Courtyard Houses: Starting with the principle of hard work paying off

Chapter 115 I'm innocent! You're slandering me! (7k)

"To announce an important matter and decision."

"After extensive research and consultation, Fengzeyuan Restaurant will accept state investment, with the Commerce Bureau holding a controlling stake."

"From today onwards, the Commerce Bureau will operate the restaurant jointly with us and participate in its daily management."

"Let me introduce you all. This is Comrade Gu Jianliang, the official representative sent by the Bureau of Commerce."

"Next, Comrade Gu Jianliang will serve as the public manager of our Fengzeyuan Restaurant, responsible for leading the operation, while I will serve as the private manager, assisting from the side."

"From now on, please don't call me Manager Luan anymore. You can call me Manager Luan..."

"..."

On the third day after Li Hongbing and Guo Youzhong's heart-to-heart talk, what was bound to happen finally did.

It was even faster than I expected.

These decisions may have been made long before any rumors even surfaced.

This public-private partnership is not a fixed-interest buyback program, but a more decisive direct capital injection and controlling stake.

The former Manager Luan will become a thing of the past starting today.

Looking at Luan Xuetang's calm face, Li Hongbing knew that his heart might not be at peace.

The now-famous Fengzeyuan Garden was built by him, after all, and has gone through many ups and downs. It is not an exaggeration to say that it is his child.

But now the management rights are about to change hands.

At this point, money may not be so important to Luan Xuetang anymore. What he wants to do more is to develop Fengzeyuan Restaurant and take it to the next level.

After the public-private partnership, Luan Xuetang became a deputy. Although he still had some management authority, his voice was greatly diminished and he no longer had any say in the matter.

Even so.

Over the past two days, Luan Xuetang has spoken with all the head chefs in the kitchen, as well as the managers and staff, hoping to retain them all.

Having weathered more than 20 years of ups and downs, even though he no longer has sole control over the business, he still hopes that Fengzeyuan Restaurant can not only continue to operate, but also operate even better.

In Luan Xuetang's eyes, the master chefs and chefs in the kitchen are the foundation of Fengzeyuan.

If they leave, it will be a fatal blow to Fengzeyuan.

"Comrades, what Manager Luan just said was a bit too harsh."

After Luan Xuetang finished speaking, Gu Jianliang, the public manager of Fengzeyuan after its public-private partnership, stepped forward and said: "Manager Luan has made an indelible contribution to Fengzeyuan's development today. As a newcomer, I still need Manager Luan's guidance."

"To make Fengzeyuan even better, it's not something I can do alone. It requires not only Manager Luan's assistance and joint management, but also the collective efforts of everyone. We need to work together with one heart and one mind..."

As one of the first pilot projects for reform, Fengzeyuan's public-private partnership has greatly influenced the overall layout and has attracted great attention from higher-ups, including top leaders.

The government representative sent to lead the operation, Gu Jianliang, even if he is not a business talent, is definitely not an incompetent person who cannot see the current situation. He would not put on airs and act like an official right from the start.

If he messes up, his future will be ruined too.

Luan Academy had a huge influence in Fengzeyuan.

Even though he was now in charge of the business, Gu Jianliang still had to give him face.

However, he was sent here with a mission, so naturally, things couldn't remain unchanged and the original operation couldn't be continued.

then.

After making overtures to everyone, Gu Jianliang showed his boldness and directly announced the revised plan.

"Now, I will announce several adjustments."

"First, effective immediately, the treatment of all workers at Fengzeyuan will be incorporated into the state-owned welfare system, aligning with that of workers in state-owned enterprises."

"In other words, from now on, all your medical visits and medications will be covered by the restaurant. Relatives of workers will receive a 50% reimbursement for medical expenses. After a worker retires, the restaurant will pay them a pension based on their pre-retirement rank..."

"Second, adjust the wage system, abolish the original split-account system, and replace it with a fixed wage system. Each person will undergo a technical assessment and rating, and wages will be re-determined based on the assessment level and seniority, with the grade-based wage referencing national worker standards to some extent..."

"..."

The main announcements included two major changes: benefits and salaries.

Give them a sweet treat first, then make the real move.

When the union was established last year, Fengzeyuan already had relevant medical benefits. This time, however, it is not only more thorough, but the pension system has also been announced and implemented.

This is obviously not a bad thing.

However, the implementation of technical assessment and rating, the adoption of a fixed salary system, and the revision of salary standards are undoubtedly the issues that everyone is most concerned about and worried about.

How to evaluate it?
How do we decide?
This is clearly the focus of everyone's attention.

Fortunately, Luan Xuetang had spoken privately with the head chefs and other important figures in the kitchen beforehand, so most of them remained relatively calm. On the contrary, the apprentices and ordinary workers, who were least affected, became restless and agitated.

"Alright, comrades, go back to work first. After today's work is finished, we will be closed for one day tomorrow. All kitchen staff will undergo technical assessment and evaluation in the kitchen."

After announcing the complete reform measures, Gu Jianliang also announced the time and place for the assessment and evaluation, then dismissed everyone and left with Luan Xuetang and the others.

"Brother Hongbing, the performance evaluation is tomorrow, and the salary will be changed to match the national worker standard. The national worker's salary shouldn't be as high as our Fengzeyuan's, right? Why don't your master and the others seem worried at all?"

On the way back to the kitchen, Wu Jun sidled up to Li Hongbing and whispered gossip.

There have been all sorts of rumors circulating about Fengzeyuan these past few days, and Wu Jun has heard quite a few.

Li Hongbing is Guo Youzhong's apprentice, so he must know more and be more reliable than I do, which is why I couldn't help but come over to inquire.

What's the use of being anxious?

Li Hongbing glanced at Wu Jun and whispered, "The chefs in the kitchen are among the best in Beijing. Do you think they'd be afraid of an assessment or rating?"

"That is."

Upon hearing this, Wu Jun nodded in deep agreement.

In just two short sentences, Wu Jun's attention was diverted by Li Hongbing.

The salary issue he didn't explain earlier is the focus of tomorrow's assessment.

Fengzeyuan's business is booming, and its revenue is naturally not low. According to the previous profit-sharing system, the monthly salary of master chefs like Guo Youzhong starts at least at one million, and some even earn more than one million.

This salary is among the highest in the entire industry.

Next, salaries will be determined based on ratings. Even with their abilities, they could get the highest rating, but the revised salary could never reach the previous level.

Salary cuts are inevitable.

However, Guo Youzhong had revealed some details, so Li Hongbing knew that Luan Xuetang had specifically spoken with them beforehand.

Including Guo Youzhong, the chefs in charge of cooking in the kitchen are all quite old.

Compared to switching jobs to other restaurants and earning a higher salary for several more years, the pension system that would follow after the merger was also quite attractive to them.

Currently, apart from state-owned units and state-owned enterprises, most restaurants and eateries outside are privately run and do not receive such treatment.

If they work for a few more years, at most eight or ten years, they can retire in Fengzeyuan and live a peaceful old age with their pensions.

With the government providing a safety net, they basically don't have to worry about medical care, medicine, or daily living expenses for the rest of their lives.

This is undoubtedly a benefit of the times.

not to mention.

Each of them had already amassed a considerable fortune.

If nothing unexpected happens.

Most of the master chefs in the kitchen will stay on.

Li Hongbing did not mention this situation.

Even though Li Hongbing and Wu Jun had a good relationship, Li Hongbing couldn't reveal everything that Guo Youzhong had told him.

Even if Guo Youzhong didn't remind you, you should know in your heart what you should and shouldn't say.

Compared to the other apprentices in the kitchen, Wu Jun, who always followed Li Hongbing's lead, felt much more at ease seeing Li Hongbing's calm demeanor and considering their previous interactions.

only.

Before the noon guests even arrived, the news from the front lines immediately unsettled Wu Jun.

“Brother Hongbing, Sun Mingtang and Qi Mingtang have quit their jobs.”

Upon hearing Wu Jun's hurried report, Li Hongbing was taken aback and asked, "What happened?"

Wu Jun looked nervous and quickly explained, "I heard that Manager Gu was assessing the wages of the Mingtang workers earlier, and Sun Mingtang and Qi Mingtang thought it was too low, so they argued with Manager Gu and ended up quitting on the spot. Manager Luan... no matter how much Manager Luan tried to persuade them, it was no use..."

"How much salary did Manager Gu set for them?"

Li Hongbing couldn't help but be curious.

"It seems to be more than 500,000 or 600,000, I'm not quite sure, but Sun Mingtang and the others are very dissatisfied."

Wu Jun thought for a moment and answered somewhat uncertainly.

Hear the words.

Li Hongbing understood.

A monthly salary of 500,000 to 600,000 yuan may sound like a lot to a waiter or waiter.

But be aware.

At Fengzeyuan, people like Sun Mingtang and Qi Mingtang, whom Wu Jun just mentioned, were not ordinary waiters or waiters. Their monthly wages were even comparable to those of the head chefs in the kitchen.

The reason why Fengzeyuan's business and reputation have been so good over the years is not only due to the skills of the master chefs in the kitchen, but also to the service and customer attraction of the restaurant staff.

The salary that Gu Jianliang reassessed for them was not just a regular pay cut; it was halved, and even less than half of their original salary.

Even though Luan Xuetang had spoken with them beforehand and they had made some preparations, they still found this outcome unacceptable.

It's perfectly reasonable to quit a job.

Moreover, the managers of other restaurants and eateries had previously approached Guo Youzhong and his master chefs. How could they not extend an olive branch to their establishments? They must have had a way out, which gave them the confidence to do so.

As for Gu Jianliang's assessment of their salary, it wasn't entirely out of a desire to make things difficult for them.

To make changes, there will naturally be adjustments and sacrifices; it's impossible to satisfy everyone.

Fengzeyuan is currently thriving and has no shortage of customers, so the role of staff like the head waiter and waitress has been greatly reduced.

and.

From Gu Jianliang's perspective, their previous wages were indeed too high, especially since they were not skilled workers like Guo Youzhong. As non-skilled positions, a significant wage cut was inevitable.

The fact that they were given 500,000 to 600,000 yuan is actually based on their past experience and contributions to Fengzeyuan.

The other employees in the shop are estimated to be between twenty and forty years old.

Wu Jun was sent to inquire further, and it turned out to be true.

Compared to Sun Mingtang and Qi Mingtang, although they also made adjustments, the magnitude was not as exaggerated, and some even received a raise.

That's why their resistance and reaction weren't so strong.

As for the restaurant's accountant and purchasing staff, their salaries might be slightly higher than these people, but certainly not higher than those of master chefs like Guo Youzhong.

Although it was just a few steps, this incident made the already gossiping kitchen apprentices even more fearful and uneasy.

Even the well-prepared head chefs in the kitchen were somewhat shaken.

……

the next day.

Fengzeyuan closed for one day specifically for the assessment.

That day, Li Hongbing arrived from the courtyard house early.

This technical assessment and rating has attracted widespread attention within Fengzeyuan.

The key point is that even established masters like Guo Youzhong are participating. They would never normally have such an opportunity, let alone witness such a scene.

Since chefs like Guo Youzhong are among the best in Beijing, their culinary skills are so high that other restaurants and eateries are not qualified to assess or rate them. Therefore, Gu Jianliang and Luan Xuetang specially invited several senior figures in the industry to come out of retirement.

Perhaps they are getting older and are not as skilled at cooking as they used to be. They may not be able to surpass Guo Youzhong and others who are at their peak in terms of culinary skills now, but their experience and knowledge are undeniable, and no one can argue with that.

The assessment mainly focuses on core skills such as knife skills, cooking time and temperature control, and seasoning. At present, the eight-level system has not been fully implemented, and it is currently divided into broad levels from beginner to advanced.

No surprises.

All the head chefs in the kitchen have been awarded the rating of senior cook.

However, the salaries are not entirely the same.

Even though they all reached the advanced level, there are still different levels of skill within that advanced level.

In addition to these, salary assessment also takes into account seniority and industry reputation. Having a special skill or signature dish can also earn a salary bonus. Ultimately...

The head chefs in the kitchen received wage assessments ranging from eighty to one hundred and twenty-eight yuan.

Guo Youzhong and several other master chefs received the highest amount of 128, second only to Luan Xuetang, the private manager.

to be frank.

The reassessed salaries represent a significant drop for all the master chefs, including Guo Youzhong and a few others who received the highest salaries.

The previous profit-sharing system meant that although the monthly salary was not fixed and fluctuated, it was still higher than what I can get now, sometimes by a lot.

Affected by this, the chefs who learned the results were all somewhat downcast.

With the head chef's assessment completed, it was the turn of the food preparation chef.

Unfortunately.

Apart from Master Sun, who was in charge of cutting and preparing the ingredients and was rated as senior, everyone else only received intermediate or even junior ratings.

Their knife skills are all good, but they are lacking in other aspects, so their overall rating can only be lowered accordingly.

From highest to lowest rank, those who didn't participate in the assessment were the apprentices in the kitchen.

"If any of you want to participate in the cook evaluation, step forward."

Gu Jianliang's words clearly surprised everyone present.

In response to the crowd's reactions, Gu Jianliang said with a smile, "Fengzeyuan is full of hidden talents and master chefs. I think the apprentices here are also better than those outside. Since it is a unified assessment, we should give all comrades a fair opportunity."

After being assigned the task of managing Fengzeyuan, Gu Jianliang naturally did some research and preliminary preparations.

Among the apprentices at Fengzeyuan, many had worked in the kitchen for a long time. In addition to the senior ones, there were also some disciples of the master chefs, who had already acquired some skills.

Before arriving at Fengzeyuan, Gu Jianliang discovered a serious problem: the head chefs in the kitchen were mostly established veterans.

Even the younger ones will reach the age of fifty in just a few years.

This means that Fengzeyuan's talent development is facing a shortage of qualified successors.

If a group of qualified successors is not trained quickly, Fengzeyuan will immediately fall into a fatal crisis of having no head chefs available once these veteran chefs retire.

soon.

Encouraged by Gu Jianliang's words and gaze, some people who were confident in themselves, or even those who were not so confident, stepped forward one after another.

however.

When everyone saw Li Hongbing's figure among them, including his mentor Guo Youzhong, everyone was somewhat surprised.

It's one thing for others, but Li Hongbing has only been in Fengzeyuan for a few months!
Even though he was taken in as an apprentice by Guo Youzhong, he has been doing menial work for the past few months. How much can he learn?

No one believed he had that ability.

Li Hongbing knew this too, but for him, it was an excellent opportunity.

Having already acquired a certain level of strength, Li Hongbing did not want to keep slowly waiting. If he missed this opportunity, according to past practices and rules, he might have to remain silent for a long time.

With his current culinary skills, becoming a senior chef is unrealistic, and even becoming an intermediate chef might be a bit risky, but becoming a junior chef is a sure thing.

Others simply don't know this.

Nevertheless, Guo Youzhong, as Li Hongbing's mentor, was slightly taken aback when he saw Li Hongbing do this, and then couldn't help but smile.

They neither scolded nor stopped them.

Even if you feel he doesn't have the ability yet, having the courage to try or test his skills is not necessarily a bad thing.

Li Hongbing would practice cooking at home during his time off, and he knew this, so he probably put in a lot of effort behind the scenes.

Having confidence in yourself is a good thing, but experiencing setbacks and blows is not necessarily a bad thing either.

As long as Li Hongbing can grow, Guo Youzhong is not afraid of losing face as his mentor.

Seeing that Guo Youzhong remained silent, the other master chefs, out of respect for him, said even less.

But rather.

Sun Hai, who had a previous feud with Li Hongbing, suddenly stepped forward at this time.

"Li Hongbing, you've only been in the kitchen for a few months. Why are you joining in the technical assessments when everyone else is doing it? Aren't you just causing trouble?"

When Gu Jianliang encouraged everyone to step forward and try, Sun Hai did not step forward because although he had spent a long time in the kitchen, he had mostly just coasted along and had not learned any real skills. He also did not believe that he had the ability to do so, so naturally he would not come out and embarrass himself.

But when he saw that Li Hongbing had actually stepped forward, he suddenly felt resentful.

Previously, he was wary of Guo Youzhong and had to bow down to Li Hongbing. But now that the state has injected capital and taken control, the one in charge is Gu Jianliang, the general manager. Even Luan Xuetang has been suppressed, which has obviously given Sun Hai great courage and confidence.

"Comrade, do you have any objections?"

Upon hearing Sun Hai speak, Gu Jianliang looked at him and asked directly.

"Manager Gu, this man is Li Hongbing. He has only been with Fengzeyuan for less than four months and has not learned anything at all. Yet he still wants to participate in the assessment. He is obviously deliberately causing trouble."

Seeing this, Sun Hai stepped forward and publicly reported Li Hongbing to Gu Jianliang.

He was telling the truth, so he wasn't afraid of offending Guo Youzhong.

Moreover, from today onwards, he is also considered a member of the state-owned enterprise workforce, and Guo Youzhong has no way to get Luan Xuetang to find a reason to kick him out.

However, his action made Guo Youzhong and Luan Xuetang's expressions somewhat unpleasant.

Regardless of whether Li Hongbing has the ability, Sun Hai's actions are like stabbing his own people in the back, which is very unpleasant.

"Manager Gu, although I haven't been in the kitchen for long, my skills are not yet proficient."

"But you just said that no matter whether you can pass the assessment or not, you have to step forward and try. You can't not even have the courage to try."

"After hearing your words, I was encouraged and couldn't help but step forward to test my true abilities."

"This is what I think: if I pass the test by chance, it's because I'm lucky."

"If I fail the assessment, it's because I'm not good enough. I will study harder and put in extra effort to improve my skills..."

"..."

Li Hongbing never expected that Sun Hai, who had previously taken the initiative to seek peace with him, would betray him at this time. However, he did not intend to give up this opportunity.

"well said!"

at the same time.

Upon hearing Li Hongbing's words, Gu Jianliang not only did not find him arrogant, but instead cast an admiring glance at him, clapping and cheering, "Young comrade, your name is Li Hongbing, right? I'll remember your name."

What we need is your courage to try new things. No matter what you do, don't be afraid of failure.

If we lack the ability, we can continue to work hard and learn, but if we don't even have the courage to face challenges, it will be difficult to make progress in this lifetime.

Think back to our time, the Red Army's 25,000-li Long March, it was by not fearing any hardship or danger, not fearing any sacrifice, that we were able to cross snow-capped mountains and grasslands, and finally achieve victory..."

Li Hongbing's remarks just now struck a chord with Gu Jianliang.

Moreover.

He was the one who encouraged everyone to participate in the assessment. Now that Li Hongbing has stepped forward in response to the call, if he is not given this opportunity because of his lack of qualifications, then what he just said about fairness would be a joke.

After saying this, Gu Jianliang turned his gaze to Sun Hai, who had just complained, and criticized him with a serious expression: "Comrade, may I ask what your name is?"
"You yourself won't step forward to participate in the assessment, yet you belittle our own comrades in front of all of us. This is highly unethical and disgraceful!"

"me……"

Sun Hai, who had originally intended to embarrass Li Hongbing by calling him out by Gu Jianliang, was so frightened that he almost wet himself.

"Manager Gu, his name is Sun Hai!"

Sun Hai dared not reveal his name, but Wu Jun, who had long been displeased with his behavior, stepped forward to help.

"Sun Hai! I've also written down your name. I hope you'll go back today, reflect on your actions, and write a self-criticism for me!"

With so many people watching, Gu Jianliang couldn't let Sun Hai go unpunished. He gave him a minor reprimand and then made him write a self-criticism.

Sun Hai had no idea that his intervention would do Gu Jianliang a huge favor.

Having just arrived and undergone so many rectifications, some people in Fengzeyuan were restless, and Gu Jianliang was not unaware of this at all.

Taking this opportunity, I can establish my authority and get closer to everyone, so as to mitigate any resistance or negative emotions that may arise from the change of wording, and thus promote the process of public-private partnership.

Seeing Gu Jianliang's handling of the situation and the outcome, many people have developed a better impression of him.

"Manager Gu, this Li Hongbing is an apprentice I recently took on. I didn't expect him to be so reckless as to come out and participate in the assessment. But I thank you, Manager Gu, for giving him a chance to hone his skills."

At this time.

Guo Youzhong, as the mentor, stepped forward.

He had wanted to speak up earlier; he couldn't just stand by and do nothing while his apprentice was being bullied in front of him.

Before he could even take any action, Li Hongbing had already solved the problem himself.

Regardless of Gu Jianliang's motives, Guo Youzhong reciprocated Gu Jianliang's actions.

"Oh, is this young man Master Guo's apprentice?"

Upon hearing Guo Youzhong's statement, Gu Jianliang showed a hint of "surprise" on his face and said with a smile, "I was wondering how this young comrade could be so courageous. It turns out that a great teacher produces a great student!"

In fact, Gu Jianliang had known about this matter for a long time.

How could Guo Youzhong, a pillar of the kitchen, not know the situation beforehand? Naturally, he also knew of Li Hongbing's existence.

He could disregard ordinary apprentices.

But those with established mentors are not only his focus, but also the center of his future training.

When Sun Hai jumped out just now, Gu Jianliang may have had the idea of ​​going with the flow and giving Guo Youzhong face.

As for Li Hongbing's counterattack and response, it did impress him.

"Manager Gu, you flatter me. My apprentice is still young and hasn't been learning for long. I hope I won't become a laughing stock later."

Guo Youzhong responded with a single sentence.

It seemed like he was undermining Li Hongbing, but it was actually a way of being modest and giving Li Hongbing a way out so that he wouldn't lose face if he failed the assessment later.

From beginning to end, Guo Youzhong did not believe that Li Hongbing could pass the assessment.

Not long after.

With this little incident over, and no other apprentices stepping forward to participate, the special assessment for the apprentices soon began.

First is knife skills.

Knife skills are assessed separately, since some dishes cannot fully demonstrate knife skills.

Because of what just happened, even though many people thought Li Hongbing was just there to make up the numbers and had no chance of passing the assessment, quite a few people's attention was still focused on him.

Upon seeing this, many people showed expressions of surprise, especially the head chefs in the kitchen.

"Old Guo, so you've been hiding something all along? When did you secretly teach your apprentice swordsmanship?"

Seeing Li Hongbing pick up the knife, his nimble movements and the finished product he cut, the head chef, who was on good terms with Guo Youzhong, couldn't help but "question" him on the spot.

"I do not have it!"

"I do not know!"

"I don't know how he knows these things..."

"..."

Guo Youzhong, who had never taught Li Hongbing any of these things, was completely bewildered and immediately issued a series of denials.

Thinking about how Li Hongbing often observed and learned in the kitchen, not only how the head chef cooked, but also how the prep cooks chopped vegetables, Guo Youzhong couldn't help but fall into thought.

Even he himself found it unbelievable. Guo Youzhong tried to convince himself and said his guess: "Perhaps he is exceptionally intelligent and taught himself..."

"Screw you!"

"Hey Guo, don't think that just because your apprentice is talented, you can go around showing off like that! It's like everyone has a few favorite apprentices..."

"Old Guo, you're not being honest! You've definitely been secretly giving your apprentice extra lessons!"

"Guo Youzhong, you've gone astray!"

"I do not have……"

"Ask yourself honestly, am I that kind of person?"

"..."

(End of this chapter)