Chapter 126: Banquet
"What kind of problem can there be?" said Han Ruochen with a smile. She glanced at Tong Zhaodi and questioned, "Did we not arrange the delivery with the state-run restaurant?" Han Ruochen was a bit worried when she thought about how she would deliver seafood at the state-run restaurant, as well as to Master Feng’s brother, but now it seemed that she had finally gotten the answer to the question.
Tong Zhaodi nodded and agreed. "She is right. Brother Jingmo did ask us to deliver seafood to his restaurant if we ever got anything good. Second Uncle, don’t worry; we know what we are doing. If you want, you can sell the seafood to the state-run restaurant, second uncle."
Second uncle Han heaved a sigh of relief when he heard that Han Ruochen had already discussed dealings with the state-run restaurant. What was more, when he heard the name Luo Jingmo, he remembered something. If he was not wrong, then he had heard the name Luo Jingmo long ago. Wasn’t he the kid who grew up with his niece and Tong Zhaodi? Though he was not eager to cling to the higher branch, he wanted to change the life of his family.
Since everything had been arranged, Second Uncle Han had nothing against going to the state-run restaurant.
"Then let’s go, what are we waiting for?" Second Uncle Han was also worried that the seafood would be ruined, so he hurriedly went to grab his truck and loaded the seafood in the back of the truck. Han Ruochen and Tong Zhaodi also slid on the side of the driver’s seat. Once all of them were seated, Second Uncle Han turned the ignition on and pulled the truck out of the garage.
*
The back entrance of the restaurant didn’t smell like the docks. It smelt of expensive peanut oil, steamed ginger and old money. Han Ruochen stood by the service elevator while her uncle and Tong Zhaodi went to the state-run restaurant. Han Ruochen was holding the icebox in her hands that was still vibrating with the rhythmic thumping of the five-jin crab matriarch. She raised her hand and knocked on the door three times in a row, like Master Feng told her.
The door creaked open. A man in a sharp, greaseless white chef’s jacket and cap stepped out of the building. The man who stepped forward was called Uncle Bo, the older brother of Master Feng. he had the same disciplined posture as his brother, but his eyes were sharp, while Master Feng’s eyes had always been kind. But then again, this man was the one who decided what the city’s elites would have for dinner.
"Ah, so you are here. My brother did mention that the special supplier was quite young, but I never thought that you were this young," Master Bo said in a low voice. He glanced at the shadows of the alley and then ushered Han Ruochen inside. "He said that you were bound to bring some great surprises. So what did you bring today?"
Han Ruochen was not one to beat around the bush. She placed the icebox on the ground and then flipped the lid of the icebox open. The second she opened the icebox, Uncle Bo actually stepped back.
The five-jin female crab was tied with precision; her red shell was gleaming under the lights. But it was the vermillion roe—that was leaking like seams of liquid gold through the hinges that made Uncle Bo’s pupils dilate.
"Heavenly Mother..." muttered Uncle Bo as he reached out and touched the outer shell of the crab. "This is not just a crab; this is the key to my hotel touching new heights. The mayor is hosting a banquet for an investor tomorrow. They have been demanding something unforgettable for a while."
He looked at Han Ruochen; his expression shifted from professional curiosity to intense respect. "My brother serves the finest family in the county, so I will not insult you either. To the market, they will purchase this thing, which will be sold for ten thousand yuan, but I will buy it for 12000 yuan."
"Take it," Uncle Bo said. "And keep working hard; I have seen many people with luck, but they had never seen someone as lucky as you. I believe that as long as you keep working hard, it will not take long for you, a woman, to have your name known around the dock."
He raised his hand and patted Han Ruochen on the head before saying to her, "You can come to this door anytime. Before, I was dealing with you because I was following my brother’s request, but now you are my saviour. You have helped me greatly."
"Thank you, Master Bo." Han Ruochen bowed in front of the old man for helping her. She knew that if it were someone else, they would have never given her twelve thousand yuan; if anything, they would have tried to lower the price of the female crab.
"You can call me Uncle Bo. There is no need to be so polite with me anymore," said Uncle Bo with a smile on his lips.
Han Ruochen was slightly stunned when she heard Uncle Bo’s response. She blinked her eyes in stunned disbelief, but when she saw that the man was being genuine, she nodded and thanked him. "Then ...Thank you, Uncle Bo."
*
The banquet at the Grand Estate was a sea of clinking porcelain and heavy silk. At the centre of the mahogany table sat a massive, silver-edged platter. The five-jin matriarch had been transformed into a steamed delicacy that had been cooked in the shaoxing wine and topped with julienned ginger; her shell had turned a brilliant, celebratory crimson.
Zhai Muchen walked around the banquet hall; wherever he went, the eyes of the women would follow him closely. If not for the fact that he was following his grandfather, someone would have approached him at once.
"It seems like the mayor has spent quite some time and effort in arranging this banquet," remarked Old Master Zhai as he gazed at the king crab placed in the centre of the dining table. However, a second later he couldn’t help but snort.
