Chapter 62 Banquet
"Yeah, I get it." She wasn't too worried. Although she didn't know anyone, the people here were very particular about etiquette, especially these wealthy daughters who wouldn't lower themselves in public. So she had nothing to worry about. She could just eat and drink there. If she could get along with someone, that would be great. If not, forget it. As for Bao Ge'er, he would probably take him to the men's room.
"Don't worry, I've already told the general. The general's wife will take care of you in the end."
Seeing how thoughtful he was, she felt even more warm-hearted and said with a smile, "How about asking the tailor to come over tomorrow to make some clothes?" Their clothes were for everyday wear, so it would be better to dress nicer when visiting someone to show that you respect this place.
"Well, just watch over it and let Butler Zhu do it." She seemed very thoughtful, but he didn't want her to be too tired, so he quietly reached out and held her hand.
Feeling the warmth of his hand, she moved closer to him, her face flushing. Gu Chengze also felt the warmth on his arm, and the corners of his mouth curled up slightly.
The next morning, after breakfast, Butler Zhu arrived with Xiuniang. She ushered the embroiderer into the living room. Xiuniang, already well-versed in the craft, pulled out a collection of paintings and let Li Zheng choose. Li Zheng selected several elegant outfits, and also selected a few for Baoger and Gu Chengze. She gave Xiuniang some extra money to encourage her to work harder and finish them quickly. After all, she couldn't just make one set; she'd have to have a spare set if she happened to wear the same outfit as someone else.
After Xiuniang left, Gu Chengze came over, seeming to be hesitant to speak, which also made her laugh. "What's wrong? What's going on?" Usually, there was nothing good at this time.
"Well, I forgot to tell you yesterday that my colleagues will come over for a gathering tonight." There was no way to refuse. When they heard that their fiancées were at home, they all wanted to join in the fun. In addition, Qin Youyou had instigated that his fiancée was a good cook, so these people didn't hesitate to come.
He looked a bit embarrassed. What was going on? Did he think I wouldn't agree? "How many people are coming? I need to see what to prepare." This was the first time he was meeting his colleagues, so he had to prepare well to leave a good impression. Treating well was a skill. While people wouldn't say anything if the hospitality wasn't good, they would still feel that they couldn't come often, so he still had to prepare carefully.
"About seven or eight, all of them can eat. The food intake should be based on ten people."
"Are there any dietary restrictions?"
He thought about it and realized that he really didn't know about this. He couldn't just stare at what others ate every day! "There's nothing to be restricted about. Their tastes are pretty much the same as mine."
Li Zheng understood immediately. These were all soldiers, so it wasn't their decision what to eat. As long as they were full, they didn't care about anything else. "Then I'll prepare hot pot, and add some other delicious dishes. That should be enough." While it's difficult to satisfy everyone, hot pot is a perfect solution.
Gu Chengze's eyes lit up when he heard about hot pot. He hadn't eaten it in a long time. "Okay."
"Okay, go ahead and do your work. I'll go check in the kitchen." This was her first time hosting a banquet. Even though it was a small one, she still had to prepare well. Gu Chengze smiled brightly as he watched him leave. Bao Ge'er, who was passing by, felt a chill in his gut when he saw him. "Brother, what's wrong with you? You look so scary." He touched his arm while speaking.
"Nothing, Bao Ge hasn't practiced well these days, right? Come on, I have nothing to do today, so I'll practice with you." After saying that, he carried Bao Ge'er and left. This kid really deserved to be punished. Bao Fu sighed as he watched from the side and followed him silently.
Li Zheng went to the kitchen and saw Xiao Zi and Chef Wang were there. "Hello, Miss." Xiao Zi was the first to greet, followed by Chef Wang. Li Zheng interrupted their greetings and said, "Don't start yet. The general's colleagues are coming tonight, so we have to prepare some dishes quickly."
Xiao Zi and Chef Wang exchanged a timid glance, feeling somewhat apprehensive. After all, neither of them had any experience hosting a banquet. Li Zheng knew what they were worried about. "Don't worry, just do as I say. Xiao Zi and Chef Wang, you two should chop the beef, chicken, and mutton into meatballs. Make a few extra and set some meat aside to freeze. Then, add the chicken to the pot to make some broth. Let's do it this way for now." She also told the grocer to buy more fresh vegetables. The hot pot base had been stir-fried in advance, but no one in the mansion had eaten it yet, so they didn't know the exact method. Xiao Zi, however, came to her senses and started cooking with Chef Wang.
Afterwards, Li Zheng asked Wan Lei to make some duck products, so that they could eat them with wine or take them back as gifts.
Soon, in the evening, Gu Chengze's colleagues arrived, each carrying a few small gifts. Li Zheng and Bao Ge'er also came out to meet the crowd. Everyone praised Gu Chengze, saying that he was blessed and that his ancestors had accumulated good fortune. Seeing that it was about time, she went downstairs and asked the maids to come and serve the dishes.
Qin You watched Li Zheng go down, then went over and poked it, "If the meal tonight is not delicious, I won't leave." This man had previously left all his official duties to see his fiancée. If he couldn't make it up to him, humph! Just wait and see.
"Hey, Qin You, you can't say that. Chengze is just here to see you. Don't be so stingy." They all knew that Gu Chengze was going to get married and his fiancée had already arrived.
"Oh, it seems that you are not the ones who handle official business. You are all standing there without any back pain." Tsk, you just want to bully him! Who made him have low martial arts skills?
Everyone burst into laughter after hearing this. It was at this moment that the maids came out with the dishes. Gu Chengze's colleagues also fell silent, watching the dishes being brought out, their jaws dropped. Wasn't it just a casual meal? How could it be so sumptuous?
After the maids left, someone couldn't help but ask, "Chengze, what kind of dish is this? Why haven't I seen it before?" Everyone nodded. The dish looked raw, right? How could it be eaten? And the pot in the middle was broken in half. What happened?
Gu Chengze stood up and introduced them, "This dish is called hot pot, but today's pot is called a shuangyang pot, half spicy and half not spicy, everyone can eat according to their own taste. These dishes are put in after the pot boils and cooked, and then you can eat them yourself. You don't have to worry about them getting cold while the fire is burning. This is duck food, which is a braised dish made with duck. Eat some first while the pot boils."
"I see. I thought it was meant to be eaten raw. This is the first time I've seen it eaten this way. It's quite unusual."
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