Courtyard Houses: Starting as a Purchasing Agent

Restaurants today are very different from those of later generations.

Especially during the Lunar New Year, many people in later generations would have their New Year's Eve dinner hosted in hotels.

But in those days, most people ate at home.

Go to the hotel?

That doesn't feel like a family reunion, does it?

So Lou's Restaurant didn't have much business during the Chinese New Year, but it still had a lot of ingredients left over. Director Lou thought to himself: "Okay, why not do a favor for the people in the compound?"

This is killing two birds with one stone.

Of course, there was an element of gratitude in it, but more than that, it was just showing off.

Chapter 238 The Spring Festival Gala Begins, Little Dang Shows Off

"The banquet will officially begin at 8 PM tonight. We'll be waiting for you at the hotel!"

Everyone has to come!

"I'm inviting everyone in the compound, no exceptions!"

After Director Lou finished speaking, he left with Lou Xiao'e.

The people in the courtyard were so happy they felt like their lungs were about to burst.

"Hey... come to think of it, the Lou family is really generous!"

"He's treating the entire hospital to dinner!"

"Tsk tsk tsk... Liu Aiguo has never treated us to a meal!"

"Director Lou is a good person!"

"Could they be using this banquet as a pretext to hold their daughter's wedding?"

Everyone is talking about it!

At the Jia family home, Qin Huairu's expression was very unpleasant.

I even feel a little regretful.

She cruelly divorced He Yuzhu and kicked him out.

I initially thought He Yuzhu had lost his usefulness and was quite foolish.

But now that I think about it, Sha Zhu wasn't stupid at all; he was just really nice to her.

If the man were still alive, things would definitely be much better both inside and outside the home.

She felt a little regretful.

But it was too late.

He Yuzhu and Lou Xiao'e are already married.

"Mom!" Huaihua came into the house and said, "Let's tidy up. We need to wear clean clothes tonight!"

"Go where?" Qin Huairu's face darkened. "No way! They're hosting a dinner party. Why should we go to see Sha Zhu and Lou Xiao'e? We might even get bullied!"

Madam Jia objected: "How can we not go? It's not easy for the children to have a good meal. This is a restaurant! I've never eaten at a restaurant before!"

"Exactly!" Banggeng chimed in, "I want to go too, Mom. Why get angry with Uncle Sha? He didn't do anything to us!"

"Exactly!" Xiao Dang chimed in, "We don't have a TV! When everyone goes to the restaurant tonight, we won't even have a place to watch the Spring Festival Gala!"

"The locust flowers were performing on stage, Mom, don't you want to watch?"

Everyone was against it.

Qin Huairu thought for a moment and said, "Okay, let's go, but you all better behave yourselves and don't cause any trouble!"

"And you, Mom!" Qin Huairu looked at Jia Zhangshi and said sternly, "No bringing vegetables, no stealing vegetables, don't embarrass our Jia family, understand?"

Madam Jia's face darkened: "I know!"

Actually, she had wanted to bring her own dishes for a long time. She had even prepared a large porcelain bowl for it. She would just put whichever dish she liked into her own bowl and take it home.

What else can be said?

Unexpectedly, Qin Huairu wouldn't allow it.

Humph……

Then I'll have to... bring it secretly.

……

Inside Liu Aiguo's house.

Yu Li pouted and said, "It's so annoying! I was just thinking of having a nice family reunion dinner tonight, but now I have to spend it with these beasts!"

Liu Aiguo chuckled and said, "What's so troublesome about that? If we don't want to go, we just won't go!"

"That won't do!" Yu Li said, "If our whole family doesn't go, it won't look good to Lou Xiao'e. They've kindly invited you, and you're not going?"

“Let’s go!” Yu Li decided immediately. “However, we can’t go empty-handed!”

"Alright!" Liu Aiguo waved his hand. "I'll have someone send some wine over!"

Around 7 or 8 p.m., Liu Aiguo, Yu Li, the four children, and others walked together to Lou's Restaurant.

Because the distance is very short, you can walk there.

Apart from them, most of the other neighbors also walked there.

It was a grand procession of about a hundred people, quite impressive and magnificent.

Director Lou, He Yuzhu, and Lou Xiao'e greeted them in the courtyard.

"Oh...you're all here! Hurry up and come up, it's in the lobby on the second floor!"

Director Lou gestured, and He Yuzhu led everyone upstairs.

Director Lou pulled Liu Aiguo aside and said, "Aiguo...you're too kind. How could I be short of wine? Why did you arrange for so much Moutai to be delivered?"

It turned out that Liu Aiguo had arranged for someone to deliver three cases of Moutai.

At that time, a case of Moutai contained twelve bottles, each weighing two jin (approximately 1 kg).

One box contains twenty-four kilograms.

The three boxes weighed 72 jin (approximately 36 kg).

There were only about a hundred women and children present, so that was enough for them to drink.

Liu Aiguo chuckled: "Of course, I don't drink. People keep giving me these, and it would be a waste if they went bad. So, I'm taking this opportunity to give them back to the Buddha!"

"Good, good, good!" Director Lou personally accompanied Liu Aiguo upstairs.

The lobby on the second floor is very large.

There were ten tables neatly arranged inside.

Each table can seat fifteen or sixteen people.

"Please!" Director Lou pulled Liu Aiguo directly to the head table and led him to sit down.

·· ········Requesting flowers· ·····

This is not difficult to understand.

Given Liu Aiguo's prestige and status in the compound, there was absolutely no problem with him sitting at the first table.

Besides Liu Aiguo, there are three others: Director Lou, He Yuzhu, and Lou Xiao'e, as well as three others: Uncle Yi, Uncle Er, and Uncle San.

There were only seven or eight people originally, but later, at Lou Xiao'e's insistence, Yu Li, Xiao Long, Xiao Hu, and her two daughters also joined in.

The first table was filled to the brim, but no one complained.

Lou Xiao'e wore a bright red outfit today.

It was particularly eye-catching, and it was obvious at a glance that this was a special day. Although she didn't say it, Lou Xiao'e definitely regarded today as her wedding day.

"Happy wedding!" Liu Aiguo smiled and took out a red envelope from his pocket and gave it to Lou Xiao'e.

.... . 0

There were one hundred yuan inside.

Not much though.

But Lou Xiao'e was overjoyed: this was the only red envelope she had ever received.

But the three uncles next to them were a little embarrassed.

Because they weren't prepared.

Fortunately, Liu Aiguo said with a smile, "This red envelope isn't mine; it's a small token of my appreciation on behalf of the entire compound!"

Upon hearing this, the awkwardness among everyone instantly dissipated.

“Hoo…” Director Lou took a deep breath, stood up, and was about to speak.

He wanted to express his gratitude to Liu Aiguo to everyone and tell them that the Moutai he was drinking tonight was provided by Liu Aiguo.