Family connections: From special recruitment by the county committee to the pinnacle of power

Xu Weimin, standing beside him, nodded repeatedly, looking at Xu Hansheng with great admiration and saying, "Hansheng is right. The rules of business dinners must be followed. How can others have any further communication with someone who can't even understand how to eat properly or order food reliably?"

Upon hearing this, Xu He couldn't help but recall the last time when Xu Changqing and Li Qiang ordered a table full of dishes, but the other party left without even eating any.

Is there some kind of custom associated with having a meal?

Thinking of this, Xu He couldn't help but ask the question that had been bothering him.

Xu Hansheng tapped his fingers lightly on the table and smiled, "Brother Xu, actually, I don't know much. I just had the privilege of attending a few dinner parties with the department head when I was in college. As for the etiquette, I only know a few things. For example, when ordering food, cold dishes are usually ordered by dividing the number of people by two, and hot dishes are ordered by adding one or two people. The ratio of meat to vegetables should be six to four."

"As for the price, it should be a signature dish, plus a main dish, plus regular dishes. For example, we are going to talk business at this meal, so we can't order dishes with bones or dishes that are difficult to eat. If we are focusing on eating, how can we talk about business? We also can't order dishes that require spitting out bones, because this is our first meeting with Assistant Liu. Spitting out bones or fish bones would be very unseemly."

"You absolutely cannot order strongly flavored dishes, such as garlic, chives, or stinky tofu, unless everyone at the table loves them. When it comes to toasting later, you must first toast the guest of honor, who is Assistant General Manager Liu, then the elder, who is my second uncle, and then toast according to rank, and finally acquaintances and friends."

"These are just some very basic rules, but we'll be organizing these kinds of gatherings often in the future, so Brother Xu can just follow them. These were taught to me by our department head, and I'm just passing them on."

It's obvious that Xu Hegang's ability to say he ordered the food in advance shows that he doesn't understand the etiquette at the dinner table at all.

Xu Hansheng told him all this because he was afraid that Xu He would ruin the atmosphere of the dinner party.

Eating out is different from eating at home, where you can simply offer a toast to the older person.

Xu Hansheng had suffered a great loss because of this in his previous life. He had made an appointment to have dinner with the director of the Water Resources Bureau's office, but as soon as he finished ordering, the director got up and left.

Xu Hansheng still vividly remembers that scene.

The rules within the system are far more numerous and complex than what Xu Hansheng mentioned.

Otherwise, how could there be a drinking culture?

What truly forms a culture is a strict hierarchy of conduct and numerous rules. You can't leave a good impression simply by saying a few nice words. Only those who are inexperienced will listen to what you say; those who truly give you opportunities will only observe your actions.

He's unreliable in his actions, and his words are useless.

A moment later, Liu Zhiqiang called. Xu Weimin answered the phone, exchanged a few pleasantries, and then gave Liu Zhiqiang the number of the private room.

After waiting for about three minutes, Liu Zhiqiang pushed open the door to the private room.

As Xu Hansheng stood up, he gently nudged Xu He, signaling him to get up and greet him.

"Hehe, Mr. Xu, it's been a long time."

As they were talking, Liu Zhiqiang quickly stepped forward and shook hands with Xu Weimin.

After greeting Liu Zhiqiang with a smile, Xu Weimin pointed to Xu Hansheng and said, "This is my nephew, Xu Hansheng. He works in the Secretariat of the Yutong County Party Committee Office."

Xu Hansheng smiled and extended his hand to Liu Zhiqiang, looking directly at the middle-aged man opposite him with slightly graying temples, and said with a smile, "Hello, Uncle Liu."

"Good, good, good!" Liu Zhiqiang looked Xu Hansheng up and down a few times, then smiled and shook hands with him.

"This is Hansheng's colleague, Xu He!" Xu Weimin then introduced Xu He.

Liu Zhiqiang shook hands with Xu He again, and then walked to the dining table with Xu Weimin, chatting and laughing.

When everyone arrived at the dining table, Xu Weimin voluntarily gave the head seat to Liu Zhiqiang. After everyone was seated, Liu Zhiqiang smiled and said, "You haven't ordered yet, have you? Let the younger generation order."

As they were talking, Liu Zhiqiang picked up the menu and handed it directly to Xu Hansheng.

Xu Hansheng stood up with a smile, bowed slightly and said, "Thank you, Uncle Liu, for giving me, a junior, a chance to show my abilities."

As they spoke, Xu Hansheng sat back down and asked Liu Zhiqiang, "Uncle Liu, are there any dietary restrictions?"

"I don't eat pork, I'm allergic," Liu Zhiqiang said with a calm smile.

Xu Hansheng nodded slightly, then called the waiter over. He glanced at the menu briefly, then ordered seven dishes: two cold and five hot. Finally, he asked, "Do you have Sichuan peppercorn abalone and spicy blood curd? Are the ingredients authentic?"

The waiter had just smiled when he froze. What did he mean by using authentic ingredients?

Seeing the waiter's stunned expression, Xu Hansheng smiled faintly and said, "It's best to use chili oil specially made in Sichuan Province. Otherwise, the taste will be raw, spicy but not fragrant, and not authentic."

"Oh, you mean this? This dish is a signature dish of our restaurant, made with very authentic ingredients. You really know your stuff!" The waiter smiled as he took the menu from Xu Hansheng, then stepped forward to pour half a glass of cauliflower for each person before leaving the private room.

Sure enough, Liu Zhiqiang looked at Xu Hansheng with some curiosity and asked, "Hansheng, you also like Sichuan cuisine?"

"Um."

Xu Hansheng nodded slightly and said, "At first, I didn't eat spicy food either. But when I was in college, our advisor said that eating spicy food could make people more masculine, so I ate it a few times with him. But the food around our school wasn't authentic. It wasn't until last summer vacation, when I went to Sichuan, that I truly felt the warmth of the place, especially the rich food culture. It was also the first time I felt that chili peppers could be made so fragrant."

Hahaha……

Upon hearing this, Liu Zhiqiang couldn't help but burst into laughter, and said to Xu Hansheng, "Actually, Sichuan-style hot pot skewers and Dan Dan noodles are a perfect match."

Xu Hansheng's eyes lit up, and he said to Liu Zhiqiang, "Yes, yes, last time I went, I ate three bowls by myself. If I hadn't been so full, I think I could have had another bowl."

After he finished speaking, Xu Hansheng seemed to still have a lingering expression on his face.

Soon, Xu Hansheng and Liu Zhiqiang were chatting away, getting more and more animated.

"Alas, it's a pity that I'm only good at eating, not cooking. Otherwise, I would really like to introduce some authentic Sichuan dishes in my family's restaurant. I think they would be very popular."

Xu Hansheng said with some regret.

"When I have the chance, I'll teach you how to make chili oil. The key is the spiciness; the aroma comes from this. If you can make good chili oil, you've already done half the job of making Sichuan cuisine," Liu Zhiqiang said with a smile.

"Really? Thank you so much, Uncle Liu! I feel like I've already hit the jackpot before we even started eating!" Xu Hansheng said with a big laugh.

Liu Zhiqiang raised an eyebrow and looked at Xu Hansheng, saying, "I'll have your second uncle take you to my house another day, and he'll teach you how to do it on the spot."

Just then, the waiter opened the door to the private room and began serving the dishes.

Soon, after all the dishes were served, Xu Hansheng took the drinks menu and handed it to Liu Zhiqiang, saying, "Uncle Liu, given your generosity, let's drink until we drop tonight! Take a look, what kind of drinks do you usually have?"

"Shuijingfang, I suppose," Liu Zhiqiang said casually.

"Okay, one bottle of Shui Jing Fang for each person!" Xu Hansheng smiled and handed the drinks menu to the waiter.

Liu Zhiqiang, sitting opposite Xu Weimin, paused for a moment, then smiled wryly and said, "Sigh, young people are still full of energy. One bottle each, hahaha... We're getting old, I'm afraid your second uncle and I can't drink that much anymore."

At this moment, Xu He, who hadn't spoken for a while, also smiled and said, "Yes, time waits for no one."

Upon hearing this, Liu Zhiqiang's smile froze slightly, and his brows furrowed instantly.

Xu Hansheng gently kicked Xu He with his foot, then smiled and said, "Brother Xu, that's not quite right. I think Uncle Liu just has one more day of life experience and business acumen than yesterday."

Hahaha……

Upon hearing Xu Hansheng's words, Liu Zhiqiang couldn't help but burst into laughter, pointing at Xu Hansheng and saying, "You've got potential!"