From selling box lunches to becoming a famous Chinese chef

After exchanging words with Zeng Zhichang in the kitchen, Zeng Zhichang invited Feng Zhengming to stay for lunch.

Feng Zhengming thought about it and agreed. He called his wife and family and asked them to come over for dinner as well.

Wang Hanwen also made a special phone call to his girlfriend, Chu Huijuan.

Chu Huijuan told Wang Hanwen that they had just come out of the giant panda enclosure.

Giant pandas are indeed very attractive to children.

Not only the children, but also Luo Qing and her mother, who were seeing giant pandas up close for the first time, and Feng Zhengming's second aunt were all attracted by the adorable giant pandas.

As she left, still wanting more, Feng Nuanyou was holding a giant panda plush toy in her arms.

My two little ones were each bought a panda outfit.

The most interesting thing was that Feng Nuanyou was carrying a small panda backpack on her back, which made the little girl very happy.

Upon receiving the call, Chu Huijuan quickly arranged for a car and took everyone to the restaurant.

When Chu Huijuan arrived at the restaurant, she was somewhat surprised.

"Oh, we're having lunch here?"

Feng Nuanyou asked curiously, "Auntie, don't you usually eat here?"

Chu Huijuan bent down and answered the little girl in a low voice.

"Auntie, let me tell you, we usually don't dare to eat here because the food is good, but the prices are also high, and this place is usually used to entertain many important people."

Feng Nuanyou: "Hehehe, Youyou's dad is also a big shot."

Chu Huijuan thought for a moment and said, "That's right, your father is indeed a big shot."

Wang Hanwen came out from inside and quickly led everyone inside to the prepared private room.

Upon entering the private room, Feng Zhengming was already waiting for me.

When his wife, mother-in-law, and second aunt came in, they were all quite surprised to see the old-fashioned but very well-maintained decorations and tables and chairs in the private room.

Feng Nuanyou quickly ran to her father.

"Hehehe, Dad, look! I bought a giant panda, and this little panda backpack on my back."

Feng Zhengming looked at his daughter and smiled, "So beautiful! Did Youyou see a giant panda today? Did you touch it?"

Feng Nuanyou's eyes lit up, and she quickly began to tell her father about her experience of seeing the giant pandas that day.

Seeing the giant pandas today made Feng Nuanyou very happy.

Not only did she see many giant pandas, she also touched a newborn panda cub.

"Dad, those pandas are so much fun! They're all so cute, and their fur is so soft and fluffy."

Feng Zhengming: "Haha, otherwise why would they be national treasures? It's because they are very cute and loved by everyone that they are national treasures."

Feng Nuanyou: "They are living and eating very well, and many uncles, aunts, brothers and sisters are taking care of them."

Feng Zhengming asked his daughter, "Did you feed them?"

Feng Nuanyou nodded: "Yes, yes, I fed them bamboo and bamboo leaves."

Feng Zhengming: "Our Youyou is so great."

Feng Nuanyou smiled happily, and then she got down from her father's arms.

Holding his panda plush toy, he went to play with his younger siblings.

The two little ones laughed as their older sister amused them, and even tried to grab her panda plush toy with their little hands.

While watching the three children play, Feng Zhengming chatted with his wife, mother-in-law, and second aunt.

This restaurant is a very famous Sichuan restaurant, and it's also a very old one.

This place has hosted many distinguished guests in the past.

Second Aunt: "No wonder, I could tell this place was different as soon as I came in."

Mother-in-law: "Zhengming, you're really capable, managing to invite us to dinner here."

Feng Zhengming: "Mom, this isn't my invitation; it's the head chef here who's treating us."

Luo Qing asked curiously, "Who is the head chef here?"

Feng Zhengming: "Master Zeng Zhichang, we participated in the National Culinary Competition together."

Luo Qing suddenly realized: "Oh, I remember, he was fourth, wasn't he?"

Feng Zhengming: "Shh, don't say that in their restaurant."

Chu Huijuan couldn't help but chuckle when she heard this. Now she understood why they were able to dine in such a restaurant today.

It turns out that her boyfriend's master lost to Feng Zhuangyuan back then, and he only got fourth place in the National Culinary Competition.

No wonder her boyfriend's mentor would take the initiative to treat Feng Zhengming to this meal.

The mother-in-law asked with a smile, "Zhengming, so when you came here, they didn't kick you out?"

Feng Zhengming: "Mom, Senior Brother Zeng is a man who can accept defeat. We exchange cooking tips and improve together, so he definitely won't kick me out."

Mother-in-law: "That's true. You are both excellent chefs. Exchanging ideas with each other will definitely help you improve."

At this moment, Zeng Zhichang arrived at the private room.

"Good afternoon, everyone. Welcome to Chengdu and to our Chengdu Restaurant."

Upon seeing Zeng Zhichang's greeting, Feng Zhengming smiled and said, "Brother Zeng, you don't need to be so polite. These are all my family members. This is my mother-in-law, and this is my aunt. They are helping me take care of my child, and they are working very hard."

So this time I brought everyone out for a walk, so that they could also have time to experience the local customs and culture of different regions.

It also allows everyone to experience the unique characteristics of your Sichuan cuisine.

Zeng Zhichang greeted Feng Zhengming's mother-in-law and second aunt with a smile.

"Greetings, both of you. Without your help in taking care of Junior Brother Feng's child, we might have lost a top-notch chef. I will definitely do my best to prepare this meal today. Thank you."

These words made Feng Zhengming's mother-in-law and second aunt laugh.

Mother-in-law: "They are our own children, so we don't have to go through any hardship. They are my own grandchildren, so I'm definitely happy to take care of them."

Second Aunt: "Yes, they are all our own children, so of course we will help take care of them."

Then Feng Zhengming introduced his wife to Zeng Zhichang.

"Brother Zeng, this is my wife. Hasn't your sister-in-law arrived yet? Didn't you tell me that your sister-in-law wanted to meet my wife?"

Zeng Zhichang also took the initiative to shake hands with Luo Qing.

"Oh, sister-in-law, hello. Your sister-in-law has been talking about you a lot. She saw the report on TV about your children's lunch kitchen in Shanghai. She admires you very much and wants to ask you for advice."

Luo Qing quickly replied politely, "Hello, Senior Brother Zeng. Everyone is too kind. Actually, the kitchen was able to be established thanks to my husband's reputation."

Zeng Zhichang: "That's because you, my sister-in-law, are very capable, which is why you can manage it well."

As they were talking, Zeng Zhichang's wife, Hu Jin, entered the private room. Upon entering, she immediately saw Feng Zhengming and exclaimed, "Oh my, it really is our top scholar Feng!"

Feng Zhengming smiled and said, "Hello, sister-in-law."

Hu Jin: "Call me sister-in-law? Hahaha, my husband Zeng told me before that he and you have a very good relationship. I laughed at him for patting himself on the back, but now it seems to be true."

Feng Zhengming: "It is my honor that Senior Brother Zeng is willing to acknowledge me as his junior brother."

Upon hearing Feng Zhengming's words, Zeng Zhichang was left speechless, unsure whether to laugh or cry.

“If that’s how you put it, Zhengming, I’m embarrassed to invite you over again. I feel like my hospitality isn’t good enough. We need to get all the famous Sichuan chefs to come and pay their respects to you, the top scholar.”

Feng Zhengming laughed: "Hahaha, Senior Brother Zeng, no, no, no, please don't do that, I'm not joking anymore."

Zeng Zhichang was finally satisfied and told his wife, Hu Jin, to help take care of Feng Zhengming and the others.

Zeng Zhichang led Wang Hanwen to the kitchen to prepare some dishes for Feng Zhengming and the others.

Hu Jin invited Feng Zhengming and the others to sit down and began to chat with Feng Zhengming and Luo Qing in a very open and informal manner.

“Feng Zhuangyuan, you are a celebrity. Many of my old Zeng’s apprentices admire you very much. Look at Hanwen, he went to learn from you and he wants to open your branch when he comes back. They all really admire you very much.”

Feng Zhengming: "Hanwen is a good disciple. I really envy Senior Brother Zeng for having such a good disciple."

Hu Jin: "Yes, yes, Hanwen is indeed a good kid. He respects his master very much and visits us every year when he comes back for the Spring Festival."

Feng Zhengming: "Sister-in-law, I heard that Hanwen encountered some trouble when he came back to open the shop this time?"

Hu Jin's expression changed slightly upon hearing this, but she quickly regained her smile.

"That matter was a small misunderstanding between the brothers. Perhaps Hanwen hadn't been back for too long, so his brothers wanted to play a joke on him."

Feng Zhengming: "If that's what my sister-in-law said, then I'll believe it's a joke."

After a brief pause, Feng Zhengming smiled.

"I originally thought that some Sichuan chefs were resisting me and didn't welcome me to open a shop in Chengdu."

Upon hearing this, Hu Jin understood the implication of Feng Zhengming's words.

Feng Zhengming did not raise this issue in front of Zeng Zhichang, in order to save face for Zeng Zhichang in the kitchen.

Now, whether in front of Hu Jin or in a private room, he still had to bring it up.

It's not that Feng Zhengming is petty or that he would stoop to the level of those younger generations.

He didn't want Wang Hanwen to suffer too much unfair treatment.

In any case, Wang Hanwen was a chef who came from his own restaurant.

Even if he is not my apprentice, I cannot let him be manipulated by others.

Hu Jin smiled and said, "I know Hanwen must have told you some problems. Actually, those are minor issues. Hanwen just came back and is about to open your branch here, which is why he is facing some resistance."

Later, my elder brother Zeng stepped in and explained the situation, and his fellow disciples stopped resisting.

Chu Huijuan sat there and listened to Hu Jin say this, but she remained silent and did not interrupt.

She knew very well that Feng Zhuangyuan was trying to get an explanation for her boyfriend.

Feng Zhengming: "Sister-in-law, don't worry. I came here with Hanwen this morning and had a lot of discussions with Senior Brother Zeng in the kitchen. I'm someone who really enjoys researching."

My philosophy is that food can be enjoyed regardless of its cuisine, location, or even country.

Every cuisine has its own unique characteristics that people love. I hope everyone can set aside some prejudices and share the unique features of different regions, cuisines, and even cultures from around the world.

Hu Jin nodded: "That's good. Old Zeng has said more than once at home that he always felt that the National Culinary Competition he participated in with you really taught him a lot."

He felt that the number of chefs participating in that year's National Culinary Competition might not be comparable to that of the first competition.

But the third edition was truly a free exchange edition; you could freely exchange ideas with people from different regions and with different cuisines.

Feng Zhengming: "Yes, at the third National Culinary Competition, we were indeed able to exchange culinary ideas more freely. We didn't have any regional or culinary biases or even mutual hostility from different schools of thought."

We were just focused on how to cook our own food better and how to learn more from others.

Hu Jin sighed: "It's a pity. I heard that you had a falling out with the organizers at the fourth edition."

That incident didn't actually cause a big stir.

However, that incident did cause a huge uproar in the catering industry.

Because of that incident, people in the culinary industry still have two opposing views on Feng Zhengming.

One theory is that after achieving success, Feng Zhengming became arrogant and complacent, and looked down on ordinary chefs.

The other side firmly stood by Feng Zhengming's side. They all felt that Feng Zhengming had done nothing wrong and that it was necessary to strictly establish standards so that everyone could not ruin them.

These two viewpoints have existed for many years.

At the same time, because of these two viewpoints, many chefs have some opinions about Feng Zhengming.

This is especially true for some older chefs who haven't achieved much in their culinary skills.

They would think that Feng Zhengming's success in becoming the top scholar and achieving his current status is not due to his exceptional skills, but rather to his seizing opportunities and knowing how to market himself.

Feng Zhengming completely disregarded the opinions of others.

As the old saying goes, competitors are enemies.

There's no need to make your peers agree with you.

All I need to do is maintain my skills and gain more customers' approval and appreciation.

However, people like Huang Yunliang and Wang Hanwen, after leaving their own shops, want to open their own branches when they return to their hometowns.

Feng Zhengming still needs to give them enough support.

In particular, we must not allow local chefs to bully and humiliate them at will.

Feng Zhengming didn't say it directly to Zeng Zhichang in the kitchen today, which is already a sign that he was mindful of his good relationship with Zeng Zhichang.

Now that he's saying this to Zeng Zhichang's wife, his meaning is very clear.

He himself didn't want to say these things to Zeng Zhichang, lest it spoil everyone's good mood today.

Hopefully, Hu Jin, Zeng Zhichang's wife, can pass on some words to him later.

Hu Jin probably guessed what Feng Zhengming was thinking, and she smiled and took the initiative to express her opinion to Feng Zhengming.

"Zhengming, I don't know if I can call you that, but don't worry, your sister-in-law will definitely pass on your words to your senior brother Zeng and make him handle things properly so that Hanwen won't suffer any more losses in the future."

Feng Zhengming smiled: "Thank you, sister-in-law. It's better for you to convey these words to me than for me to say them myself."

Hu Jin smiled and nodded, "I didn't expect you to be so shrewd, Zhengming."

Feng Zhengming: "Haha, sister-in-law, please don't take offense. I just didn't want to affect Senior Brother Zeng's prestige in the kitchen. After all, Senior Brother Zeng is now a top chef of Sichuan cuisine."

Hu Jin: "I also thank you on behalf of your senior brother Zeng for giving him this face."

Just as they finished discussing Wang Hanwen's matter, the door to the private room was gently pushed open, and the waiter began serving dishes to Feng Zhengming and his group. (End of Chapter)