Who wants to take the civil service exam after being reborn?

Chapter 653 Heavenly Palace (Part 1)

In the private room, Yi Baoyu sat in the main seat, with Chen Zhe and Song Shiwei sitting to her left.

The secretary and assistant were about to sit down as well, but Chen stopped them, quietly gesturing, "You two go to the right."

If they all sat down on the left, Chen would be placed in the center, leaving Yi Baoyu standing bare on the side.

The "primary seat" instantly becomes the "secondary seat".

Therefore, Chen Zhe reminded his secretaries to go to the other side and continue to focus on Yi Baoyu.

This was just a trivial matter, and the princess, who was looking at the menu, didn't even notice it.

But it is precisely these many “trivial” little things that, like a gentle stream, converge and give all the new and old friends who know Chen Zhe a comfortable feeling of being bathed in a spring breeze.

Mao Zedong said that we should have many friends and few enemies.

This is the unique personal charm of Director Chen.

Do you know what the rules are for eating here?

After reading the menu, Yi Baoyu closed it, his eyes showing a hint of mystery, yet also a touch of smugness.

Chen found it amusing. Perhaps because Yi Baoyu grew up abroad, she was indeed relatively naive compared to other princes and princesses in the capital.

Although that arrogant sense of superiority always exists, if she can gradually gain recognition, her pure side will be revealed.

Like now.

Since Chen and the others hadn't gotten on the bus yet, and Gege hadn't had a chance to fully indulge in her "bragging," she decided to give these "Cantonese bumpkins" a lesson on the hidden features of the Taiye Pool private rooms.

Chen Zhe was very accommodating and chimed in, "Isn't this just an ordinary place to eat? What's the difference between it and a restaurant outside?"

"How can these be the same?"

Yi Gege raised an eyebrow and lectured in a condescending tone, "You do have a good eye and understanding of business, but you still lack experience."

Chen scratched his head: "Then... Miss Yi, would you mind telling us about it?"

Song Shiwei gave Director Chen a strange look.

She could sense that her boyfriend had lowered his "IQ" a lot and raised his "EQ" a lot, treating Ms. Yi like he was "coaxing a daughter."

Miss Yi is acting like a puppet.

However, it seems that the princess really falls for this.

"of course can!"

Yi Baoyu was already enthusiastically introducing the place: "Taiye Pool has many halls and private rooms, but most of them are for receiving foreign guests. Occasionally, some side rooms can be used for private entertainment, but as for the food..."

Yi Gege shook the menu: "You can't just eat whatever you want."

"Why, Miss Yi?"

This is the secretary asking a question.

It was her first time dining in this "legendary place," and before she even saw the lavish dinner, she was greeted by heavily armed guards.

It truly felt like "accidentally entering the imperial palace".

"Because the chefs here don't just cook for you!"

Yi Baoyu revealed some "insider information" that ordinary people, and even Director Chen, had never heard of before.

"The instructions given to the chefs are based on the needs of the foreign guests being received that day, after approval by the logistics department."

"For example, if we need to prepare Dongpo pork or crab meat lion's head meatballs for today's reception, then we'll let the master chef who is good at these two dishes take charge."

"They can make more portions, but they usually don't change the dishes arbitrarily because it requires approval from the person in charge. So we customers in the side hall can taste the extra dishes made by the master chefs."

……

"Oh~"

Chen finally understood the ins and outs of this, although it seemed a bit "undignified" that it wasn't made specifically for him.

But which leaders are scheduled to visit China at the end of December?

The US Deputy Secretary of State, the UK Chancellor of the Exchequer, the French Minister of Economy, South Korean President Lee Myung-bak, and UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon...

These are the familiar faces from the news broadcast, eating the same food as you, so what's there to feel aggrieved about?
"These should be free, right?"

Chen suddenly asked.

"Of course not!"

Princess Yi raised her chin high: "How could the imperial kitchen at Taiye Pond possibly lack such funds!"

As they were talking, a staff member dressed in a traditional Chinese cheongsam (Chen Zhe didn't even think they were waitresses) brought over a dish. The staff member was only in her early twenties, with a sweet smile that revealed her perfect eight teeth.

However, it's too standardized, as if it were measured with a ruler, so it ultimately feels somewhat mechanical and lacks that genuine joy.

Chen thought to himself that no matter where a beast of burden works, even in a celestial palace, it will never truly be happy.

But her voice was very pleasant, with a soft, Suzhou-style accent: "This is stir-fried jade shrimp, please enjoy."

"Wow~"

The secretary and assistant both exclaimed in surprise.

Dozens of translucent shrimp, like carefully polished jade seeds, lay quietly in the clear, mirror-like sauce on the white porcelain plate, creating a scene of serene beauty reminiscent of a traditional Chinese ink painting from the Jiangnan region.

Chen Zhe began to understand why Huaiyang cuisine was used at state banquets.

If it's Shandong cuisine's braised chicken with mushrooms, or Cantonese cuisine's Longjiang pig's trotters, they're delicious, but their presentation is really just average.

However, no one touched their chopsticks, waiting for Yi Baoyu to say a few words first.

Princess Gege didn't waste any words. She picked up the serving chopsticks on the table, personally picked up a shrimp, and put it in Song Shiwei's bowl: "Here, Sister Song, this shrimp is cold, just like you."

"Hey~"

Chen shook his head.

These princesses and noblewomen, to put it simply, if they had even a third of their emotional intelligence and ability, with the support of abundant resources, they could easily achieve some great feat.

As a result, apart from a very few second and third generation descendants, the rest have almost all faded into obscurity.

Sweetie blinked. She had been wondering whether Miss Yi was praising her or being sarcastic.

After thinking about it, I realized that since Director Chen had treated her like a "daughter" and had been coaxing her, I could forgive anything the child said.

She picked up a shrimp and put it in her mouth. With a gentle bite, the incredibly tender and bouncy texture burst open on her tongue, and a sweet taste instantly filled her mouth.

“Delicious~”

Song Shiwei looked at Yi Baoyu: "Miss Yi, you've gone to a lot of trouble."

"Ha ha!"

Yi Baoyu laughed heartily, as if a child's treasured toy had gained the approval of a new friend.

"You all eat too!"

"I'm so proud of myself," said the princess, picking up a shrimp and putting it in my mouth.

But as she chewed, she seemed to sigh softly, almost imperceptibly.

What does Director Chen do?

The clever man, with his keen eyesight, quickly figured out why the princess was sighing.

"I think, back then, Old Master Yi..."

Chen played with the white marble chopstick rest, and said thoughtfully, "You should bring Miss Yi here to eat more often."

Upon hearing this, Yi Baoyu was taken aback for a moment. Suddenly, a thought flashed through her mind—Chen could say so many things that were on her mind.

“Back in China, my grandfather hadn’t retired yet, and he often brought my sister and me over to freeload off us.”

Gege said softly, "This dish hasn't changed much over the years, but Grandpa is getting old..."

Yi Baoyu is an only child, so "older sister" should be her cousin, the jewelry designer who likes to travel all over the world to attend socialite parties.

Faced with Gege's sadness, Director Chen calmly picked up the teapot and refilled everyone's cups with hot tea.

The steam rising from the table was wisps of water vapor.

"The tree may wish to be still, but the wind will not cease; the child may wish to be filial, but the parents are no longer here. This is the greatest sorrow in the world."

Chen spoke in a calm and steady voice: "But the taste of the dishes hasn't changed. Miss Yi, you can come and sit down more often when you have time. It's like the old man personally telling you the lessons he taught you back then."

"I rely on!"

The secretary was so eager to write it all down that she wanted to take out her notebook.

Although I have witnessed the charm of the big boss's impromptu language many times, I still praise it every time.

Yi Baoyu's lips twitched.

She seemed to want to say something, but then glanced at Song Shiwei beside her, suddenly turned her head, and scoffed loudly.

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(I can only write this chapter tonight; I have a meeting tomorrow.)
(End of this chapter)