Tempting to find a vacant room, I went to great lengths to book a private room.
All the emotions are left behind last night, and the aroma of coffee is a new beginning.
The shop was empty all morning, with coffee and breakfast either ordered for takeout or packed away. Ke Yike and the other two gathered behind the bar, chattering, which piqued Xue Jiuyue's curiosity.
"What are you looking at?"
"Ahem... Sister Yue, this restaurant called 'Gan' has been very popular lately. We read a report about it in the newspaper."
"What's the difference?" Xue Jiuyue was also interested that a restaurant was actually reported in the newspaper.
Zhou Ying's sweet voice, like a host, reported: "This is a village-run restaurant specializing in purely organic and green cuisine. All the ingredients for the restaurant's dishes are grown in the village itself. The growing process can be viewed live by all netizens through cameras, and the videos are archived on the blockchain to ensure the absence of pesticides and chemical fertilizers. They also focus on integrated catering and tourism services. They have transformed the village's farmland into a scenic spot, open to the public free of charge for viewing and tourism, and also offer value-added services such as picking and accommodation, which both generates income and provides supervision. All visitors receive discounts on meals."
"So it's a high-end farm stay? Do we have to go to the suburbs to have a meal?" Xue Jiuyue was a little hesitant.
"No, Sister Yue, this 'Chan' is located in the city center, but the dishes are originally produced in the suburbs." While explaining, Ke Yike looked at Xue Jiuyue with anticipation.
Xue Jiuyue was also very understanding. "Call and locate the location. Let's have dinner together today."
"Okay, the old rules, five of us, right?" Ke Yike said happily as he went to the back to make a phone call.
Soon, he returned with his delicate face drooping. "The private rooms are fully booked until next month. If you want to dine in, you have to go get a number and queue up after noon."
"Yiyi, go make another phone call and ask." Xue Jiuyue said to Lin Yiyi.
"OK."
After a while, Lin Yiyi came back. She shrugged at Ke Yike and spread her hands. Ke Yike's disappointment almost fell from his face.
"Why don't we book a private room for next month first, what do you think, Sister Yue?" Zhou Ying asked Xue Jiuyue for her opinion. She knew that Xue Jiuyue didn't like the crowded and noisy atmosphere of dining in the restaurant.
"Well, it's up to you. Let's find a place to have dinner today. You decide the specific place. It's been a while since we had fun together."
"yeah!"
Ke Yike’s happiness is so simple!
Qian Jianjun, who doesn't go home, has more social engagements. These days, taking a short nap at "Inch of Time" during the day has become almost as essential as sleeping.
But today he was very hesitant and didn't know how to face Xue Jiuyue, the proprietress with whom he had only spoken once.
"I'll apologize!" Qian Jianjun made up his mind. Even if he never patronized "Inch of Time" again, he still owed Xue Jiuyue an apology.
As soon as I entered the room, I saw the "smiling face" on Xue Jiuyue's desk, and my heart immediately calmed down a lot.
"Hello!"
Qian Jianjun was still a little nervous as he spoke. Although he had seen many ups and downs over the years, this kind of emotional embarrassment was still a first for him.
"Please sit down."
Xue Jiuyue didn't kick him out directly, which was a very positive signal.
Qian Jianjun thanked him, sat down, and apologized directly, "I'm sorry, I came here today mainly to apologize to you. I was so sorry for what I did to you yesterday!"
"It's okay, it's in the past. I don't want to talk about unhappy things anymore." Xue Jiuyue responded indifferently.
Qian Jianjun still felt very guilty. "No, a verbal apology alone is really insincere. Please tell me how I can make up for yesterday's misunderstanding. I accept the punishment."
Xue Jiuyue smiled, her smile as profound as the fragrance of flowers in the dark night, distant and deep. Qian Jianjun couldn't understand it, nor did he dare to guess blindly. He just stared at her, his eyes burning with sincerity from the bottom of his heart.
"It wasn't you who hurt me, it was your wife! So you don't need to apologize. As for compensation, if I say I need her to apologize to me in person, can you do it?" Xue Jiuyue still gave an answer.
Even if Qian Jianjun's life was taken away, he probably couldn't ask Mei Rugu to apologize.
Fortunately, Xue Jiuyue quickly pulled him out of the dilemma of the century. "Don't embarrass you. There's really no need to apologize. I don't need any comments on what I am like. The innocent are innocent! But you, with your family, have a Hedong lion. You need to avoid suspicion when you should."
A few jokes eased the atmosphere. Qian Jianjun nodded and added, "A man of integrity is innocent, and a man of integrity fears no slander! That being said, the misunderstanding was caused by me, so please give me a chance to make amends. Otherwise, I will be ashamed and I must do something to calm my soul."
Xue Jiuyue looked into the man's eyes, which were as bright as stars. His firm and sincere gaze conveyed an irresistible power. She chose to compromise. "Okay, then, tonight at 7 o'clock, there are five of us in the restaurant. We want to have dinner at the 'Chan' restaurant. Please book a private room."
"Okay, you are the greedy one, right? Please wait a moment." Qian Jianjun said and ran to the door.
Qian Jianjun made a phone call outside the store and came back soon.
"I'm so sorry, could you please adjust the time and location? 'Chan' is so popular, the private rooms are already fully booked, and they're booked until next month."
"This is God's will. Let's just let this matter go." Xue Jiuyue smiled again, but this time she felt much more comfortable.
Qian Jianjun understood a lot from her smile. After all, this was the girl that Old Qiu had praised so highly. But he quickly came up with a plan. "How about this? I'll go out and confirm later. If there really aren't any private rooms available, we'll let it go. But if I can book a room at Chan today, will you give me another chance to choose a place and invite you and your friends again?"
"It's a deal." Xue Jiuyue knew the routine of reserving private rooms in most restaurants, but she was also sure that there would be no private room for "Chan" today.
When Qian Jianjun came back again, he was confident.
"It's booked for 7 p.m. I'll pick you five up at 6:30. We can go together. What do you think?"
"Oh? Are you sure?" The other party's full confidence was unquestionable, but the information he obtained was also accurate. Xue Jiuyue was a little puzzled.
"Sure. My name is Qian Jianjun, and I'm familiar with Qiu Nian who often comes to your place." Qian Jianjun introduced himself and extended his hand to shake hands to show that they were formally acquainted.
"Mr. Qian, nice to meet you. I'm Xue Jiuyue." Xue Jiuyue smiled faintly, clasped her fists and saluted Qian Jianjun, then added: "Qiu Nian should be there tonight as well. See you later then."
Qian Jianjun was stunned for a moment, and quickly clasped his fists in return before saying goodbye, "See you later!"
Qian Jianjun left the café immediately, and when he returned, it was already time for tired birds to return to their nests. After Lao Zhou parked the business-class car on the side of the road, the two of them walked into "Inch by Inch of Time" together.
Since the customers had been informed of today's business hours in advance, when it gradually darkened, only Xue Jiuyue and the other three and Qiu Nian, who was not considered a customer, were left in the store.
"Thank you, Mr. Xue, for your kindness. Shall we go?"
"Sister Yue, the courier hasn't arrived yet." Lin Yiyi reminded Xue Jiuyue softly.
Xue Jiuyue pointed to a corner and explained to Qian Jianjun, "I'm sorry, Mr. Qian, please wait a moment. We have selected a batch of books for the children in the mountainous areas. This express must be sent out today. The children are looking forward to it."
"This is a great thing! We must support it!" Qian Jianjun looked at the pile of packed cartons and suggested, "With so many books, it would be difficult for the courier to move them. How about we each carry a little bit, load it into my car, and deliver it directly to the courier?"
Xue Jiuyue thought about it and said, "Thank you, Mr. Qian."
For the following physical labor, the four gentlemen refused to let the lady do anything. Old Zhou, who was in excellent physical condition, took on nearly half of it by himself.
This minor incident didn't derail the trip. It was lunchtime when the group arrived at "Chan." The restaurant is located on Xialin City's most famous dining street. Given the high cost of real estate, the storefront isn't overly large, but its unique, three-story structure is a standalone affair.
Although the online reservation system has been opened, the small courtyard at the entrance is still full of people waiting for a table.
After walking through the crowd and entering the room, Lao Zhou told the guide, "This is the private room that Mr. Qian has reserved." The waiter then took them directly to the third floor by elevator. When they reached a room at the end of the corridor, he stopped, opened the door, and said, "Please come in, everyone. Enjoy your meal."
"General Manager's Office," Xue Jiuyue suddenly realized what was going on when she looked at the sign on the door lintel.
Walking into the room, this original office is about 50 square meters, which is not very big, but it is not easy for this restaurant with simple decoration and specializes in dishes.
In the center of the room stood a round table that could seat twelve. Both the table and chairs were made of expensive solid wood, and likely newly purchased, still exuding a delicate woody fragrance. The office's original bookcase and desk were placed in a corner, as if intended for guests to temporarily handle paperwork. The original sofa was placed against the wall, with a coffee table in front and several chairs across from it, likely used for meetings. This small space could be reserved for guests to enjoy tea and chat before meals.
If the sign hadn't revealed the secret just now, Xue Jiuyue really wouldn't have been able to tell that this room was temporarily moved out. It was obvious that this renovation took a lot of effort and must have cost a lot.
Except for the new members Qian Jianjun and Lao Zhou, Xue Jiuyue and the others all hang out together all day long, so they went straight to the table.
When ordering, another novelty of "Greedy" was revealed. In addition to the menu, over a dozen small dishes were served directly based on the number of people in the room. Each dish was different and numbered. This was the restaurant's current offerings. The system intelligently recommended a portion based on gender and age for guests to sample. Guests then ordered their favorite dishes based on their experience.
Due to cooking techniques, there may be some differences between the tasting dishes and the dishes ordered individually, even if they are the same dish. However, this still allows customers to have the most intuitive experience and choose their favorite dishes. This not only provides a good customer experience but also eliminates waste, which is a win-win situation.
Everyone sampled a little and chose their favorites. But the tasting side dishes were like bait, making everyone even hungrier while also applauding the restaurant's ingenuity.
At the subsequent dinner, even the professional contestant Ke Yike could find no fault with any of the dishes, whether in terms of ingredients or cooking techniques. However, due to the new additions of Qian Jianjun and Lao Zhou, everyone was still a little restrained.
Especially Qian Jianjun's suggestion of drinking was rejected by Xue Jiuyue on the grounds that it would be inconvenient at night with so many girls. Without a communication tool to assist, they could only chat about some bland anecdotes. Fortunately, Qian Jianjun was well versed in this and turned into a joke teller, making witty remarks and drawing rounds of laughter, which made Xue Jiuyue laugh uncontrollably.
Qiu Nian also introduced his impression of "Brother Jun" to everyone, helping Qian Jianjun quickly integrate into their small group. The atmosphere at the dinner was very harmonious, especially for those with smaller goals, who even replaced wine with tea and raised their glasses frequently. It was true that even the "tea" was not intoxicating, but everyone was intoxicated...
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