Chapter 126: Chapter 126 He’s Not So Simple After All!
Jiang Feng returned home, only to be bombarded with several phone calls.
Upon careful discussion, they all concerned banquet reservations.
Too much business could also be a headache.
The restaurant would be opening in a while, and he couldn’t have his chefs prepare large banquets every day. One round of this strenuous work was fine, but doing it frequently would wear them out.
Jiang Feng assured everyone that after a few more days of hard work, he would give them some time off to rest properly.
Once open, there would be no shortage of work, and they would probably need to hire more staff.
"I’m really sorry, but we won’t be hosting banquets after the restaurant opens. My apologies."
"These next few days are all fully booked, and the guests have paid their deposits. We can’t take any more bookings; we hope you understand."
Jiang Feng ended up turning down many people.
Before long, another call came through.
This caller had the same request but was someone Jiang Feng was well acquainted with—none other than Zhang Dashan from Happy Ranch.
Jiang Feng was quite fond of his ranch, with its cattle, sheep, border collies, pigs, dogs, and sika deer. The open Grassland provided a refreshing space to run around.
"Is that place a resort? Do you also need to host a large feast?" Jiang Feng asked with a smile.
"Yeah, autumn’s right around the corner, and our ranch business relies on the autumn season to make money. We have a Harvest Festival coming up, and we need to prepare banquets for it," Zhang Dashan said cheerfully. "I’ve invited all the business owners I’ve partnered with, as well as friends and such. I want to organize a lively banquet out in the grasslands. We’re tired of the same old whole roast sheep every year, so this time we’re thinking of switching to home-style dishes."
Jiang Feng rather enjoyed interacting with Zhang Dashan; the man was straightforward and generous, making him comfortable to be around.
In the past, when Jiang Feng came to his small stall, he would just greet him, make his purchase, and leave quickly and decisively.
Therefore, Jiang Feng agreed.
"Okay, but it has to be in four days. We still have four banquets to prepare. We’re available after that."
Zhang Dashan was delighted to hear Jiang Feng’s agreement.
"That’s settled then; I’ll arrange the time."
In communicating with Zhang Dashan, Jiang Feng also had another idea in mind.
Zhang Dashan managed a ranch and also had a private livestock farm, not open to the public, where he raised cattle and sheep. These were Grassland animals, renowned for their superior meat quality.
Every high-end business vied for such meat, especially upscale restaurants looking to build their reputation.
Jiang Feng could certainly sign a contract with Zhang Dashan to buy cattle and sheep and then launch some high-end dishes.
This kind of beef and mutton was quite expensive, only available to diners in private rooms who booked banquets.
Many wealthy guests were connoisseurs and could certainly taste the quality of the beef and mutton.
It was also due to the scarcity of this type of cattle and sheep that Jiang Feng didn’t consider using them in everyday dishes.
As a business owner, I need to broaden my horizons, Jiang Feng pondered. I can’t rely solely on the meat market for food supplies. It would be great to purchase some Grassland cattle and sheep later on.
Although Jiang Feng appeared easygoing, he was actually very shrewd—a chef who didn’t consult recipes but studied strategy instead!
「Meanwhile」
After ending the call, Zhang Dashan was beaming with joy.
Zhang Xinya quickly asked, "Dad, how did it go? Did you secure the booking?"
Hearing this, Zhang Dashan immediately replied, "I did. I’ve planned for 10 tables, at a standard of 2,000 per table. A real bargain! We’ll slaughter a cow and a few sheep, and add roast lamb to the menu."
The ranch was very profitable, so spending 20,000 was a trivial matter for him, a mere drop in the ocean.
Zhang Xinya also began smiling. "This time we don’t need to go out of our way to find Executive Chef Jiang; we’ve invited him directly."
At her words, Zhang Dashan couldn’t hide his smugness.
"Yes, I was originally thinking of offering more money to hire him as the ranch’s chef. Only now do I realize that the restaurant in the bustling part of the city is his, and he has fifteen or sixteen chefs under him! I always knew he was no ordinary man! But I never imagined he was *this* extraordinary! Still, he’s quite amiable. I reckon he’s worth tens of millions, yet he still mans his stall when he needs to and caters large feasts when required. He doesn’t put on any airs at all. It seems his ancestors might really have a connection to chefs."
Zhang Dashan felt his guess was on point.
Jiang Feng’s culinary skills attracted many people, and as he moved from place to place, his fame only grew.
There was plenty of information about him online.
Especially the locals; they all knew of a great chef who loved setting up small stalls but was secretly the owner of the Shandong Cuisine Restaurant.
A chef with extraordinary skills, who enjoyed experiencing the local customs and culture wherever he went. Such a mystical figure indeed!
Jiang Feng also watched short videos, but he seldom came across ones about himself.
Since he never viewed content related to cooking, the system algorithm assumed he wasn’t interested in chefs or food-related topics. So, it recommended film reviews, games, cat and dog videos, and occasionally, a video or two featuring attractive women.
He was unaware of his own fame.
「In the following days」
The banquets grew even more lively.
Wherever chefs from Jiangyue Terrace Shandong Cuisine Restaurant appeared, the place was guaranteed to be packed.
Those who managed to book Jiang Feng were grinning from ear to ear.
"The gift money we’ve received is more than the cost of the food!"
"The chef’s reputation is really well deserved!"
"If only we could have him here every day."
During the feasts, the villagers chatted amongst themselves.
"There won’t be such delicious feasts in the future!"
"If you want to eat, go to Jiangyue Terrace Shandong Cuisine Restaurant. They have it every day!"
"Can we even afford to eat at a restaurant like that?"
"I asked their chefs. The prices are normal, about 80 yuan per person on average, depending on how many people are dining."
"That’s pretty good. We could go try it during festivals or holidays," people discussed among themselves.
These past few days, Jiang Feng had been observing the chefs at Jiangyue Terrace.
He assessed their character first, and their culinary skills second.
He was usually amiable, but only Executive Chef Zhang Hu discerned that this new boss was a formidable figure.
If Jiang Feng found someone’s character to be lacking, they definitely wouldn’t be able to stay at the restaurant.
Mistakes due to a lack of skill could be forgiven. However, for those who were deceitful or tried to shirk work, it was goodbye.
When Jiang Feng was gentle, he was very gentle. But when he decided to be tough, he was tougher than anyone.
Fortunately, all the chefs at Jiangyue Terrace had been carefully selected, so their ability was beyond question.
With such a good team, how did the previous owner, Duan Feng, manage to run the restaurant at a loss? Jiang Feng sometimes wondered. He must be some kind of reverse business genius.
After a few days of cooking large banquets in the villages, they had covered almost all the surrounding ones.
With this, Jiangyue Terrace’s reputation was thoroughly established.
Every banquet was fully booked.
And incredibly, many people would ask as soon as they arrived, "Which dishes is Executive Chef Jiang cooking today?"
The hosts had inquired ahead of time.
"Today, it seems he’s responsible for the Zaozhuang spicy chicken, sweet and sour carp, and braised soft-shelled turtle."
"Oh! Those are all famous Shandong Cuisine dishes! We must savor them properly!"
"Don’t worry, I’ll make sure it’s all arranged well."
Hearing him say this, the guests chuckled happily, life feeling vibrant and energetic.
Jiang Feng noticed that whenever they cooked, villagers would gather around to chat and watch the chefs work.
The local people didn’t have many other pastimes; they just enjoyed watching the excitement.
The kitchen was bustling with people coming and going, so the villagers felt too shy to get close, but even smelling the aromas from a distance was comforting to them.
After being busy like this for several days, hosting one banquet after another, Jiang Feng’s system task was complete.
However, there was one last booking for tomorrow.
Jiang Feng said to the chefs, "Everyone work hard for one last day tomorrow, then take a break before the restaurant opens. Go home and relax. It’s going to be busy after the restaurant opens. As long as you showcase your skills then, your welfare and benefits will definitely not be lacking."
Hearing Jiang Feng say this, the chefs all smiled.
"Thank you, Boss!"
"Boss, I’d actually like to work a few more days! It’s rare to earn extra money like this every day!"
"Yeah, I’d also like to keep catering these large banquets right up until the restaurant opens."
Jiang Feng had thought everyone would prefer to rest, but ordinary people actually wanted to earn money even more.
To be honest, it’s not that people nowadays don’t work hard. Rather, many find that their efforts don’t translate into more money, so they feel compelled to ’lie flat’.
If hard work could guarantee extra income, there would undoubtedly be many more hardworking people.
Still, among the chef team, some wanted to rest, as it was tiring to be running around the village every day.
So, Jiang Feng decided to stick with the rest.
"Traveling back and forth for these village banquets is too exhausting. We’ve been doing this for a week, and everyone’s tired. Finish the last one tomorrow, then everyone rest up well."
Jiang Feng made the decision.
"Okay!"
"No problem!"
"We’ll do as the boss says!"
The others quickly expressed their agreement.
"Boss, I heard we’re going to a ranch tomorrow. Don’t they usually just have whole roast lamb there?" another chef asked.
"This year, they’ve changed it up: two whole roast oxen, then a full lamb banquet, plus some exquisite cold dishes and premium seafood," Jiang Feng said with a smile. "It’s a high-standard event. I’ll send out the menu so everyone can prepare early. This client is paying a higher price, so I’ll double the bonus I’m giving each of you compared to the previous days. Let’s make the last one count."
Hearing there was more money to be earned, everyone was even happier.
"The boss is so generous!"
"Don’t worry, we’ll definitely do well!"
The chefs beamed with joy.
Jiang Feng truly was a good boss. Not only did he have a knack for making money, but he also wasn’t stingy. Leaders like him were a rare find these days.
I make the largest share of the profit, so it’s only right to distribute some of the surplus, Jiang Feng thought.
「Meanwhile, Zhang Dashan also began his preparations.」
The ranch was hosting a banquet the next day to celebrate the autumn harvest.
Jiang Feng visited Shuize Resort once again. He had previously sold braised meat here, and it had been quite popular. Indeed, it was that venture that truly solidified his reputation.