At 6 p.m., the open space not far from the village entrance was already filled with tables and open-air stoves. More than 30 chefs, all well-known in the area, had been specially invited to host the banquet. These chefs had to be booked in advance with a price agreed upon. The chefs brought their own ingredients, and those with money could eat better food, while those without money could eat cheaper food.
The standard price for a table in Shenjia Village is 800 yuan.
There are 18 dishes in total.
Salted chicken, poached chicken, cashew shrimp, baby lobster, imitation crab, braised pork belly with preserved mustard greens, roast duck, char siu, braised lotus root, baby abalone, sweet soup, mushroom head, sour soup, mushroom and bok choy, blanched romaine lettuce, stir-fried bean sprouts, pig's ears, and finally, a steamed grouper.
The village was already brightly decorated with lanterns and colorful decorations, with large red lanterns hanging high and firecrackers and fireworks exploding in the distance.
One by one, all the villagers arrived.
Two packs of cigarettes were on the table; the locals preferred Double Happiness.
The beverage choice is naturally Coca-Cola. Although their own Shili Xiang milk tea is also decent, it requires hot water to brew, and given Guangdong's year-round spring-like climate, milk tea sales have never been particularly good here. Most people prefer cold drinks, with iced cola being the most common.
As for the drinks, naturally it's Yubing Shao (玉冰烧).
Yubing Shao is different from other baijiu. It has a slightly lower alcohol content of 28 degrees and a slightly sweet taste. It is a popular drink among people in eastern Guangdong, often enjoyed during morning tea, late-night snacks, and banquets.
Candy, melon seeds, nuts, and snacks were laid out on the table. Villagers of all ages gathered together, chatting and gossiping.
The main points were roughly how much money everyone would receive this year, which of Shen Fang's several young wives was the prettiest, and some everyday family matters in the village.
The Shen family split into two groups. Shen Fang and his father went to the main table, while Liu Yue'e, along with Liu Qianqian, Fan Xiaopang, and others, went to another table.
At 7 p.m., firecrackers and fireworks were set off, and dazzling fireworks bloomed in the already darkening night sky. The festive atmosphere of the New Year became even stronger throughout the village.
Shen Fang stood up, and Shen Xiaofeng even gave him a microphone.
"Dear fellow villagers, it's time for our annual profit-sharing meeting again. This year, our joint brand Liangpin Shop under Shenjia Village has a net profit of 470 million yuan, and our newly established brand Shili Xiang Milk Tea has also sold nearly 100 million yuan worth of products. It's been a very fruitful year. Everyone here will receive a substantial dividend this year, so let's give them a round of applause."
The villagers began to applaud.
Shen Fang picked up the list that Shen Xiaofeng had handed him.
"This year, our village has had quite a few newborns, a total of 48, 30 boys and 18 girls. The list has been compiled, and starting next year they will all enjoy the dividends from Shenjia Village. In addition, there are 32 newlywed couples who married into our village this year and will also enjoy the dividends from Shenjia Village."
The applause from the audience was continuous.
Finally, in accordance with the rules originally set by Chen Fang, 60% of the profits were distributed as dividends, and the remaining 40% was used for the capital chain.
Dividends were distributed according to the shares agreed upon at the time of investment. The total dividends amounted to nearly 300 million yuan. With a population of less than 800 in Shenjia Village, this meant an average of over 370,000 yuan per person.
"Tomorrow, the company accountant will go with my eldest uncle, second uncle, and third uncle to distribute dividends to everyone. I wish everyone a prosperous New Year. Finally, I wish our Shenjia Village all the best. May the village become more and more prosperous. Let's raise our glasses."
The villagers, their faces beaming with smiles, raised their cups high.
Drink to your heart's content, and the banquet begins.
Looking at the steaming, fragrant dishes on the banquet table, Liu Qianqian swallowed hard. Don't think that rural banquets are inferior; these are all good things. Moreover, rural chefs are all about skill, while restaurant chefs in the city are not as skilled as those in the countryside.
In big cities, the pace of life is fast, and even eating requires speed.
Business banquets are all about making them look nice and having beautiful plating. As long as the taste is acceptable, that's fine. It's not like you're there to eat. Most of the time, it's about drinking and building relationships. After a few drinks, people are already dizzy. If you're asked to eat something, how much can you actually eat?
But rural banquets are different. If your cooking skills are sluggish, the villagers will find your food unpalatable and won't invite you again. But if you cook well, everyone has something to do, and they'll think of you whenever they have a banquet, so business will naturally come. The chefs that Shenjia Village has hired today are basically the same old chefs who have contracted all the village's banquets.
The taste is undoubtedly superb, with a rich and complex flavor profile and a strong aroma.
Liu Qianqian tasted a bite of char siu pork and felt an overwhelming sense of happiness.
Liu Yue'e picked up a piece of braised pork belly with preserved mustard greens. Authentic braised pork belly with preserved mustard greens is not all fat, but half fat and half lean, with alternating layers of fat and lean meat. With the addition of preserved mustard greens and seasonings, it is steamed, and one bite is rich but not greasy.
"Xixi, Xiaoli, Xiaopang, Linlin, Xiaomei, you guys try this. This is Chef Liu's specialty. I've eaten at many restaurants, but none of them can compare to Chef Liu's. The taste is absolutely amazing."
Little Fatty was a little resistant when she saw the large chunks of fatty meat. She didn't eat fatty meat, and Liu Xiaoli was also not very accepting of it. Gwei Lun-mei and Jay Chou also couldn't eat fatty meat very well.
Liu Yue'e took a delicious bite, the aroma hitting her head and her taste buds exploding. She took another bite, while Shen Kun, standing next to her, didn't hold back at all, grabbing five pieces of braised pork belly with his chopsticks and stuffing them into his mouth, the juices splashing out.
Chen Qin rolled her eyes. "Didn't I tell you to lose weight? You're eating big chunks of fat with each bite. Ugh, never mind, our son's finally back for the New Year."
Liu Qianqian watched Liu Yue'e, Shen Kun, and the others eating with relish, then looked at the few remaining pieces of braised pork and made up her mind to try some.
Liu Xiaoli, who was standing to the side, watched her daughter pick up a big piece of fatty meat with her chopsticks and was about to put it in her mouth, and she wanted to stop her.
“Sissi..…”
Before she could even open her mouth, Liu Qianqian took a big bite and started chewing. The overwhelming aroma made her feel quite excited.
"Wow, this is so delicious!"
Chen Huilin nodded in agreement: "It really is delicious, so flavorful. I never expected that the chefs in the countryside would be so good at cooking. It smells amazing."
Seeing Liu Qianqian enjoying her meal, Liu Yue'e kept serving her food with her chopsticks, and of course, she didn't forget to greet Fan Xiaopang, Chen Huilin, Gui Lunmei, and the others as well.
At the main table, Chen Fang had already downed four bottles of wine and was feeling quite comfortable. He was feeling warm and casually hung his suit jacket on a tree branch not far away. This suit cost him 170,000 yuan.
He took out the cigarettes he wanted to offer to the uncles, grandfathers, and other relatives in the village who were sitting there.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
