well aware of the significance of being recognized by the International Gastronomic Association as one of the world's top ten restaurants of the year.

After being reminded by the translator, the group somewhat backed down.

They could only go back to their respective kindergartens and schools to discuss the matter.

After seeing the group off, Luo Qing saw her assistant walk into her office.

"From now on, we shouldn't let people from kindergartens and schools like this into the country. What kind of trash are they? Do they really think they're so superior? Humph, don't forget this is China. Do they think their children's parents can help them deal with us?"

The assistant smiled and said, "Sister Qing, don't be angry. It's not worth getting angry with this kind of person."

Luo Qing: "Hmph, I'd like to see what other tricks these people have up their sleeves."

Assistant: "The methods that Sister Qing and the others used were nothing more than finding the parents of those children and getting them to put pressure on us. But would those parents dare to put pressure on Feng Zhuangyuan?"

Luo Qing's lips curled up slightly into a smile.

"I'm actually looking forward to seeing if someone will be bold enough to put some pressure on my Youyou's dad."

The assistant was taken aback at first, then couldn't help but laugh.

"Sis, wouldn't you call this a deliberate entrapment?"

Luo Qing: "Who told them to come looking so arrogant and make me unhappy?"

Assistant: "Sister, calm down. Why don't you talk to Scholar Feng?"

Luo Qing waved her hand: "No need, he hasn't even seen them, he knows very well what kind of people they are."

Then Luo Qing earnestly instructed her assistant: "If any kindergartens or schools contact us again, remember to find out their qualifications."

The assistant also became serious: "I understand, Sister Qing."

After finding the person in charge of Luo Qing's jointly run kindergarten and school, they immediately convened a meeting to discuss the matter.

At the beginning of the meeting, many people from these kindergartens and schools were very dissatisfied with Luo Qing's attitude.

"She's actually unwilling to cooperate with us? Doesn't she know our capabilities?"

"Yes, we're the ones who can get big orders from them. How much money can those public institutions give them?"

“Our students come from all different families. It’s not like we’re not paying them. Why shouldn’t we get separate meals?”

"They really don't know what's good for them. Do they really think we need to cooperate with them?"

After a series of complaints, someone spoke up to remind everyone.

"You can keep arguing here. You've probably forgotten who's behind them. It's the children's lunch kitchen run by Scholar Feng's family, okay?"

Upon hearing this, the meeting rooms in several kindergartens and schools fell silent.

Mention Feng Zhuangyuan, and everyone instantly loses their temper.

The title "Feng Zhuangyuan" is now recognized by almost everyone across the country.

Even the foreigners in these Shanghai-run kindergartens and schools had long heard of Feng Zhuangyuan and were even more aware of his current reputation and influence.

Since it's backed by Feng Zhuangyuan, this children's lunch kitchen is not something anyone can pressure.

The problem now is that if a partnership cannot be reached with the children's lunch kitchen.

Where are these jointly run kindergartens and schools going to find a chef of equal caliber to give the children's parents an explanation?
The situation seemed to have reached a dead end.

However, these joint ventures with private kindergartens and schools still want to make a final effort.

So not long after, Feng Zhengming received several phone calls.

The call was made to him by some customers of the old-style restaurant.

Almost all of these calls were for the same reason.

I just want to speak up for those privately-run kindergartens and schools.

We hope that Feng Zhengming can talk to his wife and agree to cooperate with these families to provide lunch for their children. They are also willing to offer more substantial cooperation funds.

Feng Zhengming's reply was also very direct.

“We are naturally willing to cooperate and provide better lunches for children, but my wife should make it very clear to them that the children’s lunch kitchen will not discriminate against any child.”

The lunches we provide are specially designed by a nutritionist and are also seasoned by me and the chefs under my supervision.

It will definitely suit most children's tastes, so we can't possibly create a new menu.

Upon receiving Feng Zhengming's response, the bosses who approached him expressed their understanding.

However, Feng Zhengming and Luo Qing did not immediately agree to the food delivery cooperation.

One reason is the other party's previous attitude. Another reason is that there are not enough delivery vehicles for the children's lunch kitchen.

The bilingual kindergartens and schools that are jointly run are all located in relatively far-off areas.

To ensure timely delivery and freshness, a dedicated vehicle needs to be dispatched to deliver the food.

The children's kitchen provides meals, which are mostly made fresh daily.

Freshly prepared food doesn't have a long shelf life; there's a best time to eat it.

Previously, Feng Zhengming conducted numerous experiments to determine a delivery process for the city's directly affiliated kindergartens and schools, ensuring that the children's meals were of good quality.

If we need to deliver meals to more distant bilingual kindergartens and schools, we need to replan the delivery routes, or even arrange special delivery vehicles.

As a result, the problem was quickly solved by the combined efforts of the parents of the children in the kindergartens and schools.

Feng Zhengming had to admit that the parents who could afford to send their children to those jointly run bilingual kindergartens and schools were indeed exceptionally wealthy.

The parents of those children actually purchased a batch of food delivery vehicles from abroad.

The delivery truck even has a professional temperature-controlled box to ensure that the food stays warm during delivery.

These delivery trucks were then delivered directly to Luo Qing's children's kitchen.

Luo Qing didn't take advantage of these parents; she had the kindergarten and school logos painted on all their food delivery trucks.

This shows them that the food trucks you donated are for delivering food to them and will not be used by other businesses.

And because more kindergartens and schools are ordering meals.

Feng Zhengming also recruited another batch of new people and transferred a group of apprentices from all over Shandong.

This allowed Feng Zhengming to successfully solve the employment problem for another batch of young apprentices in Qilu.

During the summer vacation, Luo Qing unexpectedly won a city-wide award.

She was rewarded for establishing a children's lunch kitchen, which became a benchmark enterprise in the city.

This was something Luo Qing hadn't expected, and even Feng Zhengming hadn't anticipated it.

When the awards were presented, Feng Zhengming specially hired an image consultant for his wife and daughter to design outfits for them, and he also changed into a very well-fitting suit.

I brought my mother-in-law, my second aunt, and my two little ones to attend the awards ceremony.

The moment Feng Zhengming, his wife, and daughter appeared, they immediately became stars in front of the cameras.

Even the celebrities invited to the event were not as captivating as the couple Feng Zhengming and Luo Qing.

Luo Qing also had a big smile on her face when facing the camera.

Luo Qing handled some interviews with great ease.

At this point, everyone suddenly realized that it seemed that not only did Feng Zhuangyuan have a great business mind, but his wife Luo Qing was also a very capable woman.

Luo Qing smiled politely at the camera.

“We were really surprised to receive this award. My husband and I started this children’s lunch kitchen so that our daughter could eat better at kindergarten.”

We never expected that our meals would be so popular with so many children.

Over the past six months, we've gained recognition, been liked by the children, and had our efforts acknowledged by the parents. This has truly made us very happy.

A reporter from the local television station approached and asked, "I heard that you're not actually making any money from this project?"

Luo Qing: "It's not that we don't make any money at all. It's just that because it's for children, we are more meticulous in selecting, cleaning, and cooking the ingredients, so the cost may be higher and the profit may be slightly less."

Hearing Luo Qing say this, the reporter took the opportunity to interview Feng Zhengming, who was standing next to her.

"We've all heard that in all of your restaurants, the chefs are paid the best, higher than other restaurants and eateries in the industry. So, will the chefs in the children's kitchen also receive the same high salaries?"

Feng Zhengming: "High salaries are a given. The head chefs from all my restaurants in Shanghai will go there to take turns working, which is a kind of indirect way of training apprentices. I pay them three times their usual salary each time they take turns working there."

"Triple pay?" All the reporters present exclaimed in surprise.

Taking this opportunity, Feng Zhengming directly expressed his views.

"Don't be surprised, I think they deserve triple pay because they have that skill, and we should respect every craftsman."

Many people may not understand how much effort a chef puts into making a dish.

I'll just say one thing, and you can imagine how arduous it must be for a chef to wear a chef's uniform and cook in front of a roaring flame in the kitchen during the summer.
Therefore, I believe that any chef who puts their heart into making good food deserves our respect.

After listening to Feng Zhengming's words, everyone present felt that what he said made sense.

Moreover, many people have noticed that since Feng Zhengming emerged, chefs have indeed become more valued across the country.

In the past, many chefs might not have been able to negotiate very high terms with restaurant and hotel owners.

But Feng Zhengming's appearance once again elevated the status of the chefs.

Now, chefs not only earn high salaries, but they also receive more respect.

However, it is indeed very rare to see chefs receiving such good wages and benefits as Feng Zhengming.

This also explains why Feng Zhengming has so many good chefs under his command.

At the awards ceremony, Feng Zhengming and Luo Qing appeared with their daughter.

Many people also took the initiative to come up and greet the couple.

Many of them are well-known entrepreneurs in Shanghai.

They were all very polite to Feng Zhengming.

In the eyes of these entrepreneurs, Feng Zhengming is not just a chef; he is the true number one figure in the domestic catering industry.

Based solely on the restaurants he owns, they can definitely be considered among the most famous restaurants in the country.

Almost everyone else in the catering business has to be subservient to Feng Zhengming.

Especially if they want to enter Shanghai, if Feng Zhengming wants to target them, even the largest companies can be easily controlled by him and prevented from gaining a foothold in Shanghai.

Of course, Feng Zhengming never did that; he always maintained an open and inclusive attitude.

No matter what regional cuisine you're referring to in China, or whether it's from overseas countries.

When they come to Shanghai, Feng Zhengming will not interfere. In fact, he will take time to take his family out for a meal, and after tasting the food, he will exchange ideas and learn from the chef.

Many renowned chefs from all over the country and even the world have received support from Feng Zhengming for their restaurants in Shanghai.

This also led to the fact that people in the catering industry in Shanghai were willing to give Feng Zhengming enough respect.

Feng Zhengming smiled and greeted everyone, and finally introduced his wife.

“I’m not the main character tonight, my wife is.”

Everyone laughed upon hearing this and offered their congratulations to Luo Qing.

Feng Nuanyou was held in Feng Zhengming's arms. The little girl didn't say a word, just watched and listened quietly.

This scene truly amazed the little girl. (End of Chapter)