Period drama: Old Cao's carefree life

Chapter 117 A talented man and a beautiful woman
Once inside the private room, Cao Weida led the two to their seats.

Master Fan didn't stand on ceremony at all and sat down generously, but Mo He felt a little awkward.

Dongxinglou is one of the eight famous traditional restaurants in China, with a long history and a stellar reputation.

Not only are the dishes delicious, but the overall style is also high-end and classy.

Dongxinglou is decorated in a very fashionable style. Such high-end restaurants have long been using electric lights, mostly hanging chandeliers or table and wall lamps, with soft and non-glaring light.

Even in the event of a power outage, there are spare brass or white porcelain oil lamps, which are both emergency supplies and add a touch of elegance.

The private rooms are even more exquisite with 'air-dead wind lamps' or carved copper chandeliers, which look very high-end.

The tableware is also exquisite, mainly made of fine porcelain. Bowls, plates, and dishes are mostly white porcelain with blue and white or gold decorations. Soup bowls are covered with lids, and soup spoons are made of brass or white porcelain. High-end dishes will use silver tableware, which is especially important when entertaining guests.

With such a standard, even in later generations, it would be considered a high-end consumer venue.

Master Fan was a wealthy man in the past, what kind of situation hadn't he seen? Naturally, he wouldn't show any weakness.

Ke Mohe was born into a poor family. Even now, the porcelain bowls at her brother's house are chipped. She has never seen such a luxurious dining environment.
She felt uneasy and a little inferior, and after sitting down, she felt even more uneasy and at a loss.

Seeing this, Cao Weida gently patted her arm and comforted her gently, "Don't be nervous. No matter how high-end it is, it's still just a place to eat. No matter how delicious it is, in the end it's just a pile of grains in the toilet."

Mo He's face immediately turned bright red, and she said coquettishly, "Brother Cao, what are you saying? That's too...too much!"

"Hahaha~~ I think what Master Cao said makes sense!" Master Fan laughed heartily. Although he hadn't known Cao Weida for long, he found him very agreeable. "Although his words are a bit rough, the logic is sound."

“Look at your brother, I used to live a life of luxury, eating fine wines and delicacies, riding in rickshaws and playing with birds, and enjoying flower tea. In the end, didn’t I contribute it all to the latrine and help the fields get more fertilizer?”

“Now your brother is down on his luck. I don’t eat as well as I used to, and I don’t dress as well as I used to, but the fertilizer in the fields doesn’t seem to be any different, and I haven’t been frozen.”

"So don't feel guilty, just eat and drink as you please."

Cao Weida glanced at him and realized that Fifth Master Fan was trying to relieve Mo He's pressure while making fun of himself.

But in the end, if one can have delicacies from land and sea, who would want to eat coarse food and wild vegetables?
If he really didn't care, why would Master Fan bother trying to make a fortune?

It's all just about saving face.

He cupped his hands in greeting and said with a smile, "It's all thanks to your clear-headedness and understanding that we ordinary folks have much to learn from you."

He handed the menu to the waiter.
"Come on, Fifth Master, let's not just chat. You're the expert, so please give us some pointers."

Master Fan gestured for his servant to walk away, then looked Cao Weida up and down before leaning closer and whispering, "Master Cao, do you have enough money on you?"

Cao Weida laughed, "Fifth Master, please rest assured and order freely. I have some influence around here, so even if I don't have enough money on me, I can just charge it to my account."

Upon hearing this, Master Fan knew what was going on. This man was no stranger to money, and he must have been to Dongxinglou more than once or twice, otherwise he wouldn't have such a big reputation.

Thinking about this, he became even more tempted by his own idea.

He glanced discreetly at the girl who kept stealing glances at Cao Weida, feeling secretly pleased. "Alright, since you've put it that way, I won't stand on ceremony."

The Manchu bannermen placed great importance on dining etiquette.

Even those down-on-their-luck Manchu descendants, though eating only a bowl of cornmeal porridge, act as if it's some kind of gourmet delicacy, giving off a rather pretentious air.

Fifth Master Fan took a white cloth from the side and covered his legs with it, brushed his shoulder-length hair behind his ears, picked up the menu, and began to speak eloquently.

"When it comes to delicious food, the top choice in Beiping is the Eight Great Restaurants, and among them, Dongxinglou takes the lead!"

"Dongxinglou belongs to the Jiaodong cuisine of Shandong. Dishes such as 'Furong Chicken Slices,' 'Braised Cuttlefish Roe,' 'Braised Sea Cucumber with Scallions,' 'Stir-fried Chicken Cubes with Soy Sauce,' and 'Fried Duck Gizzards' are all famous dishes of Dongxinglou!"

"Speaking of these famous dishes, they all have stories behind them. Take this braised cuttlefish roe, for example..."

When it comes to his expertise, Master Fan can talk non-stop, his little mouth rattling off a string of words.

Cao Wei Da listened with great interest. Don't be fooled by how pretentious these Manchu bannermen were; when it came to eating, drinking, and having fun, they were far more knowledgeable than the so-called second-generation rich kids of later generations. For these second-generation rich kids, eating, drinking, and having fun were their forte!
After a while, Mo He couldn't stand it anymore and quietly kicked Fifth Master Fan, which stopped him from talking non-stop and gave him a reproachful look.

They came to treat us to dinner today, and you just kept talking without ordering a single dish.
Master Fan smacked his lips, reluctant to stop. Cao Weida, with his exceptional emotional intelligence, genuinely considered his feelings and gave him ample face. He hadn't felt this dignified in a long time, and now that he finally had a chance, he was determined to enjoy it to the fullest.

However, he wasn't completely devoid of emotional intelligence. When he was interrupted by Mo He, his IQ somewhat took over.

"There are only three of us today. These days are chaotic and war-torn, unlike before. So let's not be extravagant. Mr. Cao, you're the boss, why don't you choose one of these famous dishes?"

"It's truly an eye-opener for me to have Mr. Fan here for dinner today."

Cao Weida smiled and exclaimed, "Although I've eaten here a few times, it's always been like Pigsy eating ginseng fruit. Only now do I realize that these dishes have such a long history."

He pushed the menu back and smiled:
"Master Fan, as I said before, you are an expert. Today you are a distinguished guest, so please have some."

Seeing that Cao Weida wasn't going to be polite, Master Fan nodded with a hearty laugh and said, "Then I'll take the liberty of asking, waiter, which of these famous dishes on your menu are still available?"

Things are different now. In today's Beiping, the supply of goods is tight. Raw materials such as grain, meat, and seafood are strictly controlled and transportation is hindered. As a result, these historically significant restaurants have also experienced shortages and reductions in the quantity of raw materials, or even a decline in quality.

Even locally available ingredients, such as chicken, duck, pork, and seasonal vegetables, are still in continuous supply, but the selection and quantity are not as good as before.

The waiter smiled politely and gently, “Master Fan, please rest assured. We really can’t guarantee the same for other guests, but Master Cao’s place has all the dishes on the menu. You can order with confidence.”

Cao Wei Da Ke came here to eat more than once, and even brought Japanese officers here to eat more than once.

In order to be able to eat the food they want anytime, anywhere, Dongxinglou has always been able to purchase controlled supplies in small quantities, and can continue to purchase more when they run out.

Although the quantity is not large each time, there is never any worry about supply disruptions.

Although they felt some contempt for Cao Weida working for the Japanese, they had to admit that with Cao Weida's help, not only Dongxinglou, but all the places under Cao Weida's jurisdiction were much better controlled than other places. The people still held Cao Weida in high regard.

Upon hearing this, Master Fan was even happier, and he became more determined about his plans.

"Alright, let's have four dishes and a soup then: braised sea cucumber with scallions, braised pork intestines, diced chicken with juicy filling, and a special dish, chicken slices with egg white filling. For the soup, let's have clear broth with bird's nest."

Cao Weida smiled and nodded, not acting like a nouveau riche and insisting on ordering a few more items. "Okay, that's all for now. Order more if you need more."

Soon, the dishes were served one by one, and the room, which was neither too small nor too big, was filled with a delicious aroma that made one's mouth water.

At any time, it is always the common people who suffer and are poor, while the rich and powerful continue to eat and drink well and live a life of luxury, even in occupied areas.

There are still countless people who are starving and freezing. This table of food, if converted into grain, could be enough to put out a fire for dozens of people. But in high society, it is just a simple meal.

Cao Wei Da didn't feel guilty at all; he wasn't a saint, much less a hypocrite.

He was never lacking in kindness when he needed to, but he also never showed any remorse when he should have enjoyed life.

It had been a long time since he had eaten such good food. Master Fan ate with gusto, his belly bulging, but he maintained his composure perfectly.

Mo He was already drooling when the dishes were served. She had never even heard of or seen these things before, let alone eaten them.
Seeing that she hesitated to eat, Cao Weida couldn't stand it anymore and took the initiative to put a piece of chicken on her plate. Mo He blushed and said "thank you" before shyly lowering her head to eat.

Cao Weida ate and watched with great interest. Mo He was different from the character in the TV series, but there were some similarities.

Looking at her, he couldn't help but think of the actress who played Mu Guiying. She was truly heroic and valiant. When he watched the TV series, he was deeply attracted by Mu Guiying.

Although Mo He at this time did not have the imposing heroic spirit of Mu Guiying, the tenacity and stubbornness revealed in her bones, as well as her shrewish personality, had a unique charm.

Feeling Cao Weida's burning gaze, Mo He became even more shy, her head almost touching the bowl. She was flustered and her heart was burning. She wanted to glare at him reproachfully, but she was too shy to turn her head.

Master Fan, who was standing to the side, watched all of this, and a smile gradually appeared in his eyes.

Having lived together for so long, how could he not know what kind of person his sister was? It was obvious that she had taken a liking to Cao Weida.

It's no wonder, though. Cao Wei Da was good-looking, had a good personality, was generous and reasonable, and had saved his sister twice. It would be strange if he didn't feel anything for her.

He looked around, and an idiom popped into his mind: a perfect match.
Thinking of this, the smile in his eyes deepened.

(End of this chapter)