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As we were chatting, Chef Zhang Jiawei came over to greet us. He was wearing the executive chef's uniform, looking professional and refined, and he also had a rather handsome appearance. No wonder he was a frequent face in food magazines.
"Mr. Liu, are you satisfied?" Zhang Jiawei was somewhat surprised to see Liu Chang'an here. This person had always been someone Zhang Jiawei had to pay attention to. What Zhang Jiawei couldn't understand was that since it was Miss Zhu who opened the car door for him, and he had recently heard from his colleagues that this Liu Chang'an was selling rice noodles.
"They're all good, especially the raw beef; it tastes like cold pork head salad with cilantro," Liu Chang'an replied casually.
Zhang Jiawei's smile remained unchanged, but how could raw meat taste the same as cooked meat? Did you eat your pig's head raw?
"Chef, how do you know Liu Chang'an?" An Nuan asked curiously. As his girlfriend, she would naturally pay more attention to details related to her boyfriend. Although Zhang Jiawei asked about Liu Yuewang first and knew Liu Yuewang's surname, it was Liu Yuewang had booked the table and left his contact information.
"Our third young lady and Mr. Liu are friends." Zhang Jiawei could only guess that they were friends, because this beautiful and tall girl was standing next to Liu Chang'an, radiating an intimate aura, and their relationship was obviously not ordinary.
Zhang Jiawei didn't believe it. If Liu Chang'an and the Third Miss were in a romantic relationship, would Liu Chang'an dare to bring other girls to Zhu's Restaurant?
"Who is the Third Miss?" Liu Yuewang asked with concern.
Liu Chang'an didn't want to tell Liu Yuewang.
"It's Zhu Juntang. We ran into her with Liu Chang'an's cousin while we were taking a walk the other day," An Nuan reminded Liu Yuewang.
Liu Yuewang nodded casually, indicating that she remembered.
Zhang Jiawei's gaze kept falling on Liu Yuewang. Compared to the naivety of a young girl, this mature woman exuded an intellectual charm that could captivate men. She had a similar feel to Mrs. Third Mistress Zhu, but without the same sharp edge, and seemed more approachable.
"Ms. Liu, please come again when you have time. The menu changes every week, and we welcome your appreciation." Zhang Jiawei was very tactful, exchanging a few casual words before leaving.
Liu Chang'an frowned slightly, feeling that Zhang Jiawei was hiding something, but he didn't pay much attention to it.
"It turns out that in a high-end restaurant, everyone from the chefs to the waiters exudes..." Zhang Taole said involuntarily, but didn't finish her sentence, because it was Liu Yuewang who chose the place.
"They exude an air of being out of touch with reality, completely detached from everyday life." Han Zhizhi finished speaking and burst into laughter, but after a couple of laughs she lowered her voice. Teasing was one thing, and if you didn't like this kind of place, you could come less often. But since you were here, you shouldn't be so unrestrained in mocking this kind of atmosphere.
"Girls shouldn't use such vulgar language." Liu Yuewang frowned and slapped Han Zhizhi.
Han Zhizhi chuckled twice.
"Actually, there's nothing we can do about it... After all, China has undergone the baptism of the proletarian revolution. Although social classes are still forming, the resistance to class solidification and the demand for equality are deeply ingrained in people's hearts. The service industry in China, especially the employees recruited by high-end hotels, clubs, and restaurants, lags far behind those abroad in terms of service level and attitude. It's definitely not just because China started later in this area..." Liu Chang'an shook his head slightly. "Many countries have clear class distinctions, and they are better at cultivating excellent service industry practitioners. The influence and reasons are multifaceted..."
"You mean, if we were still a feudal society, and we still had eunuchs and palace maids, then our service industry would be comparable to that of foreign countries?" An Nuan asked.
Liu Chang'an nodded.
"Liu Chang'an, you're really good at talking nonsense." Han Zhizhi exclaimed. Just talking about the restaurant's high-class atmosphere, Liu Chang'an could even bring up the proletarian revolution.
"That makes sense," Zhang Taole agreed.
"I think I've heard someone mention this idea before." Liu Yuewang looked like she was deep in thought.
"Nuan Nuan, raise a toast to your mother separately. After all, she raised you with great care and hardship," Liu Chang'an quickly reminded An Nuan.
Liu Yuewang out of her daze and looked at An Nuan with a smile.
Although An Nuan didn't quite agree with the idea of "enduring hardship," she didn't have any real resentment towards her mother. She poured herself a small glass of wine and toasted Liu Yuewang.
Liu Yuewang was very pleased. Seeing An Nuan breathe a sigh of relief, he reached out and shook An Nuan's hand.
The mother and daughter had already displayed this loving mother-daughter dynamic at home before, but this time they managed to control themselves and not get particularly emotional.
Liu Chang'an breathed a sigh of relief and continued eating; as the saying goes, too much talk leads to mistakes.
After dinner, as the city lights began to twinkle and night fell, Liu Yuewang, having drunk some alcohol, called a designated driver to take Zhang Taole home first.
Liu Chang'an waved goodbye to Zhou Dongdong while holding her hand. Just as he saw their car leave, Liu Chang'an received a call from an admissions officer who wanted to speak with him. The officer wanted to know that he had expressed his intention to apply to Xiangtan University during the application survey period, and now that the results were out, the admissions officer wanted to meet with him to have a chat.
Liu Chang'an only replied that he would definitely apply to Xiangtan University, but he had no interest in meeting him.
Zhou Dongdong was full and a little too tired to walk. She looked chubby, and Liu Chang'an thought he could put her on the ground and kick her back home, but then he thought better of it and carried her back under his arm.
Back in the neighborhood, Old Lady Liu kept her word and, having heard that Liu Chang'an had excellent grades and was able to get into Xiangtan University, brought him a basket of eggs and a large hen.
Old Man Qian brought over a load of cured meat on a carrying pole, Auntie Xie brought over a few bottles of wine, since Liu Chang'an often bought wine from her.
The mahjong parlor owner brought a large string of firecrackers and spread them all around the area under the sycamore tree. As soon as Liu Chang'an returned, he started setting them off, filling the entire neighborhood with smoke and dust. It's likely the fire department was alerted.
Every year when the college entrance examination results are released, some people illegally set off firecrackers. As long as nothing serious happens, the urban management officers usually turn a blind eye.
Zhou Dongdong found many more firecrackers, stuffing them into her four small pockets.
Liu Chang'an casually asked and learned that it was Zhou Shuling who spread the news of his college entrance examination results. In such a traditional old neighborhood, such a promising child is highly appreciated. High scores represent success, and everyone is willing to express their praise and support.
Liu Chang'an's card-playing and mahjong-playing friends, who often played cards with him, all gave him gifts and asked him to host a banquet. Liu Chang'an could not refuse their hospitality and had to agree to hold a banquet under the paulownia tree the next day at noon, where he would set up two or three tables to entertain the neighbors who had given him gifts.
Space under the sycamore tree was limited, so Liu Chang'an first drove the transport vehicle aside. Thinking that it had been two days since the "Coffin Cult" had started, he decided to give it a make-up lesson tonight, focusing on modern history. As the daughter-in-law of Emperor Wu of Han, he was sure she had a lot to say about it, and everyone could exchange ideas and discuss.
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