Family Banquet

Restaurant, main hall.

Steward Li stared blankly at the empty surroundings, looking at the plates in front of him licked cleaner than his face, and recalled the scene just now in his mind.

This group of guys ate like hungry ghosts reincarnated, wolfing down their food as if they hadn't eaten in eight hundred years.

"Steward, Steward Li, here's the bill, sixty taels in total," the shopkeeper said respectfully, standing to the side.

Steward Li, snapping back to reality, let out an "Ah."

"So expensive?"

Did they eat gold?

Three tables of people ate sixty taels.

"Steward Li, these dishes are delicacies from mountains and seas, especially this wine, it's thirty years old."

"Bring the abacus."

Soon, as the shopkeeper brought the abacus, Steward Li compared it with the bill, his fingers moving nimbly. Phantom Butterfly Hand activated, and with a flurry of operations, he looked with wide eyes.

Sixty taels and three cents.

The shopkeeper had even waived the odd cents.

He's sensible, but not sensible enough.

Steward Li took a deep breath and took out two silver ingots, one large one of fifty taels and a smaller one of ten taels.

Was this meal worth it?

He felt it was worth it, at least he had made contact with Lin Fan. But if he had to say it wasn't worth it, it seemed it was too. They just ate the whole time, no one communicated, and even he, having not eaten this well in a long time, never stopped his chopsticks.

"Thank you, Steward Li, thank you, Steward Li," the shopkeeper thanked him.

"Mm."

Steward Li still sat in his original spot, his mind filled with thoughts of the sixty taels for three tables of dishes.

An ordinary person's monthly income was at least two to three hundred wen, at most five to six hundred wen. Now, five wen could buy a pound of pork. These were indeed lavish dishes, but they couldn't be this expensive.

Street.

"Everyone's full, right?"

He asked the obvious.

Lin Fan looked at the group of underlings following him, their mouths greasy, rubbing their bellies, and looking completely satisfied. It was clear that the meal had driven them wild.

The underlings gathered around.

One underling said with a tearful voice, "Brother, this food is too good! I've never eaten this well in my life."

"What's in your arms?"

"A chicken leg, I hid it. I want to take it back for my child to try."

Lin Fan nodded. He had been a small fry before and knew how hard life was at the bottom. If you performed well in a fight, you could get extra rewards, but if you didn't, you'd just wait for your monthly wages, which were only two hundred wen.

Life could go on, but it was hard to live comfortably.

"When I have time, I'll suggest to the Hall Master to increase our brothers' wages. If nothing else, we must guarantee that our brothers eat meat every day."

As soon as he said this.

The underlings' eyes lit up, and they cheered excitedly, "Long live Brother Lin!"

Lin Fan smiled and returned to the warehouse, continuing his cultivation. As for Steward Li's situation, he didn't pay much attention. He had figured out the other party's intentions.

It's quite good.

After the first time, there would be a second. Such an opportunity was rare, so he had to cherish it.

Before his transmigration, he had read many stories about Green Tea Hooking Up a Rich Guy, which emphasized playing hard to get, maintaining distance, yet occasionally closing the gap. As long as one was careful and didn't make mistakes, the Rich Guy would drop gold like an Old Man.

Evening, bathed in the setting sun.

After tidying up, Lin Fan left the warehouse. He didn't head home but was going to a family dinner. Someone had notified him in the afternoon that the Hall Master had invited him to his home for a meal.

He knew his excellence had long been discovered by the Hall Master.

Especially the Cui Jing Tower incident, which had made the Hall Master consider him his most trusted confidant. However, he needed to buy some gifts before going; going empty-handed would be impolite.

Of course, there was no need to buy expensive things. What could the Hall Master's family possibly lack?

A small token of appreciation would suffice.

Wang Family.

In the hall.

Wang Changhai sat there drinking tea, while his wife was busy running around, personally cooking. As plates of delicacies were served.

The originally empty table was filled with mouth-watering dishes.

"Madam, is that enough? You can have the servants do it," Wang Changhai said.

Madam shot her husband a glare. "What do you mean 'almost'? It's their first time visiting, so we must prepare everything perfectly. And what are you sitting around for? It's almost time. Hurry and go wait at the door to see if they've arrived."

"I am the Hall Master," Wang Changhai said, displeased. He tried his best to assert his status, telling his wife that Lin Fan was his confidant and that it wasn't fitting for a Hall Master to be waiting at the door for a subordinate.

"Hall Master? Heh, don't make me laugh. When you were dizzy with that little vixen, did you remember you were the Hall Master? Do you even know your own worth? You're always looking for more, but with your meager capabilities, what could anyone possibly see in you?"

Madam's gaze was quite aggressive as she looked towards Wang Changhai's crotch.

Her meaning was clear.

He surrendered in just a few rounds. If he couldn't even satisfy his own wife, how could he go out and provoke those promiscuous women? He truly didn't know his limits.

Wang Changhai's old face flushed red. "Madam, please don't say that. When they arrive later, you must save me some face. I am, after all, still the Hall Master."

The Madam had been with him since she was fifteen. Back then, he was just a low-level grunt in Loyalty Hall, and their life was difficult. Later, as their lives gradually improved, they had children.

"Wow, it smells so good! Mom, the food today is so plentiful."

Two children, carrying their schoolbags, ran in cheerfully. Upon seeing the table full of delicacies, they leaned over the table and took a deep breath, reaching out to grab something to eat. However, Madam slapped their little hands away twice.

"We have guests coming today, so you two hurry and go do your homework."

"Oh."

The two children drooped their heads, looking pitiful. They took one step back, then another, casting longing glances at the food on the table before leaving the hall with their schoolbags.

Seeing her husband still sitting there, Madam immediately stepped forward and grabbed his ear. "Are you ignoring everything I say? I told you to go wait, so why are you still standing there? Go!"

"Alright, alright, I'm going, I'm going."

Wang Changhai got up, feeling utterly helpless. This woman had him completely under her thumb. In any other household, what respectable wife would dare treat her husband like this?

Was there no order? Did he have no standing in the family?

At this moment.

Lin Fan arrived near the Hall Master's house. They glanced at the surrounding architecture and environment, finding it quite pleasant. It was clear that those who could live here were the upper-class citizens of Yong'an City.

They were either rich or noble.

The Hall Master had been in Loyalty Hall for so many years and managed Jili Pier. It was normal for him to have the financial means to purchase a residence here.

As they walked towards the entrance, they saw the Hall Master standing at the door, looking around expectantly.

Soon, Wang Changhai spotted Lin Fan, who was carrying gifts, and smiled as he walked forward to greet them.

"You came, but why did you bring anything?"

"Hall Master, it's my first time visiting, so I couldn't come empty-handed. I wasn't sure what to buy, so I got some rouge for Sister-in-law and some snacks that the children like."

"Alright, your Sister-in-law has been waiting impatiently."