Chapter 177: Showing off at the wine table
After coming out of Mr. Chen's office and taking a good nap, around 5:30, the phone on the bedside table rang.
Yifan asked, "Is your phone out of battery?"
I took my phone and saw that it was indeed out of battery, so I asked, "What's wrong?"
"Xiao Ma called and said Mr. Chen wants you to have dinner at Fenghua Hall on the fifth floor at six o'clock."
"Okay, go home."
"I seem to be fine every day, and I feel a little flustered."
"Things will happen slowly, don't worry."
I put down the phone, washed up, turned on my computer, sorted out today's lecture, and wrote an outline. I stood up and stretched, and just in case, I took the colorless powder with me and went down to the fifth floor.
The waiter didn't recognize me and asked, "Sir, what is your reservation?"
"Fenghua Hall."
She smiled. She extended her hand and said, "This way please." Then she led the way. When they reached the door, she bowed and extended her hand and said, "Come in."
There were six or seven people sitting inside. Mr. Chen saw me, stood up and waved. I walked over and a man in his forties stood up.
Mr. Chen introduced: "Bai Yun, a famous writer, has written many TV series, such as "Wulin Biography" and "Young Heroes".
When I looked at Bai Yun, I saw that he had a flat head, bulging eyes, buck teeth, and was short. I thought to myself, those wonderful TV series were actually created by him. What a huge contrast.
I clasped my hands together and said, "I've admired you for a long time. I'm your fan."
He also clasped his fists and said, "Hello, Master! Mr. Chen just introduced you, and I've been looking forward to meeting you sooner. I thought you'd have a long flowing beard, but I didn't expect you to have a fair face and no beard, and look so young."
"Have a seat," Mr. Chen said, pressing his hand downwards. "Mr. Bai has been my friend for many years. He called me a few days ago and said he wanted to stay with me for two months to concentrate on writing a war drama called 'The Taoist Priest Goes Down the Mountain.' I said, 'That's perfect. I have someone here who can be your Taoist consultant.'"
Bai Yun took over the conversation: "This can only mean that we are destined to be together."
While chatting with them, I looked at the other people. Some of them were company executives, and there were two people I didn't know.
At this time, a woman with a graceful figure, graceful steps, willow eyebrows and phoenix eyes came over and whispered a few words to Mr. Chen. Mr. Chen stood up and extended his hand, saying, "Please take your seat."
The waiter had already moved the chairs and invited everyone to take their seats. Mr. Chen insisted that Mr. Bai take the main seat, but Mr. Bai refused. After Mr. Chen's repeated persuasion, he finally took his seat.
Mr. Chen and I sat on Bai Yun's left and right. The three guests of honor were seated, and everyone else took their seats.
Mr. Chen said, "You all don't know each other yet, so I will only introduce two of you." He introduced Bai Yun first because the biography he wrote was well-known to everyone, young and old, and received the loudest applause.
Then I was introduced as the new cultural consultant, and the applause dropped significantly.
Mr. Chen said, "Now, please come forward one by one and introduce yourselves."
Some were project managers, some were friends of Mr. Chen, and two were childhood friends of Mr. Chen. Finally, the woman with willow-shaped eyebrows and phoenix eyes stood up and said, "My name is Zhang Qingruo, key account manager."
Mr. Chen wiped his face with a white towel and said with a smile, "Teacher Baiyun's is a pen name. Zhang Qingruo, yours is not a pen name, right?"
Zhang Qingruo smiled and said, "What do you think?"
Mr. Chen glanced at me and said, "For cultural matters, we'd better ask the cultural consultant to answer them. Teacher Wan, what do you think?"
When he called me Teacher Wan, everyone except Bai Yun was puzzled. They were all just ordinary people in the scene. But they immediately understood that although I worked under Mr. Chen, I was respected by him, and they all looked at me with smiles.
I smiled and said, "I need to ask Teacher Bai about this."
Bai Yun shook his head repeatedly: "Teacher Wan, tell me."
I asked, "Who gave you this name?"
She said, "My grandfather."
I smiled and said, "Her grandfather is a learned man."
Everyone was shocked, especially Mr. Chen, who was very surprised: "I don't even know her situation, and you know her situation?"
Zhang Qingruo smiled slightly.
I said, "Not many people would choose a name like this, especially the character '箬', which many people don't recognize. However, her grandfather hoped that she would be as cultured as her ancestor Zhang Zhihe."
I'm keeping you in suspense on purpose, so I won't say any more here.
Even the writer Bai asked, "Who is Zhang Zhihe?"
Zhang Qingruo still smiled. I said, "Manager Zhang knows. Let her tell me."
She said calmly, "My ancestor Zhang Zhihe wrote a poem that's in the textbooks. I'll recite it: 'White egrets fly in front of Xisai Mountain, peach blossoms flow in the water and mandarin fish are fat. Green bamboo hat, green raincoat, slanting wind and drizzle, no need to return home.'"
Bai Yun clapped his hands and said, "Teacher Wan is really knowledgeable and can recite the poem. I just don't know who wrote it." Everyone was whispering to each other, probably saying that this cultural consultant was really cultured.
Mr. Chen laughed and said, "You see, once the cultural consultant arrived, Rising Sun Culture was discovered. Every name has a history." Then he said to the waiter who had been standing nearby, not daring to interrupt our conversation, "Pour some wine."
During the meal, of course, there was a flurry of toasts. Mr. Chen, Writer Bai, and I were the main recipients of the toasts. Everyone drank with great enthusiasm. Only Mr. Chen's two childhood friends, evidently unworldly, were a bit reserved and not very good at drinking. They kept covering their cups as the waiter poured them.
Mr. Chen waved, and I walked over. He whispered, "Two childhood friends, give me some of that and make me proud."
I nodded.
Mr. Chen said, "Teacher Li and Teacher Wang, it's okay not to drink alcohol, but it's not okay to just drink milk. Go back and drink the milk with your wives. How about some champagne?"
This order left the waiter dumbfounded. Champagne was a popular drink in the past. The hotel had everything except champagne.
They were in a panic, and then someone went out. The foreman came in, looking panicked, and whispered in Mr. Chen's ear that there was really no champagne.
Mr. Chen said, "Then take a few bottles of mineral water."
Everyone thought it was a joke. Who hasn't tried mineral water? Teachers Li and Wang also looked embarrassed. Thinking that Mr. Chen was dissatisfied with them, they hurriedly said, "Drink, drink."
The waiter brought a few bottles of mineral water and placed them in front of them. I walked over and said, "Teacher Bai and I are both fake teachers. You two are the real teachers worthy of admiration. Bring me some clean glasses. I'll pour champagne for the teachers."
Except for Mr. Chen, everyone else thought I was talking nonsense. The waiter was quick and brought four glasses.
I unscrewed the lid, poured out three glasses, and said, "Come, let me toast the teachers with a glass of champagne."
The two hesitated, and I drank it in one gulp. They tried to drink it, and after taking a sip, they both stared at me. The others understood what was going on and shouted, "I want to drink too, I want to drink too."
The waiter brought more glasses, I poured water calmly, and everyone drank it with smacking lips.
Mr. Chen feigned anger at the stunned waiter, saying, "Why is there no champagne?"
Several waiters covered their mouths and laughed secretly.
At this moment, I became the center of attention and everyone asked me how I did it.
I laughed and said, "It's just a little magic trick, nothing to be surprised about."
Bai Yun asked curiously, "Teacher Wan, can you turn this glass of wine into champagne?"
"No, but it can be turned into mineral water."
The crowd was in disarray. Some stood up, others came over to see what was going on. Manager Zhang, in particular, came incredibly close, his body almost touching my back.
She stretched her neck, and the faint fragrance and the hot air she exhaled blew on my neck, which made my hormones rise instantly.
I picked up the bottle, filled Bai Yun's glass, and said, "Teacher Bai, I'll finish it with you."
He took a tentative sip, then finished it in one gulp, staring at me in confusion.
Mr. Chen waved his hand and said, "Sit tight, sit tight. Teacher Wan said this is magic, so don't go around saying it's some special ability. It's just fun, fun. Teachers Li and Wang don't drink, so we'll just listen to them and not drink. Let's all raise our glasses and have a grand reunion."
After drinking, everyone ate, though they were all quite full. They had some snacks and some fruit. Mr. Chen asked Zhang Qingruo to arrange accommodation for his childhood friend, and the others dispersed.
Mr. Chen said, "Teacher Bai, you and Teacher Wan can stay on the same floor. Someone will arrange accommodation for you upstairs. I have something to do, so I won't accompany you."
Baiyun and I walked and talked as we went up to the 17th floor.
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