Near Chongwenmen in Beijing.
There is a private restaurant here called "Chengfu Banquet", which is the best place to experience state banquets besides Diaoyutai State Guesthouse, and is also one of the four major private restaurants in Beijing.
Su Zhengnan arrived here by car with his teacher and others, and then went straight inside.
As soon as they entered, a woman in a blue cheongsam with a gentle and beautiful appearance greeted them with a warm smile and bowed slightly to Elder Gu and the others:
"Hello, Mr. Gu, Mr. Zhong, is it the usual way you all are?"
"Okay, the usual!"
Gu Fangzhou nodded.
Clearly, Mr. Gu and his group were very familiar with this private restaurant and must have been eating there frequently.
"Please come with me, gentlemen, and I'll have them serve the dishes."
The woman smiled and gestured for them to proceed, then turned and led the group upstairs, with several female waitresses, also dressed in cheongsams, following closely behind.
Soon, the group arrived at a private room upstairs.
The private room had an antique feel, with several exquisite landscape paintings and calligraphy works hanging on the walls. The tables and chairs were made of fine mahogany with intricate carvings, creating a very artistic atmosphere.
"Okay, everyone, please sit down!"
Old Gu greeted Old Zhong and the others with a smile, and then they all sat down.
This was Su Zhengnan's first time at such a high-end private restaurant, and it seemed to be a state banquet, so he was curious about everything.
Seeing Su Zhengnan's curious look, the elders and others all showed doting smiles, like grandfathers looking at their grandsons, which made Su Zhengnan quickly sit up straight and stop looking around.
With a creak!
Soon, the door to the private room was pushed open again.
A group of waitresses dressed in cheongsams, with graceful figures and beautiful faces, each carrying an exquisite dish, walked in with elegant steps.
These dishes look and smell delicious, making them mouthwatering. They are not only a treat for the taste buds but also a feast for the eyes.
Each dish is like a work of art, with vibrant colors and exquisite presentation.
A total of thirteen dishes were served, following the etiquette of a state banquet, consisting of four dried fruits, four side dishes, four fresh fruits, plus a signature dish.
It must be said, this state banquet truly lived up to its name.
"Chengfu Banquet" truly lives up to its reputation as the private restaurant that offers the best experience of state banquets, second only to the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse. Every dish here is incredibly expensive, and the menu, with prices exceeding two thousand yuan per dish, is not publicly available.
After all the dishes were served, Gu Fangzhou picked up his chopsticks and greeted the guests with a smile:
"Alright, all the dishes are served, everyone, let's eat!"
"Eat, eat, eat! Let's chat while we eat, otherwise the food won't taste good when it gets cold."
Zhong Lao and the others smiled and agreed, then picked up their chopsticks and began to eat.
Seeing this, Su Zhengnan picked up a piece of fish with his chopsticks and put it in his mouth.
In an instant, a delicious flavor spread in his mouth, and he couldn't help but exclaim, "Delicious!"
Everyone else laughed when they saw his reaction.
Old Gu said with a smile, "Every dish here has its own unique flavor. Although the portions are small, it's enough for us old folks."
Everyone chatted and laughed as they ate their meal.
Most of the time, it was Old Gu and Old Zhong who were talking, while Su Zhengnan sat to the side as his mascot, nodding and agreeing from time to time.
The reason Gu Fangzhou suddenly suggested having dinner was mainly to let Su Zhengnan get acquainted with Elder Zhong and the others.
After all, he's getting old now, and he'll probably have less and less time to go out in the future.
The elders, such as Zhong, Ye, and Song, were about twenty or thirty years younger than Gu Fangzhou, and were only in their fifties or sixties, which is the peak age for traditional Chinese medicine practitioners.
There's no need to mention Professor Zhong; he's a medical university professor and an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering. Although his medical theories are mainly based on Western medicine, his knowledge of traditional Chinese medicine is also quite good.
Master Ye, whose full name is Ye Guangrong, is the president of the Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine Culture and a member of the Expert Committee of the State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine. Although his medical skills are not as good as Master Gu's, he can still be considered a contemporary master of traditional Chinese medicine.
Professor Song was slightly weaker, but his teacher was one of the founders of pathology in China.
Therefore, Professor Song's status in the Chinese medicine community is also quite high.
Gu Fangzhou invited them to dinner mainly because he wanted them to take care of his close disciple in the future. To put it bluntly, he wanted to build a network of connections for Su Zhengnan.
As for the other five disciples, he naturally didn't need to worry about them.
Su Zhengnan understood his teacher's meaning, so he kept toasting Zhong Lao and the others during the meal, and he basically didn't stop.
Soon, after several rounds of drinks and several dishes, the meal was finished.
Su Zhengnan and Zhong Lao and others got along very well.
After all, his medical skills were quite good, even surpassing those of Elder Zhong and others, so his views were naturally refreshing to Elder Zhong and the others.
Even more so, towards the end of the conversation, Zhong Lao and the others couldn't help but widen their eyes, completely impressed by Su Zhengnan's theories of traditional Chinese medicine.
"Incredible, Master Gu! Your apprentice's medical skills have probably surpassed those of us old folks."
Old Song stared wide-eyed, and couldn't help but sigh.
Gu Fangzhou smiled and said, "Xiao Song, you flatter me. Medicine is a lifelong learning process. Even if his current medical theory seems more proficient than the rest of you, it doesn't mean he's proficient in clinical practice. There's still a lot he needs to learn!"
"Isn't this what you call mastery?"
Old Song was speechless. None of them knew Su Zhengnan's microcosmic orbit acupuncture technique.
If this is considered a lack of clinical expertise...
Does that mean we're not even considered beginners?
Su Zhengnan quickly stood up, raised his wine glass with a humble expression, and said:
"You flatter me, teachers. Actually, there is still a lot I need to learn. What you said is correct. I still need to learn more from you."
Upon hearing this, Elder Zhong couldn't help but laugh and joke, "It's good for young people to be humble, but excessive humility is just arrogance!"
Su Zhengnan smiled without saying a word, but simply tilted his head back and drank the wine in his hand in one gulp.
In fact, he was the only one drinking alcohol at the dinner; everyone else, including Old Master Gu, was drinking tea.
The meal took about an hour.
Just then, Old Gu's phone rang, so everyone left with smiles on their faces.
Given Mr. Gu's status, he naturally doesn't need to pay the bill; he can simply sign the form.
Although "Chengfu Banquet" is a private restaurant.
However, as the premier private restaurant for state banquets in Beijing, when Elder Gu and his entourage came here to eat, others naturally helped them pay the bill, so they didn't need to worry about it at all.
After leaving the restaurant, Su Zhengnan got into the car with his teacher.
Old Gu glanced at him and said, "Try to keep in touch with these people more often in the future; it will help you in your future endeavors."
"Yes, teacher, I will."
Su Zhengnan couldn't refuse his teacher's good intentions, so he could only nod in agreement.
In fact, he has a system with cheat codes at his fingertips, so even without relying on anyone, he can still become the top TCM master in the country.
However, such things as having a cheat code are naturally not something that outsiders can talk about.
Even one's own teacher is not allowed.
Gu Fangzhou nodded and said, "Let's go then. I'll have Xiao Chen take you home first. I need to go back to the hospital to check on Lao Zhang."
Although Old Gu had become indifferent to life and death, he still couldn't help but worry about his old friends.
Afterwards, driver Xiao Chen drove Old Gu to the military hospital they had visited before, and then took Su Zhengnan back.
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