From selling box lunches to becoming a famous Chinese chef

Chapter 795 Arrive in Shanghai First
When Feng Zhengming learned that Luo Qing was pregnant, he was truly ecstatic.

He immediately made several phone calls and notified everyone he could.

Even his own brother-in-law was paged by him many times.

One time was to inform him that Luo Qing was pregnant.

One time, I asked my eldest brother-in-law to go back and inform my father-in-law and mother-in-law.

One time was to ask my eldest uncle not to forget to notify my grandparents and grandmother.

Receiving continuous paging messages, Luo Wenhan couldn't help but smile bitterly.

"This brother-in-law looks really crazy. Wouldn't I know to inform everyone? He even paged me so many times in a row."

Next, people from Luo Qing's family, as well as Feng Zhengming's second aunt and third aunt all came to visit Luo Qing.

Later, the sisters-in-law of Senior Brother Feng Zhengming also came to visit.

In the end, even the master's wife came to visit Luo Qing in person.

Luo Qing felt a little embarrassed.

After almost everyone had left, Luo Qing couldn't help but blame Feng Zhengming.

"Look at you. I just got pregnant and you asked everyone to come. I thought something big had happened."

When Luo Qing complained about Feng Zhengming, before Feng Zhengming could open his mouth to defend himself, his mother-in-law had already spoken up to defend her son-in-law.

"What are you talking about? Isn't Zhengming happy too? He's going to be a father, shouldn't he be happy?"

Luo Qing was a little amused and helpless when her mother said this.

"Mom, you are really more and more partial to your son-in-law. When we were young, you favored my brother. Why do you still favor your son-in-law after I got married? Am I your biological child?"

Hearing this, Luo's mother quickly smiled and comforted Luo Qing.

"Okay, Mom knows you think I'm partial to you, but now that I'm partial to your husband, isn't that also partial to you?

Your brother and mother can no longer be relied upon, so I will wait to help you take care of your children in the future and make sure that your grandchildren are raised to be plump and healthy, so that you can pursue your careers outside."

After hearing what her mother said, Luo Qing thought for a moment, "I'm pregnant, so I can't go to Shanghai anymore?"

This sentence is filled with Luo Qing's slightly lonely mood.

Previously, she and Feng Zhengming had worked together to prepare for a branch in Shanghai.

The couple handled almost everything together, from finding a shop to designing the decoration.

Originally, Luo Qing thought that after the New Year she could go to Shanghai with Feng Zhengming.

In the past, when Feng Zhengming ran other stores, Luo Qing did not participate much.

This time when she went to Shanghai, Luo Qing wanted to participate in the whole process.

Although she was not very good at cooking and did not know how to purchase things in the kitchen, Luo Qing felt that she could help her husband run the two stores well.

This can also be regarded as a test of Luo Qing's night school learning and the experience accumulated in negotiating business with her uncle's company.

But now Luo Qing is pregnant, so it’s not convenient for her to go to Shanghai with him.

Feng Zhengming could see that his wife was originally looking forward to going south to Shanghai with him and starting over with him.

Now that they can't go south to Shanghai together, Feng Zhengming can understand his wife's disappointment.

He walked up to his wife and held her hand.

"If your situation is relatively stable and you really want to go south to Shanghai with me, then we can go together. We can take the train there and rent a house near the store when we get there.

This way, if you want to run our new store, you only need to walk a few steps to get there, and I will try my best to accompany you."

After hearing what Feng Zhengming said, Luo Qing immediately smiled.

But Luo's mother said immediately: "No, you are pregnant, and you are still going south to Shanghai. What if something happens?"

Luo Qing felt a little annoyed when being stopped by her mother.

At this time, Feng Zhengming did not let Luo Qing get angry with her mother.

"Mom, it's okay. I'll go to Shanghai first and arrange everything. Then I'll let Xia Hui accompany her on the train. There will be no problem with Xia Hui helping to take care of her on the way.

I will arrange everything in Shanghai and drive to the train station to pick them up personally."

After hearing what Feng Zhengming said, Luo Qing immediately expressed her opinion to her mother.

"Don't worry, Mom. I promise to be careful and nothing will happen."

Without waiting for her mother to speak, Luo Qing continued, "Mom, when you were pregnant, didn't you still work? I'm really not that delicate.

I'll be a boss's wife when I go to Shanghai, and I won't have to work in the factory like you did when you were pregnant with me."

Luo's mother still refused to give in, feeling that it was unsafe for Luo Qing to go to Shanghai while pregnant.

Feng Zhengming and Luo Qing's various persuasions were of no avail.

In the next few days, Luo's mother even watched Feng Zhengming and Luo Qing in their new house every day.

Luo Qing was almost not allowed to go out.

There was no other way, so Feng Zhengming had to ask his aunt, his second aunt, his aunt, and his senior brother's sisters-in-law to persuade him.

However, persuasion would not be effective in a short period of time, so Feng Zhengming had to go south to Shanghai on his own.

Prepare to make arrangements there and wait for my family to successfully persuade my mother-in-law.

When the time comes, he will come back to Quancheng to pick up Luo Qing and take her to Shanghai.

Before leaving, Luo Qing was very reluctant to let him go.

The main reason was that her mother hadn't given in for so many days, which made Luo Qing feel disappointed that she couldn't go down to Shanghai to help.

In order to appease his wife's loss, Feng Zhengming could only try his best to comfort his wife before leaving.

He also assured his wife that he would come back to pick her up once he had arranged everything in Shanghai.

This time, Feng Zhengming traveled light and did not ask anyone to accompany him.

Those young chefs who were going to go south with him were also arranged to undergo some intensive training at Huiquanlou.

However, what surprised Feng Zhengming was that after he arrived in Shanghai and walked out of the train station, he actually saw Jiang Chengzhe.

"Why are you here?"

Jiang Chengzhe smiled widely: "Hahaha, are you surprised? I came here specifically to wait for you. I have been waiting for you in Shanghai for a few days."

Feng Zhengming was still puzzled: "What are you doing?"

Jiang Chengzhe put away his smile and bowed respectfully to Feng Zhengming.

“Hello, Chef. Jiang Chengzhe reports to you. I am the first place winner of the Hong Kong Young Chef Competition, the runner-up of the National Cooking Skills Competition, and the winner of the gold medal dish in the Southeast Asian Chef Competition.

I hope to work under your guidance and run your branches and restaurants well in the future."

After listening to Jiang Chengzhe's words, Feng Zhengming finally understood why he came to Shanghai specifically to wait for him.

Jiang Chengzhe is really determined to start a new business in Shanghai with Feng Zhengming.

Feng Zhengming laughed: "You kid, you already have your own restaurant in Hong Kong City, but you gave it up and came to start a new business with me?"

Jiang Chengzhe also smiled: "Of course, didn't we agree on this a long time ago? If you want to open a store in Shanghai, I will come to Shanghai to help you."

Feng Zhengming: "But the two stores I opened this time are mainly fast-food restaurants selling braised pork, not high-end restaurants." Jiang Chengzhe said excitedly: "That's even better, I'm considered a veteran."

Feng Zhengming was left in tears and amused by Jiang Chengzhe's words.

"You are definitely not an elder. The real elder is still in Quancheng and hasn't come yet."

Jiang Chengzhe immediately asked: "Are they your senior brothers?"

Feng Zhengming shook his head: "No, the veterans who followed me were the ones who followed me step by step when I was running a food stall at the train station."

Jiang Chengzhe nodded: "Then they are indeed the elders, but it doesn't matter, I am your elder in Shanghai."

Feng Zhengming could only respond with a smile: "Okay, with your help coming to Shanghai in advance, I should be able to make better arrangements for the two branches here."

Jiang Chengzhe was a little surprised when he heard this: "No, you're opening two branches at once?"

Feng Zhengming: "Yes, the two branches have some differences in their main dishes and target different customers."

Then, Feng Zhengming carried the bag and walked with Jiang Chengzhe, while he spoke to Jiang Chengzhe.

Jiang Chengzhe was somewhat fascinated by what he heard.

He felt that Feng Zhengming's arrangement of the two stores was really good.

Although both restaurants specialize in steamed pork belly, it is obvious that one makes it more refined, targeting overseas people in Shanghai and some white-collar workers in Shanghai.

Jiang Chengzhe originally wanted to make some suggestions before listening to this.

But after listening to Feng Zhengming's narration, Jiang Chengzhe found that he could not give any advice.

Feng Zhengming seems to be very familiar with the preferences of people from different classes in Shanghai.

In his design, among a bunch of Western restaurants on the street, he directly brought over the food from Shandong such as braised pork with pork belly, five-spice pork knuckle, pork elbow, and four-happiness meatballs, and presented them in the form of Western food.

According to Feng Zhengming's design, the store surrounded by Western restaurants is a Chinese fast food restaurant in a Western style.

Jiang Chengzhe was more familiar with that kind of store. When he was studying abroad, he had seen too many fast food restaurants like the one described by Feng Zhengming.

This type of fast food restaurant is different from what many people in China understand as a fast food restaurant that only provides hamburgers and French fries.

In overseas fast food restaurants, a variety of Western dishes are provided, and the dishes are not just hamburgers and French fries, but also mashed potatoes, rice, and pasta.

It can be said that this type of fast food is what most overseas people eat on a daily basis.

Feng Zhengming's design is to use this form, but the dishes and meals provided are Chinese food.

Jiang Chengzhe thought about it carefully and asked: "Zhengming, your design is really great."

In fact, Feng Zhengming really wanted to tell Jiang Chengzhe that his design was an improvement on the lunch box by some people in later generations.

In later generations, it is generally called rice with gravy in the streets and alleys.

According to Feng Zhengming's design, the store surrounded by Western restaurants serves food in this way.

Make others think it is a very Western fast food restaurant.

The meal actually sold to customers is Chinese style rice.

In addition to braised pork with pork belly, five-spice pork knuckle, pork elbow, and four-happiness meatballs, Feng Zhengming also plans to provide some freshly fried Shandong dishes.

In terms of the overall model, it is similar to the dry rice shop model he designed in Qilu.

"We also need to add some Qilu Chinese elements to our decoration, so that others will not misunderstand us and think we are a Western restaurant, saying that we are selling dog meat under the guise of sheep meat."

After hearing what Feng Zhengming said, Jiang Chengzhe couldn't help but ask, "We are opening a Shandong cuisine braised pork and stir-fried dishes restaurant on a street surrounded by Western restaurants. Why do you still want to use a Chinese decoration style?"

Seeing Feng Zhengming nod, Jiang Chengzhe asked again: "Isn't that a bit too arrogant?"

Feng Zhengming laughed: "Hahaha, arrogant? Then let's be a little more arrogant."

Jiang Chengzhe immediately started laughing too: "Hahaha, okay, let's be a little more crazy."

The night Feng Zhengming arrived in Shanghai, he called home.

I told my family about my situation.

Later, when chatting with Luo Qing, he told Luo Qing that Jiang Chengzhe came to Shanghai to help him.

Luo Qing heard that Jiang Chengzhe had arrived in Shanghai early to help Feng Zhengming.

She immediately felt relieved.

"With Azhe helping you, you two should be fine."

"Don't worry, take good care of yourself and don't be angry with me. Talk to me nicely. I believe I will understand. When I have finished the decoration here, I will go back and pick you up."

When Luo Qing heard that Feng Zhengming agreed to take her to Shanghai, she felt very happy.

"Okay, I know. I won't make trouble with Mom. I've thought about it these past few days. I'll talk to Mom properly."

Feng Zhengming agreed on the phone.

"Yes, yes, talk to mom nicely. I'm not the unreasonable person and will agree to let you come. I'll look for houses nearby while I'm renovating these days. If there's a suitable one, we can buy it right away."

Luo Qing couldn't help but advise: "Don't buy it so easily. How expensive are houses in Shanghai? Can you buy it just because you want to?"

Feng Zhengming smiled and said, "Don't worry, if I want to buy it, I can definitely afford it."

Of course Luo Qing knew that Feng Zhengming wanted to buy it, and he could indeed afford it now.

However, Luo Qing also knew that Feng Zhengming had been busy opening branches in the past two years.

He has almost used up all the funds he had on hand.

If Feng Zhengming wants to buy a house in Shanghai now, he definitely cannot afford that much money.

So he could only borrow money from the bank.

Luo Qing doesn't want her husband to take the risk of borrowing money to buy a house.

Because we are opening a store in Shanghai, we will need financial support in the future.

She thought that the money borrowed from the bank should be used to run the branch in Shanghai.

“Don’t rush to buy a house. Although you have opened so many branches in Qilu, we are unfamiliar with Shanghai, which means we have to start from scratch.

So when buying a house, we should not be in a hurry, we should take steady steps.”

Feng Zhengming really wanted to tell his wife on the phone that buying a house in Shanghai might not be that expensive now, but in a few years the housing prices in Shanghai will start to soar.

So he knows that buying a house in Shanghai now will definitely not be a loss in the long run.

But he couldn't say this directly to his wife.

After thinking about it, Feng Zhengming changed his statement: "We bought the house in Shanghai first, not for enjoyment first, but for more convenient business, and the house in Shanghai is a fixed asset after purchase.

In the future, when we need money to operate a branch store or even open a restaurant in Shanghai, we can mortgage the house as collateral."

After a brief pause, Feng Zhengming mentioned this in a joking tone.

"Maybe when the housing prices in Shanghai go up, we can get more money by mortgage."

After hearing the last sentence, Luo Qing felt that her husband was joking with her.

"Okay, you prepare the two stores first. If you need help, I can ask Huihui to accompany me to help in advance."

Feng Zhengming responded: "No, just wait, Azhe and I are enough here."

(End of this chapter)