Gourmet: Twins' Father and Chef of the Kindergarten

Chapter 302 - 282: Once You Snubbed Him, Now He’s Out of Your League

Government Kindergarten, Teaching Building, Principal’s Office on the third floor.

Sunlight streamed through the spacious windows, falling onto a large desk.

On the desk, various documents and office supplies were neatly arranged.

Certificates of honor and group photos of children filled the walls, each photo capturing joyful moments of the children and the kindergarten’s growth.

In one corner of the desk, there was a lush green hanging plant, shimmering softly in the sunlight.

Next to the hanging plant, there was a comfortable sofa and a small coffee table, with tea sets on the table and a bookshelf beside it, filled with books and magazines about education.

Outside the window was the kindergarten’s small garden and playground, where the children’s laughter could be heard from time to time...

But at this moment.

Director Deng Manli had no interest in admiring the view outside the window; she was sitting at her desk, holding a phone, busy receiving calls about parents’ feedback on the kindergarten meals.

The content of these calls was surprisingly consistent.

Parents expressed that the meals at the Government Kindergarten were too poor.

This situation happened every semester, and she was used to it, handling it with ease.

However...

Just as she was about to end a call, a parent’s words made her stop in her tracks: "Director Deng, I’ve recently noticed that the meals at Dorami Kindergarten are really good, and the kids enjoy them a lot. They’re nutritious and well-balanced. I was thinking, if our kindergarten’s meals could reach such a standard, the children would definitely like them more, which would be better for their healthy growth..."

The implication was clear.

Parents hoped that the meals at the Government Kindergarten could match those at Dorami Kindergarten, indirectly indicating that in their eyes, the meals at the Government Kindergarten had not yet reached the level of Dorami Kindergarten.

This unexpected feedback caused the smile on Deng Manli’s face to freeze in mid-air, with a hint of surprise flashing in her eyes, and a big question mark rising in her heart...

Speaking of which.

Are the meals at Dorami Kindergarten really that good?

The parent’s voice on the other end of the line interrupted her drifting thoughts again: "Hello, Director Deng, are you listening to what I’m saying?"

Deng Manli quickly adjusted her mood and replied with a smile: "Oh, yes, I am listening. Thank you very much for your valuable suggestion. Regarding the meals at Dorami Kindergarten, I will seriously look into it and consider it. At the same time, our Government Kindergarten will strive to improve the meal quality so that children can eat healthily and happily. Please rest assured, we will prioritize the children’s health and growth."

After hanging up the phone...

The smile on her face disappeared instantly, and a complex emotion surged in her heart.

Though the feedback from parents was straightforward, it stemmed from concern for their children’s well-being, which she fully understood, stimulating her deep reflection on the management of the kindergarten meals once again.

The last time she pondered deeply was when Director Wan from the education bureau suddenly came to process a transfer for her daughter.

At that time, the reason for the transfer that Director Wan mentioned was because the meals in the kindergarten did not suit her daughter’s taste.

This was undoubtedly a serious warning regarding the management of meals at the Government Kindergarten and a major test of the kindergarten’s reputation.

Even though Deng Manli tried her best to persuade, expressing her endeavor to improve meals to better suit the children’s tastes, Director Wan’s decision remained firm, and she could only accept this fact with regret.

Wait!

Which kindergarten did Director Wan’s daughter transfer to?

She remembered that Director Wan did not specify the destination at the time, and she couldn’t inquire further due to an important meeting.

Could it be... she transferred to Dorami Kindergarten?

This thought was not unfounded, as the parent’s feedback in the recent call triggered such an association.

Just at that moment...

"Knock, knock, knock..."

The knocking on the principal’s office door interrupted her thoughts.

She looked towards the door and softly said, "Please come in..."

In the next second...

The door opened in response, and Director Jiang Weihong entered with her characteristic smile, respectfully greeting Deng Manli: "Director Deng..."

Deng Manli’s gaze met Jiang Weihong’s, and her curiosity prompted her to directly ask, "Director Jiang, do you know about the meals at Dorami Kindergarten? Are their meals really that good?"

This sudden question left Jiang Weihong taken aback.

She could not understand why the director suddenly cared about the meals at Dorami Kindergarten.

Since the director was asking, there must be a reason behind it.

She thought for a moment and answered, "Well... no."

"I remember last semester I led several teachers to visit and learn from some kindergartens, which included Dorami Kindergarten."

"I even tasted their lunch on purpose. Overall, I felt the diversity of their meals was slightly better than ours, but in terms of taste, I didn’t think there was a significant difference."

"To say there’s a significant disparity, I don’t think so. Instead, the meal levels in all kindergartens are generally about the same."

Although there was a degree of competition among kindergartens, they all maintained friendly exchanges and learning.

Last semester, all kindergartens actively participated in mutual visits and learning activities, aiming to absorb the strengths of others to improve themselves.

In Jiang Weihong’s view, compared with other kindergartens, whether public or private, Dorami Kindergarten was not outstanding in terms of hardware facilities and conditions, and even their teaching equipment seemed a bit outdated. In terms of taste, their meals were inferior to other private kindergartens, too.

After hearing Jiang Weihong’s description, Deng Manli became even more puzzled.

If Dorami Kindergarten’s meals were not noticeably superior, why would any parent specifically praise their meals?

She couldn’t help but frown slightly, asking with a touch of confusion, "But, I’ve just received several calls from parents, all of whom have said that the food in our kindergarten doesn’t suit their taste. One parent even particularly praised Dorami Kindergarten’s meals and suggested we follow their example. What’s your take on this?"

As the oldest kindergarten in the city, Deng Manli naturally felt a sense of pride. Hearing parents suggest that she learn from a kindergarten that wasn’t particularly outstanding did leave her feeling somewhat uncomfortable!

Jiang Weihong shook her head with a smile and said, "Oh, it’s only natural to think that the grass is always greener on the other side. If the parents truly thought Dorami Kindergarten was so great, why didn’t they choose that instead of our Government Kindergarten?"

Listening to this, Deng Manli found Jiang Weihong’s words quite reasonable, and her mood lightened up a bit.

However, thinking about how Director Wan from the Education Bureau transferred his daughter because of the food issue, along with today’s continuous feedback from parents, made her realize this issue could not be ignored.

"Alright, since the parents have voiced their opinions, we must take them seriously." Deng Manli said earnestly, "Director Jiang, organize a meeting with the kitchen staff and see how we can further improve our food quality without exceeding our budget."

At this point, Deng Manli suddenly remembered something, couldn’t help but complain to Jiang Weihong, "As a private institution, Dorami Kindergarten charges significantly higher food fees than we do at the public kindergarten. If we could charge like they do, I’m sure our food quality would reach new heights."

Jiang Weihong nodded in agreement, "Director Deng, you’re right."

But then she shook her head helplessly, "It’s a pity that as a public kindergarten, we are really limited in what we can charge and cannot adjust it at will."

That makes so much sense!

Yet, what a frustrating reality...

Deng Manli also felt quite helpless, then recalled the reason for Jiang Weihong’s earlier visit, asking, "Oh, right, Director Jiang, what did you come to see me about?"

"Director, there’s an important document that needs your signature." Jiang Weihong replied, as she unfolded the document in her hands and gently placed it on Deng Manli’s desk.

Deng Manli took the document, carefully reviewed every detail to ensure there were no mistakes, then picked up a pen and signed her name on it, handing the document back to Jiang Weihong opposite her.

Jiang Weihong accepted the document with a smile, respectfully saying, "Then, Director Deng, I’ll take my leave so as not to disturb your work."

"Alright, go ahead. But don’t forget about the importance of improving our food quality; it’s an urgent problem we need to address, and I hope you can implement it soon." Deng Manli looked up at Jiang Weihong and reminded her solemnly.

"Rest assured, Director Deng, I’ll get on it right away!" Jiang Weihong nodded in understanding, then turned and left the office.

Deng Manli watched Jiang Weihong’s back as she left, until the office door closed behind her.

Only then did she start absentmindedly twisting her thumbs, deep in thought.

After a moment, she snapped out of it, turned on her computer, opened a browser, clicked on a website, and started tapping away on the keyboard, launching a poll...

...

Hu Jin Kindergarten.

Director’s Office.

Li Huizhen was also very busy this morning.

Busy taking feedback calls from parents too!

Unlike the fierce complaints about food faced by the director of the Government Kindergarten, the parents of Hu Jin Kindergarten were not directly expressing dissatisfaction on the phone, but rather filled with expectations and suggestions.

The general consensus among parents was that although Hu Jin Kindergarten’s meals are decent, there’s still room for further improvement.

This made Li Huizhen feel quite numb.

You see, to improve the overall dining quality in the kindergarten, they spared no expense in hiring the highly skilled Chef Zheng from a well-known hotel.

Chef Zheng’s culinary skills are renowned and he has won numerous cooking competition awards.

Logically, the quality of the meals in the kindergarten should be impeccable.

Yet even so!

Parents still seemed to have some dissatisfaction with the kindergarten’s meals.

This left her puzzled, having put in so much effort and hired such an excellent chef, how could parents still be discontent?

Wait a minute!

This wasn’t the first time she’d heard similar feedback.

Last time, Chairman Liu also mentioned issues with the food when it came to transferring his daughter.

Even the education bureau leaders, after tasting snacks and meals, remarked that Hu Jin Kindergarten’s food and snacks were not as good as those at Dorami Kindergarten.

Could it be that the parents’ dissatisfaction stems from their knowledge of Dorami Kindergarten’s food, through comparisons?

After all, "without comparison, there’s no harm!"

It’s no wonder she thought this way, looking across the city, it’s tough to find another kindergarten whose food could surpass hers, aside from Dorami Kindergarten...

Sure enough!

The next call from a parent confirmed her suspicions: "Director, I think we could learn from Dorami Kindergarten’s meals."

At this point.

Li Huizhen instantly understood the reason behind everything, making her mood not as bad.

After all, Dorami Kindergarten’s meals indeed outclass Hu Jin Kindergarten’s.

This is an undeniable fact!

It’s just...

She still felt quite regrettable!

Regretting having missed out on Huang Jun!

Just like that saying goes, "Once you ignored him, and now he’s out of your reach..."