N-M Chapter 40 Lu Family Private Kitchen
Chapter 40 Lu Family Private Kitchen
Besides the old man, Lu Wen and his wife were also invited to the round table.
Everyone was exhausted after a long day and was starving. The whole table was filled with the sound of people slurping their noodles.
Rural people have big appetites; even Sister Cuilan ate two bowls.
Sister-in-law Cuilan leaned back in her chair, patting her round belly, and said:
"Xiao Yuan, are you really going to charge city people 5000 yuan per table of food?"
Lu Yuan nodded and said, "This is still a discount."
The old man also cautioned, "You must do business honestly and uprightly. You mustn't dare to mess around in front of my door, kid."
"Don't worry, sir. If there's anything wrong with what I eat, I'll just say I'm from the Wang family!" Lu Yuan said with a smile.
The old man picked up his cane and pretended to hit him, saying, "You little brat, are you asking for a beating?"
. . .
noon the next day.
When Zhenzhen and Pingping appeared at Xiaolu Farmhouse Restaurant dressed in cheongsams, the diners and staff were all stunned.
Today they wore light makeup, no longer going bare-faced, which amplified the allure of the cheongsam several times over.
The simplest way to boost self-confidence is to change your image.
Zhenzhen and Pingping sat there dignifiedly today, showing no trace of the inferiority complex that rural girls usually have.
On the contrary, some of the men eating there didn't dare to look them in the eye.
The outdoor tables were all full, so the two sisters sat at the front desk with Yingying for a good look.
Lu Yuan had just finished cooking the dishes and was about to go outside to cool off when President Wang pulled him aside and said:
"Boss Lu, what's going on here?"
Lu Yuandao: "How about the waiter for the afternoon private dining?"
"That's amazing!" Mr. Wang exclaimed, slapping his thigh, his eyes wide with delight.
"I'm telling you, Mr. Lu, that's really unfair of you. I gave you the suggestion, and you ended up reserving the first table for someone else."
Lu Yuan touched his bald head and explained:
"Mr. Wang, this is a business banquet, how could I dare to use you to taste the food? It's a family gathering, I'm just here to run the formalities!"
President Wang largely agreed with this assessment, but he still wouldn't let Lu Yuan off the hook:
"That's a deal! Book a table for me next week!"
"No problem!" Lu Yuan seized the opportunity to break free from President Wang's grip on his hand: "Next week, I'll only serve President Wang!"
"That's more like it!"
. . .
After lunch, Lu Yuan took Zhenzhen, Pingping, and a group of people directly to the tents by the Baiyang River.
Lu Yuan values banquets immensely, regardless of their location or scale.
A banquet is different from a regular meal; it is always because a group of people gather together.
Whether it's a family gathering, a business dinner, or a birthday celebration, problems with the meal can easily lead to misunderstandings among guests.
Conversely, if the meal goes well, it can greatly enhance the relationship between the guests.
Therefore, Chinese people pay attention to dining culture, which is not just formalism, but also a condensation of traditional culture.
Besides Zhenzhen and Pingping's exquisite makeup, Lu Yuan also changed into a chef's uniform and looked very energetic.
Lu Yuan had finished preparing most of the ingredients this morning.
The afternoon was spent more on plating techniques, especially carving the ingredients.
The group of braised ducks were stunned as they watched Lu Yuan carve carrots and winter melons into lifelike little animals.
Looking at their clumsy hands that couldn't even cut potato shreds properly, I finally understood why Lu Yuan kept kicking them.
Seeing these few bored idiots, Lu Yuan gave them some lemons and oranges and told them to use a rolling pin to squeeze out the juice.
He planned to use a little trick for the tea at the banquet, employing a popular drink from milk tea shops in later generations to give them a small shock.
Around 5 o'clock, three cars, led by a Crown, turned off the national highway.
After the Crown car door opened, Manman was the first to get out and excitedly ran towards Xiaoxue under the eaves.
Xu Jianjun then went to the back door and helped an elderly man with white hair but full of energy out of the car.
Two more families got out of the second and third cars.
Judging from their clothing and appearance, they were clearly from a wealthy family.
The youngest man kicked a pebble on the road and complained:
"Hey bro, why did you come all this way just to eat? Look at all this garbage!"
The man pointed at the sign for Xiao Lu's farmhouse cuisine with a look of disgust.
Xu Jianjun glanced at the man and said indifferently:
"Jianhua, you've been living in the city for too long. Today I'll show you what it means to be outmatched."
Xu Jianhua pursed his lips, shook his head, and whispered, "There are mountains beyond mountains."
Then he followed behind with a dismissive look. Xu Jianjun's wife, however, was not so critical and gave him a piece of her mind, telling him to mind his own business.
When Yingying saw Manman running over, she went to the door to wait for her.
The young girl has made remarkable progress in her training at the store recently, and she is not intimidated at all by this group of wealthy and powerful city people.
"You must be Mr. Xu. The dining area isn't here; please follow me."
The second son, Xu Jianguo, was a bit chubby and said with a smile:
"Jianhua, you really should change your impulsive temper. Look at that young lady, she's more cultured than you."
Yingying led the way, while Manman and Xiaoxue had already run far ahead.
The two elderly people followed behind Yingying, walking slowly along the country road, in a rather pleasant mood.
Xu Jianhua, on the other hand, kept rambling on and on:
"What kind of roads are these in the countryside? Even cars can't get in. How much further do we have to walk?"
Xu Jianjun's father suddenly stopped, turned around, and glared coldly at Xu Jianhua, saying:
"I think you've forgotten your roots! If you keep spouting nonsense, get back home!"
One second Xu's father was all smiles, the next he unleashed his full power, leaving Xu Jianhua speechless.
Before long, the Xu family arrived at the Baiyang River.
Looking at the other side of Luwangtan Village, Xu Jianguo sighed:
"Wow, this village is so beautiful! There are mountains in the distance and rivers nearby. Even the Jiangnan region can't compare."
Mr. Xu nodded and said, "It is indeed a pleasant and refreshing place."
When Yingying led everyone to the tent, Zhenzhen and Pingping were already quietly waiting at the door.
"Wow!" Xu Jianhua's eyes widened when he saw the two stunningly beautiful waitresses. He only came back to his senses after his wife pinched his waist twice.
"Good afternoon, welcome to Lu's Private Kitchen, please come in."
Zhenzhen greeted the guests with a humble yet confident smile, without any fancy greetings.
This is what Lu Yuan emphasized to them: being a waiter does not mean being inferior.
We provide quality service with attitude, rather than fawning over customers like servants.
There is a difference between restaurants and shopping malls.
Zhenzhen led everyone into the tent from the entrance, while Pingping followed Grandpa Xu into the tent first and led everyone to their seats.
After everyone was seated, they were all attracted by the wide variety of exquisitely arranged tableware in front of them.
They often dine at upscale restaurants in the provincial capital, but the tableware there isn't arranged in such a complicated way.
"Grandpa, there are pretty little cards on the plate!" Manman noticed the handwritten card first, took it down, and read it aloud softly:
May little Manman be healthy and free from illness and worry every year; may she enjoy delicious meals, live peacefully through all four seasons, always have a smile on her face, and be safe and happy every day.
"Okay!" Xu Jianjun's biggest worry was Manman's health, but he didn't expect Lu Yuan to send Manman a blessing.
Although it was just a few simple words, he felt very comfortable.
"Great, this business owner really put in the effort." Mr. Xu nodded in satisfaction, then picked up the card in front of him and showed it to his wife with delight:
"Look, I have one too!"
His wife chuckled at his childlike reaction and said, "Then why don't you read it too!"
Xu's father then cleared his throat and read aloud:
May your virtue shine brightly and your blessings be everlasting; may our elders live long and healthy lives, always accompanied by joy and happiness.
After hearing this, Xu Jianguo led the applause and praised:
"What beautiful words, Dad! These are also our blessings for you!"
Xu Jianhua listened from the side and shook his head; he couldn't stand that sour tone.
Seeing his expression, his wife simply picked up the card in front of him and read it aloud:
"The following is Lu Family Private Kitchen's blessing to Comrade Xu Jianhua: No one can help me achieve my lofty ambitions, but I will brave the snow to reach the mountain peak myself."
"Great! That's exactly what I've been thinking! I want to become sworn brothers with this boss!"
After listening, Xu Jianhua slammed his hand on the table. He hadn't expected the owner of this rural restaurant to understand him so well.