"Good evening, our two distinguished guests. Here are the top-grade two-head abalone and king crab you ordered. We have five ways of preparing them today!"
The waiter presented a live, wriggling king crab and the top-grade two-head abalone—ten-year dried abalone, with each one weighing a full half-pound. Watching them, Su Chen nodded in satisfaction.
"Looks good. Please have the kitchen speed things up a bit." After a long day, Su Chen just wanted to eat and go home to rest.
"Of course, sir!" With that, the waiter withdrew.
But soon, there was another knock on the door. Just as Su Chen was feeling a little confused, a man who looked like a manager entered, leading several beautiful women in classical attire. They were holding instruments like the guzheng and pipa.
"Sir, this is the 'Night Banquet Dance' that comes with our private room. Would you be interested?"
Su Chen had heard of this before. Certain high-end restaurants on the Bund offered this kind of service. Enjoying fine dining and watching a dance performance while gazing at the Huangpu River's night view was the start of a decadent night in Shanghai.
After a moment of thought, Su Chen was about to refuse. He wasn't used to this kind of atmosphere and just wanted a quiet meal. But beside him, Su Qingya heard there was a dance performance, and her big, sparkling eyes fixed on Su Chen.
It was as if she were saying, 'Big Bro~ don't say no! I really, really want to watch!'
Under the assault of Su Qingya's pleading eyes, he reluctantly nodded. "Alright."
Hearing Su Chen's words, the women holding instruments gave a slight bow and found their places to sit and play.
A beautiful woman with an alluring figure stood in the center of the group.
"We invite our two distinguished guests to enjoy the Night Banquet Dance—'Moonlit Night on the Spring River'!"
The moment the sounds of the pipa and guzheng began, Su Chen felt a gentle spring breeze wash over him.
The dancer, dressed in a cyan traditional robe, began to dance gracefully to the music.
Her long, cyan sleeves flowed with the movement of her arms. Her dance was nimble and ethereal, evoking a sense of pure beauty.
Su Chen found himself captivated. The classical folk music and dance blended together perfectly.
When the piece ended, Su Qingya clapped excitedly. "That was incredible! So beautiful!"
Her voice pulled Su Chen back from his reverie.
"Excellent. Thank you all for your hard work."
Seeing Su Chen's satisfied expression, the manager leading them also broke into a smile.
The performers bowed to Su Chen in unison and left the private room.
"Bro~ I've only ever seen scenes like this online. I can't believe I'm getting to experience it in person. This is awesome!"
A faint smile touched Su Chen's lips. He was starting to understand why the ancients loved to hold banquets.
"Let the music play on, let the dancing continue!"
'The ancients really weren't kidding!'
Maybe they didn't have modern technology back then, but the ways they entertained themselves might have been even more thrilling than what we have today.
After they finished enjoying the dance and music, twenty minutes had passed, and the waiter began to serve the appetizers.
The seamless transition didn't give Su Chen a moment of boredom.
"This is our black truffle and crab meat congee, an appetizer to warm your stomach. It's prepared with black truffle, crab meat, mushrooms, and chicken. Please, enjoy."
He lifted the lid of the bowl, and a delicate fragrance wafted into his nostrils, instantly whetting his appetite.
The portion wasn't large, only about a third of the teacup. Su Chen scooped up a spoonful and ate it in one bite.
As soon as he took a bite, the rich flavor of black truffle spread through his mouth, slowly followed by the fresh umami of seafood.
"Delicious~"
While Su Chen was still savoring the flavor, Su Qingya, who was next to him, had already finished hers completely, not forgetting to lick her lips to enjoy the aftertaste.
Seeing that Su Chen still had more than half left, she reached out a mischievous hand without a second thought.
SLAP!
"Ouch!"
Su Chen slapped Su Qingya's hand away.
Su Qingya pouted and huffed, "I just wanted one bite. Why are you being so mean?"
"Hmph. And whose fault is that? It's not my fault someone is like Pigsy eating a Ginseng Fruit—you wolfed it down without even tasting it!" Su Chen shot her a glance and said with a faint smile.
"AHHHHH~ *You're* Pigsy! Have you ever seen a Pigsy as good-looking as your sister?!"
"Even a good-looking Pigsy is still Pigsy~ hahaha!"
Their playful squabbling stunned the waiter standing nearby. If not for his professionalism, he probably would have burst out laughing.
After the appetizer, the main courses began to arrive. First was the ten-year, two-head soft-center abalone—a truly top-tier delicacy—followed by a steamed king crab platter and an Australian lobster set.
Looking at the delicacies on the table, not only was Su Qingya practically drooling, but even Su Chen was having a hard time containing himself.
Seeing this, the waiter nearby quickly cut the abalone in half, placed it on their plates, drizzled it with sauce, and served it to them.
Although Su Chen had never eaten something this high-class, he had seen it online, so he picked up his knife and fork and started eating.
Su Qingya glanced at Su Chen and copied his movements, looking quite the part.
She cut off a large piece of abalone, dipped it in the sauce, and stuffed it directly into her mouth.
The thick, slightly oily abalone meat was incredibly satisfying to chew, especially with the sauce...
It was just too delicious!
Both Su Chen and Su Qingya kept their heads down, eating heartily. Who had time to comment on the flavor?
The two-head abalone didn't look very big, but since it was dried abalone that had been rehydrated and cooked, after finishing one... Su Qingya leaned straight back against her chair.
"Bro~ that one soft-center abalone made me half-full. I'm going to gain several pounds from this meal~"
The expression on Su Qingya's face was quite amusing: a mix of satisfaction, a hint of worry, and a lingering desire for more.
"You're pretty skilled at turning things around on me. Now you're blaming me for you gaining weight!" Su Chen teased with a laugh.
"Hehe~ No way, Big Bro is the best!"
Joking was one thing, but you couldn't joke around when it came to good food.
As she spoke, Su Qingya was already reaching for the king crab.
A crab leg appeared in her hand. Her eyes shone as she gazed at the thick meat inside.
The meal lasted for about an hour before they finally, reluctantly, finished.
Although both of them were stuffed to the brim, there was still a lot of crab meat and Australian lobster left on the table.
Su Chen wasn't afraid of being judged. With a calm expression, he called the waiter over and asked him to pack up all the leftovers.
Once everything was nearly packed, Su Chen led Su Qingya straight to the front desk.
"Hello, sir. Your total tonight is 78,000, which includes a ten percent service charge. Here is the bill, please take a look."
Su Chen took the bill and glanced at it. The food came to a little over 70,000, so with the service charge, the price was about right.
He then took out his bank card and paid.
At that moment, the waiter brought over the packed food containers.
"Sir, here are your packed items. Would you like to check them?"
"No need. Thank you." Su Chen still had faith in the basic integrity of the staff.
After leaving the restaurant, Su Qingya, carrying the containers, said in a somewhat subdued voice, "Bro~ this one meal cost more than what Dad saves in a whole year."
It was true. A single meal. The amount of money an ordinary family would have to struggle for a year to save.
This reality... Su Qingya found it a bit hard to accept at the moment.
Just like Su Chen at the very beginning, the sudden wealth had created a huge emotional disconnect.
Su Chen reached out, patted Su Qingya's head, and smiled.
"It's okay. Our lives will only get better and better from now on!"
"Come on, Big Bro has another surprise for you!"
"Another surprise? What other surprise could there be? Ah~ Wait for me! Why are these containers so heavy!"