Chapter 87: 085 The head chef went to celebrate Miss Ying Zijin's birthday.
Zhong Manhua suppressed her anger, maintaining her composure, “Then what happens to my reservation?”
“Here’s what happened.” The counter clerk explained, “Because this incident was so sudden, we also didn’t anticipate it, it is indeed the restaurant’s responsibility.”
She was actually quite puzzled, and had no idea which important figure could make the entire chef team leave.
At restaurants of The Gordon Ramsay’s level, even if chefs need to travel abroad, guests are willing to fly out just to taste their cooking.
Adhering to the principle that the customer is God, the counter clerk smiled and said, “However, the chef’s menu was already unavailable for reservation at the time you booked, because the restaurant is also participating in a television food program during this period, and the chef cannot spare the time.”
Pausing for a moment, she said tactfully, “If you look more closely, the menu you actually reserved is the next level down, the sous chef’s menu.”
Upon hearing this, Zhong Manhua was stunned.
Then she glanced at her phone and found that indeed she had reserved the sous chef’s menu.
Immediately, an intense embarrassment surged within her, and her face flushed red.
Although there is only a one-word difference between the chef’s menu and the sous chef’s menu, the actual gap is quite significant.
The chef’s menu is personally cooked by the head chef, with the most top-tier ingredients.
“I checked, and you came all the way from Shanghai City, and it so happens that the chef team has gone to Shanghai City and will be staying there for three days,” the counter clerk continued, “How about this, I contact them for you?”
Zhong Manhua looked astonished, “Gone to Shanghai City?”
She had traveled thousands of miles to O continent, only to find out the chef had gone to Shanghai City?
“You mentioned in your reservation that you needed a birthday cake, so it must be for a celebration, right?” The counter clerk nodded, “The chef team has gone to Shanghai City to celebrate a young lady’s birthday, what a coincidence.”
Zhong Manhua felt even more embarrassed.
She had to book two months in advance online to celebrate Xiao Xuan’s birthday.
Yet others had the chef team fly over just for their birthday.
What kind of disparity was this?
If it were some wealthy families from the Imperial Capital, it might be understandable, but Shanghai City?
Zhong Manhua thought hard but couldn’t figure out who had such great influence.
Actually, it wasn’t that she insisted on eating at The Gordon Ramsay Restaurant; O continent had many Michelin Three-Star Restaurants, all world-famous.
But not going by choice, and being refused, were entirely different.
The latter was a slap in the face to her.
“No need.”
Zhong Manhua had already lost her appetite and her dignity.
After promptly leaving behind three words, she picked up her purse and left.
The counter clerk was somewhat bewildered but said nothing more and continued to serve other customers.
**
The next day.
At noon, the students from Elite Class 19 were invited to a small courtyard.
There were artificial hills and flowing water, birdsong, and a gentle breeze rustling through the trees.
This was a property of the Fu Family.
The small courtyard was warm in winter and cool in summer. Although not large, due to its age, it was considered a cultural relic. With an excellent location, its value was over one billion US dollars.
More than a dozen siblings from the Fu Family had their eyes on this courtyard, fiercely disputing over it for a long time, but Old Master Fu had not said a word.
Nobody expected that without saying anything, bypassing even his son Fu Mingcheng, Old Master Fu just directly gave it to Fu Yunshen.
This left the Fu Family and his cousins green with envy, but they could do nothing about it and could only hate in secret.
Fu Mingcheng, too, wished to use the status of being a father to make Fu Yunshen hand over the courtyard but couldn’t bring himself to do it.
Especially since Old Master Fu was still alive, some things simply could not be done too ruthlessly; they had to save face.
In the center of the courtyard were two long tables, enough to seat fifty students.
The tables were covered with red silk cloths, and wine glasses, plates, and cutlery were neatly arranged in front of each seat.
Lobster tails, white sauce with pan-fried scallops and asparagus, spicy red wine-braised lamb shanks, truffle chocolate…
They even included several bottles of wine from the Romanee-Conti winery, each costing over thirty thousand US dollars.
“`
Not only that, but there were also waiters in tailcoats standing by, presenting an air reminiscent of a royal O-continent Imperial Court banquet.
Even Jiang Ran was taken aback.
It wasn’t that he lacked experience; in the capital, he had the good fortune of sampling a genuine Manchu Han Imperial Feast.
But the question is, who would invite such high-end, classy guests to a courtyard house?
“I need to take pictures, I need to post on the microblog.” The young brother swiftly took out his phone, nearly in tears, “This is my first time eating food from a Michelin Three-Star Restaurant.”
Jiang Ran looked disgusted.
He glanced at Fu Yunshen and snorted coldly.
A shameless trickster who deceives with his looks.
He wouldn’t fall for it.
“Brother Ran, aren’t you eating?” The younger brother was relishing his food and, seeing Jiang Ran motionless, got greedy, “If you don’t eat, give it to me.”
He reached out to grab it, but Jiang Ran slapped his hand away.
“Scram!” Jiang Ran’s face darkened, “Who said I’m not eating? What’s mine is mine, and even yours is mine.”
The young brother looked dazed.
By the time he realized what was happening, his plate had already been taken away by Jiang Ran.
Young brother: “…”
He felt like crying.
Ying Zijin leaned on her elbow, watching a bunch of silly kids devouring food, then turned her head to look at the man, her eyebrows slightly raised, “I’m quite curious, just who are you?”
“Hmm—” Fu Yunshen pondered for a moment, “Brother is the kind with a nice face and money, capable of providing for the little ones.”
He paused, then added in a measured tone, “Good guy.”
“…”
**
As March came to a close, the art festival was just around the corner.
All classes had handed in their competition entries, which the student council had sorted and then passed on to the art division.
The Elite Class didn’t have many participants because to them, academics were more important.
Unless interested, they wouldn’t waste their time on the art festival.
Thus, Zhong Zhiwan’s decision to enter the competition caught many in the Elite Class by surprise.
If Zhong Zhiwan was competing, did anyone else even stand a chance?
Zhong Zhiwan pretended not to hear these comments and went to the student council office.
There were many competition entries, divided into categories like calligraphy, traditional Chinese painting, oil painting, and printmaking – organizing them was no easy task, and the department heads were frantic with their members.
“Zhiwan,” greeted the head of the Literature and Art Department before getting back to work.
Zhong Zhiwan inquired nonchalantly, “Where’s the calligraphy section?”
“Over there, all organized already.”
“Hmm, let me take a look.”
Zhong Zhiwan walked over, flipped through a few pieces, and shook her head.
What is all this writing?
A bunch of vulgar attempts at being culturally refined.
She should never have stooped to level herself with the art festival, out of impulse due to Ying Zijin’s participation.
While these writings weren’t impressive, they were at least better than Ying Zijin’s.
How could someone from a small county town know anything about calligraphy?
Zhong Zhiwan flipped through the pieces faster and faster, each piece more uninteresting than the last, until she came across an unrolled scroll.
It was a very simple poem.
But the characters were majestic, exuding power and grace, with every stroke penetrating deeply.
Zhong Zhiwan blinked in surprise, her gaze moving downward to see the name in the lower right corner.
Her hand suddenly withdrew, clutching the scroll tightly.