Starting with vegetable greenhouses in 1988

Chapter 159 Blind Date
The following morning, at 10:50 AM.

Standing near a bus stop not far from the residential compound of the Beijing TV Factory, Li Zhe glanced at his watch and scanned his surroundings, seemingly searching for someone.

He had arranged to meet Wang Ting today, and with nowhere else to go in this cold weather, he figured they'd go eat first. If they got along well, they could find somewhere else to hang out in the afternoon; if not, they could just go home.

His attitude towards blind dates is simple: let nature take its course.

If you like each other, continue dating; if not, that's it. There are plenty of beautiful girls out there; there's no need to force yourself.

Li Zhe stamped his feet, rubbed his hands together, and covered his ears. Winters in the capital are fine when there's no wind, but when a gust of wind blows, the cold is biting and can freeze you to the bone.

After two buses passed by, most of the people on the platform had left.

Suddenly, a beautiful figure walked over from not far away. A young girl was wearing a pink double-breasted wool coat and white knee-high boots, which made her face look even whiter.

Li Zhe waved and called out, "Wang Ting."

Wang Ting forced a smile: "Sorry to keep you waiting."

Li Zhe glanced at his watch; it was exactly eleven o'clock. "I'm too early," he said.

Wang Ting glanced at Li Zhe, then lowered her head: "Where are we going now?"

"Where do you want to go?"

"I can do it."

"Let's eat first and fill our stomachs before we talk about anything else."

"Okay," Wang Ting replied, and stood by the bus stop waiting.

Li Zhe looked at her profile. This girl was indeed beautiful, with delicate features and fair skin with a rosy glow. He wondered if it was from the cold or her natural skin tone.

Li Zhe asked, "What would you like to eat? It's on me."

Wang Ting smiled and said, "I'm not picky about food, you decide."

A gust of cold wind blew by, and Wang Ting shivered, hugging her arms tightly.

Li Zhe pulled a piece of chocolate out of his pocket: "Have one, it'll warm you up."

"You carry snacks with you?" Wang Ting was a little surprised, thinking that Li Zhe had prepared them for her on purpose.

Actually, this guy was just greedy. He handed Wang Ting a piece, then peeled off a piece and ate it himself.

Wang Ting also opened the package, took a bite, and frowned slightly: "It's so bitter! The chocolate I used to eat wasn't this bitter."

Li Zhe smiled and said, "Dark chocolate has less sugar, and the more you chew it, the more fragrant it becomes."

The two stood by the roadside eating chocolate, waiting for a car, and neither of them spoke for a while, creating a slightly awkward atmosphere.

Li Zhe broke the silence: "What do you usually like to do during your time off?"

"I enjoy reading literature, like Jane Eyre and One Hundred Years of Solitude. What about you?"

"I also love reading, I read all sorts of books, I flip through all kinds..." Just then, the No. 3 bus arrived, its bright orange body quite eye-catching.

After boarding, the carriage was not crowded, with most people sitting in the front row; the two found seats in the back, with Wang Ting by the window and Li Zhe sitting on the outside.

"Your school is about to start summer vacation, right?"

"Soon, in the next couple of days," Wang Ting replied, then casually asked, "And you, what have you been busy with lately?"

"I'm planning to open a vegetable store catering to foreign customers, and I'm currently making preparations."

Wang Ting, who studies English, pays special attention to anything with the word "foreign-related": "A vegetable shop that mainly caters to foreigners?"

"Correct."

"Then you'll hire shop assistants who can speak foreign languages, right?"

Li Zhe turned to look at her: "Of course you need it. Do you know any classmates who speak English well and want to do part-time work? Introduce them to me, and I'll treat you to dinner."

"My classmates in my major mainly want to practice their spoken English, but none of them have ever sold vegetables before. Can they handle it?"

Li Zhe said, "We sell off-season vegetables, so there's not much competition. You can get the hang of it in a day or two."

"Off-season vegetables!" Although it was the first time Wang Ting had heard this term, she immediately understood its meaning.

The two chatted casually for two stops before arriving at the Great Wall Hotel.

After getting off the bus, Wang Ting looked at the tall glass building and the sign at the entrance, and hesitated, "Great Wall Hotel? We... came here?"

"Eating? Don't you like Western food?" Li Zhe asked back.

"I...I heard it's really expensive here!" Wang Ting's family is well-off, but they can't afford to spend money here.

"It's my treat, let's go," Li Zhe said, walking straight towards the restaurant entrance.

The lobby is magnificent, constructed entirely of glass and steel, with a bright ceiling that allows for ample natural light, creating a spacious and modern feel. Even the elevators are glass observation elevators, offering views outside.

Wang Ting was a little surprised and touched the elevator wall: "It's all made of glass?"

“Yes, it’s the first glass curtain wall building in China. Let’s go to the revolving restaurant on the 21st floor. It has a great view overlooking Beijing.” Li Zhe had been here many times, but this was his first time having a proper meal here.

He wants to add meat products to his soon-to-open vegetable store, with beef being the main focus, and he has the highest requirements for taste and quality. He is here today to learn more.

As the elevator ascended, Wang Ting looked down through the glass and felt her knees go weak. The modern glass and steel frame architecture had a profound impact on her, as if she had been transported to another time and space.

"Ding-dong..." The elevator arrived at the 21st floor and the doors opened. She followed Li Zhe out, and a waiter led them to a window seat.

The surrounding guests were all dressed in suits and ties, stylishly dressed, and looked to be wealthy and influential. Wang Ting sat down and was immediately captivated by the view outside the window. It was her first time at such a height, and she felt a little intimidated, but her gaze was unconsciously drawn to the distant street scene… So beautiful!

Li Zhe handed over the menu: "Take a look and see what you'd like to eat?"

Wang Ting flipped through the menu and was immediately stunned by the prices: Provençal herb-roasted steak 68 foreign exchange vouchers, black pepper steak 58 foreign exchange vouchers, creamy truffle mushroom soup 38 foreign exchange vouchers...

She only had 100 yuan in her pocket, which she initially thought was a lot, but looking at the menu, her palms started sweating, and she felt a pang of unease...

"I've never eaten Western food before, so you can order."

Li Zhe took off his wool coat, took the menu and flipped through it, casually asking, "What would you like to drink?"

"It's all right."

The menu was in both Chinese and English. Li Zhe looked at the pictures and ordered two steaks, a vegetable salad, a seafood soup, a coffee, and a glass of red wine.

After the waiter left, Wang Ting suddenly asked, "Have you ever been on blind dates before?"

Li Zhe hadn't expected her to ask this. He'd been on many dates in his past life, but this was the first time he'd ever been asked one in this one: "No."

"This is my first time too, I was a little nervous yesterday..." Wang Ting couldn't help but smile as she thought of her mother saying that her grandmother would come with her, and then asked curiously, "Do you also supply vegetables to this restaurant?"

"Yes, it's more convenient to make a reservation, and the environment is better." These days, any restaurant with even a little bit of fame will have a queue during mealtimes.

As they were talking, the waiter brought over red wine and coffee.

"Thank you," Wang Ting said, then, probably feeling hot, got up and took off her coat.

She wore a fitted beige sweater underneath, the soft fabric outlining the full contours of her chest, and dark blue jeans that hugged her long legs, the waistband cinching her slender waist and making her hips appear even more pert.

In short, small branches bear abundant fruit.

Other dishes were served one after another: vegetable salad, steak, and seafood soup.

The steak was a pre-packaged set meal, complete with some side dishes and potato wedges. Li Zhe cut a piece of beef and put it in his mouth; the meat was very tender and tasted good.

Different varieties and cuts of beef have vastly different tastes, and most domestic beef is not suitable for pan-frying steaks. These days, Li Zhe has been thinking about the source of beef.

"Brother Li!"

Just then, a middle-aged man walked over with a smile; it was Tang Demin, the purchasing manager of the Great Wall Hotel.

"Manager Tang." Li Zhe stood up and shook hands with him.

"Brother Li, I heard you were here for dinner, so I came to check on you. How was it? If there's anything you're not happy about, please let me know."

"Very good, this steak is also quite good." Li Zhe asked casually, "Manager Tang, what kind of beef is this?"

Tang Demin glanced at the table and chuckled, “Hehe, what you’re eating is filet mignon, the most tender part of the cow; this meat is Angus beef air-freighted from Australia. Everyone says our prices are high here, but there’s a reason for that.”

Li Zhe nodded. He had also learned about imported beef, which required the country's foreign exchange reserves and was scarce and difficult to obtain, but he still wanted to give it a try.

However, the current occasion is not suitable for a detailed discussion; we will have to find a more suitable opportunity later.

Manager Tang asked, "Brother Li, I heard that a vegetable store catering to foreign customers is going to open at Chongwenmen Market. Are you aware of this?"

"I co-founded it; I'm in charge of management, operations, and vegetable supply," Li Zhe said. "Manager Tang, are you well-informed?"

"Hey, in our line of work, we make our living off information." Manager Tang was a shrewd man. He felt that Li Zhe's willingness to open a shop proved that he had a sufficient supply of vegetables. "Brother Li, when you have fresh and good produce on the market, don't forget about your share."

"No, we definitely have some in our store and will reserve it for you."

"Brother, I feel much more at ease knowing you said that!" Manager Tang said with a smile. "Brother, enjoy your meal, this one's on me."

"Manager Tang..." Li Zhe was about to decline when Manager Tang interrupted him, "Brother, don't be so polite with me! Enjoy your meal. I'll definitely come to congratulate you when your store opens." With that, Manager Tang waved and left.

Wang Ting looked at Li Zhe and thought: He's really amazing to be able to sell vegetables to this extent.

She became increasingly curious about Li Zhe's vegetable shop...

However, what she valued wasn't the job itself, but the opportunity to talk to foreigners and practice her spoken English: "Li Zhe, are you short-staffed? If you are, I can help out on opening day."

"Okay, I'll treat you to a meal then."

Wang Ting looked around and muttered to herself, "Don't come here again next time, it's too expensive!"

Li Zhe smiled and said that the appeal of this kind of place is the ambiance and service. It's fine to come here once in a while, but coming here all the time would be a waste of money.

After finishing his meal, Li Zhe was too lazy to move. It was chilly outside, and not the season for strolling around.

He also ordered a chocolate lava cake and a pot of black tea. The two gazed out the window, chatting idly...

In the afternoon, Li Zhe flagged down a yellow van and took Wang Ting home.

As soon as she entered the door, her mother, Chen Shufang, eagerly asked, "How was the meeting today?"

Wang Ting thought for a moment, "He's a very genuine person."

"Real?" Chen Shufang pondered for a moment. What kind of evaluation was that? She pressed on, "So, did you like it? Didn't you like it?"

Wang Ting lowered her head and changed her shoes without saying a word.

Chen Shufang changed the question: "Who paid for lunch?"

Wang Ting replied, "I...can't afford it."

Chen Shufang: "..."

(End of this chapter)