Chapter 189 Talking at Cross purposes
The first New Year's Eve dinner after transmigrating wasn't prepared by the kitchen with too many delicacies. It consisted mainly of traditional dishes that are essential for the New Year in northern China. They weren't fancy, but the ingredients were fresh, the presentation was good, and the festive atmosphere was strong.
There are no strict rules about pairing this traditional dish with alcohol; you can drink whatever you like and change the wine whenever you want. Therefore, no wine was served on the table.
Zhou Pingchuan and Xia Mian sat facing each other at opposite ends of the dining table. Zhou Pingchuan asked him, "Would you like a little something to drink?"
After the previous few times, Xia Mian gained a new understanding of this body's alcohol tolerance, realizing she was a weakling. But on such a festive day, it just felt like something was missing if she didn't drink.
"For the rice wine, choose a low alcohol content and heat it up a little. Once it's heated up..." Xia Mian glanced at Zhou Pingchuan.
Zhou Pingchuan nodded, indicating that he could make the decision himself.
"You all go and eat too, you don't need to stand around serving the food anymore," Xia Mian said, turning to the servants.
Those who stayed on duty during the Spring Festival will be paid triple wages according to labor law by the Zhou family. Before and after the bell rings in the evening, Uncle Li will also give red envelopes to all the workers who have worked hard all year. In short, this extra shift is worthwhile.
Xia Mian always complains that Zhou Pingchuan is a capitalist and an exploiter. In fact, Zhou Pingchuan never exploits the lowest-level laborers who earn money through physical labor. He just wants to enjoy the wisdom and creativity of his employees at a low cost, that's all.
However, Zhou Pingchuan was somewhat surprised that this spoiled child, who needed to be waited on in everything, could do this. He instructed Uncle Li, "Listen to Mr. Xia."
"Thank you, Mr. Xia, thank you, Mr. Zhou," the maid said happily.
Ten minutes later, hot rice wine was served. The rest of the people were arranged by Uncle Li to rest, play, and eat in the nanny's room, leaving only the two hosts in the restaurant.
Influenced by his family upbringing, Zhou Pingchuan adhered to the principle of "not speaking while eating or sleeping," and rarely spoke during meals except when discussing serious matters.
His eating manners were quite refined and pleasing to the eye, but even the most beautiful dishes become boring after a while. Xia Mian simply opened her phone and scrolled through her WeChat Moments while eating, watching the annual must-do—posting pictures of New Year's Eve dinners.
As an artist, I come into contact with a lot of people from all over the country. Customs vary from place to place, the time of eating New Year's Eve dinner is different, and the dishes are also different.
For example, Chang Yi, a native of Nangang, had seafood dishes on the table that looked incredibly fresh. Zhang Yuno's family ate their New Year's Eve dinner late at night, only starting after Shen's birthday celebration. Gao Yifeng's child was abroad, and only the elderly couple lived at home. They weren't too concerned with formalities, so they prepared some snacks they liked to go with drinks, such as braised dishes and cold salads.
Summer is scrolling through the pages, admiring the tempting dishes, when she finally finds a unique post.
Ningning: [Looking forward to tomorrow, looking forward to creating a new beginning with you [image]]
The accompanying picture shows a background filled with gifts and flowers, two hands intertwined, and couple rings on their middle fingers sparkling brightly.
Holy crap!
What's going on?
Xia Mian quickly opened her chat window with Xu Ning: [Who is that guy?]
Although these two hands are well-maintained, judging from the size of the palms and the veins and bones, it can be determined that they belong to two men.
Xu Ning was eating. His family wasn't as strict as some large families; he could use his phone while eating, especially since Xia was looking for him. Xu Ning replied instantly: 【Don't worry, darling, it's not Liu Er. It's someone my dad introduced me to again, hehe】
summer: [Which company is it? Is it reliable?]
Ningning: [The Zhao family, they're into traditional Chinese culture, you probably haven't heard of them. He's practical, not as romantic as the Liu family, but that's exactly the type I need.]
"Have you heard of the Zhao family in the capital, who specialize in traditional Chinese studies?" Xia Mian asked Zhou Pingchuan, looking up at him.
Zhou Pingchuan recalled for a moment: "I've heard of him. Old Master Zhao was a master of Chinese studies. He made contributions in the early days of the People's Republic of China and held a very high position."
Xia Mian understood. As a newly wealthy family, the Xu family had grown too rapidly and their foundation was unstable. They needed a help to establish themselves in the capital. They originally wanted to choose the Liu family, but Liu Er was too incompetent, so they settled for a low-profile politician. It must be said that Xu Ning's father had a very clear mind.
Xia Mian breathed a sigh of relief: "If you have feelings for each other, date them properly, but don't forget your career."
He was really afraid that Xu Ning would fall into love-struck mode again.
Ningning: [I know, I know, I really like him, we'll definitely date properly. He likes me too, look at my WeChat Moments photos, they're all New Year's gifts he gave me! [Images][Images][Images]]
Xu Ning sent over a bunch of pictures, scarves, accessories, bags, each one carefully photographed with the right lighting and angles.
Being obsessed with love is like a terminal illness; it's hard to cure. Xia Mian sighed, followed by a strange surge of emotion.
Lunar New Year's Eve, the most important festival for Chinese people, is a time when couples should give each other gifts to reward their partner for a year of hard work.
He also prepared gifts and red envelopes for Zhou Pingchuan.
I don't know Zhou Pingchuan either...
Forget it, I don't want to think about it anymore. I'll just continue eating.
There were other people at Xu Ning's house, so Xia Mian felt embarrassed to keep chatting with him. After looking at his WeChat Moments, he opened Weibo and shared the photos of his New Year's Eve dinner that he had taken in advance with "Cotton." He had been busy filming lately and hadn't interacted with his lovely fans for a long time.
Fans love seeing their idols share their daily lives. These posts weave together the little things in their idols' lives, transforming them into scenes that bring the idols to life. They become like upperclassmen, neighbors you don't know but greet each other every morning and evening, office workers next door whose names you don't know, and ordinary people who participate in life. They are no longer castles in the air, so unreachable.
"Cotton" also loves watching the daily life of summer hibernation. During the holidays, students and office workers are very free, and the comment section instantly becomes lively:
[The chef at Mianmian's family is clearly very skilled; look at that wasabi flower carving—it could be displayed as a decorative piece on the cabinet!]
[There are only two sets of bowls and chopsticks on the table. Looks like Mianmian spent the New Year alone with Jay Chou. Aren't you guys bored? Send me your address privately, I'll come over and play mahjong with you. I promise I'll only touch the mahjong tiles, not Mianmian.]
Newlyweds really do feel different; I love being with you both. Wishing you a happy and healthy New Year in advance!
[Suddenly remembered the huge bouquet of roses and the treasure hunt game from last time. I wonder what Jay Chou gave us for Chinese New Year. How about we do a live stream to see it? Hahahaha...]
Upon seeing this, Xia Mian gripped her phone tightly, her fingers tightening unconsciously.
Perhaps noticing that his expression was off, Zhou Pingchuan asked, "What are you looking at?"
“…Xu Ning,” Xia Mian said, placing her phone face down on the table, “is now with the Zhao family. They treat her very well and gave her a lot of gifts for the New Year.”
Zhou Pingchuan: "Oh."
Xia Mian pouted and couldn't help but say, "After chatting with him, I shared a daily post on Weibo. My fans noticed that it was just the two of us this year and wanted me to do a live stream to share the gifts you gave me."
Zhou Pingchuan seemed to automatically ignore the last sentence, glancing at his watch: "We ate early today, and there's still a long time until New Year's Eve. You can do a live stream when you have time."
aestivation:"......"
It was like talking to a brick wall, like casting pearls before swine; he never wanted to speak to Zhou Pingchuan again!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com