From selling box lunches to becoming a famous Chinese chef

When Zhang Lei returned home in the evening, he saw his brother Zhang Yong and sister-in-law who seemed to be waiting for him.

This made Zhang Lei feel a little strange?
"Brother, sister-in-law, are you waiting for me?"

Hearing this, Zhang Yong looked at his wife.

Zhang Lei's sister-in-law smiled and asked Zhang Lei to sit down.

"Leizi, sit down first. It's been very hard for you to be with your master at Huiquan Tower these days, right?"

Zhang Lei looked at his brother and sister-in-law, but he still didn't quite understand?

My brother and sister-in-law are usually very nice to me, but today I feel like they are acting weird?
But Zhang Lei still sat down.

He smiled and replied to his sister-in-law: "It is indeed tiring to work in the kitchen of Huiquanlou, but I can really learn a lot there. Now I know the gap between Xiaopeng and I and the chefs in the kitchen of Huiquanlou."

Next, Zhang Lei told his brother and sister-in-law about some things in the kitchen of Huiquanlou, just like he knew them all.

Listening to Zhang Lei's narration, even if I had not been to the kitchen of Huiquanlou with my own eyes.

Zhang Yong and his wife were still a little surprised.

The couple didn't expect that Huiquanlou's kitchen had such a complicated chef system.

The entire kitchen cannot be cooked by just one or two chefs.

According to Zhang Lei, every chef and every apprentice has his or her own job in the kitchen of Huiquanlou.

Many times, he and Yang Peng could not keep up with the pace because they had just arrived.

But other people in the kitchen of Huiquanlou, including apprentices whose skills may not be as good as Zhang Lei and Yang Peng.

They all seem to know what they should do?
"They really don't need to be given orders. They will find work to do on their own and know how to do it, just like they are a group of master chefs."

Zhang Yong couldn't help but ask after hearing this: "Are they really that powerful?"

Zhang Lei explained to his brother: "Their skills are not that great. Many of them are apprentices who have been in Huiquanlou for less than a year. But they are in the kitchen of Huiquanlou. After being instructed by their junior uncles, they know how to work."

My sister-in-law was a little curious: "Do I need to be taught how to do the work?"

Zhang Lei nodded: "Of course we need to. Many tasks in the kitchen may seem simple, but they are not easy to do, especially if you don't know how to do them. Although you can still do the tasks, you may be slow and can't keep up with the pace of the kitchen."

After hearing this, Zhang Yong said he could understand.

"It's like an assembly line in our workshop, and everyone needs to keep up with the pace."

Seeing that his brother understood, Zhang Lei smiled and nodded: "Yes, that's what my brother said. Xiaopeng and I are trying hard to keep up with the pace."

At this time, Zhang Lei's sister-in-law reached out and gently poked his brother.

Being poked by his wife made Zhang Yong realize that he still had to say what he had to say.

Zhang Yong organized his words a bit and then told Zhang Lei about Fang Jian’s initiative to come to his house in the afternoon.

Before his brother could finish speaking, Zhang Lei immediately refused.

"Brother, I can't agree to this. I can't go back to the factory cafeteria. I still have a lot of skills that I haven't mastered. Next, when the dry food shop here opens, Xiaopeng and I will come here and can't stay with the master.

But at the beginning, Third Uncle will come over here, and we can continue to learn from him.

And brother and sister-in-law, the owner of the rice shop is our junior uncle, and he is the champion of the national cooking competition.

We will definitely have a better future if we follow him. When we become apprentices, he will recommend Xiaopeng and me to any restaurant in Quancheng."

After hearing what his brother said, Zhang Yong immediately backed off and didn't want to continue persuading his brother.

In fact, Zhang Yong didn't want his brother to go back to the factory canteen at first.

Now hearing what his brother said, Zhang Yong also felt that his brother made the right choice.

If you follow Feng Zhengming, you will definitely get better development.

If I go back to the factory canteen now, I might get better treatment, and Fang Jian might even give me a higher salary.

But those are just petty gains.

Zhang Lei said quickly: "Brother, sister-in-law, if I go back to the cafeteria now, no matter how much money Fang Jian and his brother-in-law can give me, it will ruin my future.

If I want to work as a chef in a restaurant or hotel in the future, my experience in the cafeteria will not only not be a plus for me, it may even be looked down upon by other chefs.

I feel that I can only cook those ordinary big pot dishes in the canteen kitchen, and I can't cook the dishes that restaurants and hotels want. "

After hearing what Zhang Lei said, the sister-in-law wanted to speak up and persuade him a little more.

But Zhang Lei took the initiative to persuade his sister-in-law first.

"Sister-in-law, I know that if I go back to the cafeteria, my brother won't offend Fang Jian, and may even leave a good impression on Fang Jian. But even if Fang Jian values ​​my brother, what kind of treatment can he give me? Can he directly promote my brother to be the deputy director?"

Zhang Lei still had a more thorough understanding of the situation, even though he heard factory workers in the family quarters discussing the situation privately.

It is said that Fang Jian will most likely become the new factory director after the old factory director retires.

But Zhang Lei doesn’t think Fang Jian would be a good factory manager.

They also didn't think Fang Jian would treat their family well.

Even Zhang Lei has already contacted Fang Jian's brother-in-law.

It can be said that Zhang Lei really dislikes Fang Jian’s brother-in-law.

Now let him work for Fang Jian’s brother-in-law?
Zhang Lei really felt that he had not fallen to that point.

Of course, the most important thing for him is to consider his own future.

Working with Feng Zhengming, you will definitely be able to obtain more resources in the culinary industry in the future.

Zhang Lei even felt that even if he could not work in the kitchen of Huiquanlou in the future, with the recommendation of a junior master like Feng Zhengming, he would still have very good restaurants and hotels to choose from.

So no matter from which perspective, Zhang Lei does not think it is worth sacrificing his future prospects to help his brother gain the favor of a person who is about to become a factory director.

Zhang Lei looked at his brother and sister-in-law seriously and said, "Brother and sister-in-law, thank you so much for taking care of me over the years.

Please help me again this time so that I can pursue my own future. Don't worry, when I make a lot of money and become a better chef, I will never forget the kindness of my brother and sister-in-law in raising me, and I will honor you."

Faced with Zhang Lei's plea, Zhang Yong still chose to support his brother.

As the eldest brother, Zhang Yong has been taking care of his younger brother over the years.

At this time, how could Zhang Yong, as the elder brother, let his younger brother give up his dream?

And after Zhang Yong thought about it carefully, he also felt that his brother's choice was right.

He left his uncle who was the champion of the national cooking competition behind.

Choose to be a cook in the brewery canteen?

I'm afraid most people would not choose this way.

But Zhang Lei's sister-in-law was still a little unwilling at this time.

"Leizi, I know you have ideals, but think about it. You will not be taken seriously by your junior uncle for the time being. There are many experts there. If you go back to the factory cafeteria, there will be no one to compete with you. You will be the chef in charge of the cafeteria. When Fang Jiancheng becomes the factory director in the future, our family will definitely be able to work more stably in the cafeteria.

As long as Fang Jian is still the factory director, you can always be the chef in the cafeteria. Isn't that more stable than following your junior master?"

Having said this, after a brief pause, the sister-in-law added: "And Fang Jian agreed, I can also go back to the cafeteria."

Zhang Lei understood immediately after hearing this.

"Sister-in-law, if you want to work, I can talk to my junior uncle and let you work in the new restaurant. You don't have to go back to the factory cafeteria."

My sister-in-law immediately said, "What can I do in a restaurant? Isn't it just being a waiter?

If I go back to the factory cafeteria, my status will be different. If someone asks me what I do, can I tell them that I work in the brewery cafeteria, which is the same as being a waiter in a dry food store? "

After all, Zhang Lei's sister-in-law felt that telling people that she worked as a waitress in a restaurant made her look lowly.

So Chang Xiuqin and her friends went to Ganfanpu and Huiquanlou to work as waiters and received some waiter training.

Zhang Lei's sister-in-law didn't want to go and would rather stay at home.

For the first time, Zhang Lei felt that he had some difficulty communicating with his sister-in-law.

He could only look at his brother.

"Brother, do you really want me to give up my ideals and cook big pots in the cafeteria for the rest of my life?"

Before Zhang Yong could speak, his sister-in-law interrupted.

"If you become a chef somewhere else, won't you still cook for the rest of your life? They're all just cooking, so what's the difference? Why are you so stubborn?"

Zhang Lei was almost made to laugh by his sister-in-law. He found it difficult to communicate with her.

In his sister-in-law's eyes, all chefs are the same.

So why can't we choose to rely on someone like Fang Jian who is about to become a factory manager?
Zhang Lei was too lazy to reason and could only say, "I will not go back to the cafeteria. If you guys insist on forcing me to do so, I will have no choice but to pack up and move out."

When these words were spoken, my sister-in-law was suddenly a little upset.

"Okay, you're getting cocky now? All you say is moving out. Your brother and I haven't been good enough to you these years, right? In the end, you still want to move out and don't care about me and your brother anymore, right?"

Zhang Lei didn't expect that his sister-in-law would be so excited?
I saw my sister-in-law crying as she spoke.

Zhang Lei looked at his brother helplessly.

Seeing his wife crying and forcing her brother, Zhang Yong couldn't bear it anymore.

"Okay, why are you crying? You said before that Leizi has grown up and needs to be independent and start his own family. You are saying this again now. What do you mean he won't care about us anymore?

Will Lei Zi just ignore us after he moves out? Besides, we have our own son. Have you ever seen anyone who relies on his younger brother for support when he gets old?

You are really being unreasonable. Go wash your face and stop embarrassing yourself here."

Zhang Yong usually doesn't get angry at home, and most of the time he listens to his wife about household matters.

However, once Zhang Yong gets angry, his wife will definitely not dare to disobey him.

So when she saw that Zhang Yong was about to get angry, his wife decisively obeyed him and turned back to the inner room.

Seeing his sister-in-law leave, Zhang Lei looked at his brother with some guilt.

"Brother, I actually..."

Before Zhang Lei could finish his words, Zhang Yong interrupted him.

"You don't have to say it, I understand. Don't worry, I support you in pursuing your dream. Maybe in the future you can become the champion of the national cooking competition like your junior uncle?
By then, you will have brought honor to our Zhang family, and we brothers can hold our heads high when we return home."

Zhang Lei heard his brother's words and said gratefully, "Thank you, brother."

Zhang Yong smiled and said, "You're welcome. Go and have some rest."

Then Zhang Yong also stood up and went into his and his wife's room.

Zhang Lei sat in the living room for a while, thinking about what his brother and sister-in-law said tonight, and couldn't help but think that maybe Fang Jian's brother-in-law had contracted the canteen and couldn't find a suitable chef for the time being.

In other words, it would be difficult for Fang Jian to satisfy the chefs hired by his brother-in-law.

That's why Fang Jian took the initiative to visit his brother and sister-in-law.

Thinking of this, Zhang Lei couldn't help but feel a little proud.

Since Fang Jian came personally to ask me to be the chef in the cafeteria, it means that my cooking skills are indeed good.

This gave Zhang Lei a lot of confidence, and he decided to continue to seize the time and learn more from his master. Later, when the new Ganfanpu store opens, he will be able to get the opportunity to cook before Xiaopeng.

Zhang Yong returned to the room and locked the door from the inside.

When the wife heard the sound of the door being locked, she immediately turned around and glared at Zhang Yong.

"Didn't we agree on this? Why did you suddenly change your mind? You're still supporting your brother and trying to sabotage me."

Zhang Yong walked over and hugged his wife: "Listen to me."

The wife struggled at first, but Zhang Yong still held her tightly.

"Listen to me, think about it, the person Lei Zi is following now is the champion of the national cooking competition. He has learned the skills well. With just a word from Feng Zhengming, how can Lei Zi's future be bad?
Fang Jian does have a great chance of becoming the factory director, but he is not yet the factory director. Maybe the old factory director has retired and has already arranged everything, and there will be a younger person to take over the position of factory director."

The wife was a little surprised: "What news did you get?"

Zhang Yong shook his head: "I haven't received any specific information, but it is possible that the old factory director was parachuted in from outside to be the factory director."

Hearing this, the wife was completely shocked.

"If that's the case, I can't follow Fang Jian anymore."

Zhang Yong nodded: "That's all I am good at in the factory. Even if Fang Jian can become the factory director, he won't be able to promote me, so there's no need to sacrifice Lei Zi's future because of me."

Then he talked about his wife's work: "Wait until the new store opens, let Lei Zi go and talk to him, and you can go to work in the new store of Gan Fanpu."

Zhang Lei's sister-in-law hesitated: "I will wait until the new store opens before going there. Will people say I did it on purpose?"

Zhang Yong said: "It's okay, Lei Zi will speak for you."

In the end, Zhang Lei's brother and sister-in-law did not force him to go back to the canteen.

And on the second night, Zhang Yong and his wife went to Fang Jian's house and gave Fang Jian some things, as a return for the gift Fang Jian brought to their house.

Zhang Yong explained to Fang Jian very sincerely that his brother wanted to stay with the master and did not want to go back to the cafeteria.

Zhang Lei's sister-in-law even exaggeratedly said that Zhang Lei was so angry that he wanted to move out of the house.

In fact, Fang Jian had probably guessed that this would be the result when Zhang Yong and his wife came to his house with their things.

He was not angry and accepted the gifts brought by Zhang Yong and others.

With a smile on his face, he told Zhang Lei's brother and sister-in-law that it was okay.

At this point, Fang Jian's plan to poach Zhang Lei failed, so he simply let his brother-in-law use a chef who had applied for the job before. (End of this chapter)