At the start, I had to choose one of four options, and I immediately picked the Brahmin from the cou

This private restaurant looks unassuming from the outside, but you'll only understand what it means to have a hidden gem once you step inside.

The bricks under your feet are Ming and Qing dynasty gold bricks, which are actually a type of blue brick produced by the imperial kilns in Jiangnan.

The firing process for this item is extremely complicated. Just the selection of clay, drying, firing, polishing, and repeated soaking in tung oil are all part of the complex process, which takes almost a year from start to finish.

But this thing is really good. When laid on the ground, it is not only warm in winter and cool in summer, but also so shiny that it reflects your image. When you tap it, it even produces a metallic sound.

Moreover, due to their high cost, these gold bricks are said to be worth one tael of gold per brick.

Most importantly, the gold bricks paving here are not modern imitations, but genuine antiques that my father, through countless connections, bought from some dilapidated old house in Jiangnan at a high price, including the floor and bricks, and then transported back from afar.

Passing through the winding corridor paved with gold bricks, the sight before him left Li Xiao, a working-class man who had only ever queued and squeezed through tourist attractions in his previous life, speechless with shock.

This isn't a restaurant; it's like a top-of-the-line Suzhou garden transplanted to this small county town.

In the very center of the courtyard is a living pond that covers an area of ​​two to three hundred square meters.

The pool is cleverly concealed by an expensive mist-generating system. Wisps of white vapor swirl and flow along the crystal-clear water. When a breeze blows, the mist swirls between the winding corridors and pavilions, creating a scene of ethereal beauty untouched by the world.

But what truly captivates the eye are the koi carp swimming leisurely beneath the exquisite water lilies in the pond.

These are definitely not the cheap goods you find in a park where a swarm of people will scramble to grab a piece of bread if it's thrown in.

The smallest koi in the pond is the size of an adult man's forearm, while the largest is as long as an adult's thigh. They are red like blood-stained cinnabar, white like the finest mutton fat jade, and black like a pool of thick ink that cannot be dissolved.

The manager introduced it softly from the side, his tone tinged with pride.

"Young Master, the koi in this pond were all purchased by Mr. Li last month at a koi auction in Niigata Prefecture, Japan, with pedigree certificates. To ensure their health, Mr. Li even installed a complete set of German-imported constant-temperature, live water filtration system at the bottom of the pond."

Just considering the koi in this pond and the German-imported constant temperature live water filtration system, it's top-notch, not only in Jiangyang County, but also in Tianshui City.

"My dad really makes a fuss."

Li Xiaoqiang suppressed the desperate urge to jump into the pond, scoop out the fish, and sell them for money. He forced himself to remain calm and uttered a flat assessment of Versailles.

"Mr. Li is just showing his concern for you, young master. He said that since you're taking the college entrance exam today, and these fish swim slowly with regular colors, it's the best way for you to relax your eyes and mind after lunch by sitting here and watching them. Young master, it's still a bit hot outside, let's go into the private room and eat while we watch. The chef has already prepared the dishes."

Li Xiao nodded, put his hands behind his back, and followed the manager's directions into the waterfront private room, which had one-way glass on three sides.

Except for the entrance, the other three walls of this private room are all one-way glass panels. Sitting inside and looking out, you can see the koi pond, the rockery, and the winding corridor all at once.

His gaze swept across the table, but was suddenly drawn to an inconspicuous celadon cup on the antique shelf in the corner.

The cup was no bigger than a fist, covered with a layer of sky-blue glaze, the surface of which was covered with fine gold and iron wire patterns. The bottom where the glaze accumulated had a warm, lake-green hue, and under the warm yellow light, it looked like a piece of solidified lake water.

Although Li Xiao didn't know much about antiques, he had at least watched a few short videos about antique appraisal in his previous life and followed a few antique appraisal streamers.

Regardless of which dynasty this item is from, just based on its shape, crackle pattern, and glaze, he felt that it must be expensive, otherwise it wouldn't be displayed here.

"manager."

"Young Master, please give your orders." The manager bowed and stepped forward.

Li Xiao pointed to the small celadon cup encased in specially made bulletproof glass and asked, "What's the story behind this cup?"

The manager looked up and said, "Young master, you have a keen eye. This is a celadon sunflower-shaped cup from the Southern Song Dynasty official kiln, which Mr. Li bought from Sotheby's Hong Kong. Eight pieces were auctioned off for a total of 32 million."

Thirty-two million, eight items?!

He quickly did the math in his head: on average, this small teacup, which was no bigger than his palm, was worth forty or fifty years of his life without eating or drinking.

"It's nice, it looks classy here. Aren't you afraid it will get stolen if you put such valuable things here?"

Seeing such a valuable item displayed here, Li Xiao couldn't help but ask a question.

Upon hearing this, the manager couldn't help but reveal a smile radiating absolute confidence.

"Young master, you jest. Not to mention that this celadon cup is covered with aerospace-grade explosion-proof glass, which cannot be opened by ordinary means. Moreover, the base is directly connected to the highest-level alarm system of our Jiangyang County Security Center. As long as the vibration of this glass exceeds the threshold, not even a fly can get out of that street in three minutes."

"Even if we take a step back and assume the worst, in this small corner of Jiangyang County, who would be so bold as to touch the Li family's things? Even if some reckless person did manage to steal them, who could they sell them to in the surrounding area? And where could they possibly escape to?"

"Moreover, Mr. Li often says that these old objects should be displayed in the open to attract attention. If they're all locked in dark safes, what's the difference between them and ordinary mud bricks?"

Li Xiao was internally ranting and raving.

What the hell is this about "catching some human warmth"? It's covered with such a thick layer of bulletproof glass that not even air can get in. What kind of human warmth is it supposed to catch? It's just a prop that Dad uses to show off his wealth.

"Alright, let's hurry up and order the food. I've been taking exams all morning, and my stomach is already protesting."

"Okay, please wait a moment!" The manager bowed respectfully and gestured towards the door.

A short while later, the double doors of the private room made of rosewood were pushed open from the outside.

Accompanied by the elegant sound of traditional Chinese string and bamboo instruments, several young girls dressed in moon-white handmade Suzhou embroidered cheongsams filed in.

There was none of the glittering gold and lavish, meaty plating I had imagined.

In a fine bone china bowl, a tender, translucent white cabbage heart lies quietly, soaking in a broth as clear as plain water.

"Young master, the first dish is boiled cabbage in clear broth. This is made by the head chef using the finest free-range hen, along with premium dried scallops, three-year-old Jinhua ham, and various other ingredients. It was simmered over a low flame for a full forty-eight hours, and then the broth was repeatedly skimmed with chicken mousse to remove impurities."

Li Xiao looked at the seemingly plain but actually expensive state banquet-level dish, picked up the small bowl and took a small sip.

The moment the broth touched his taste buds, an indescribable rich and sweet flavor exploded in Li Xiao's mouth. The taste was so delicious that he wished he could swallow his tongue as well.

"tasty!"

Li Xiao's eyes lit up instantly.

Previously, he had only seen restaurant bloggers on his phone praising this famous dish served at state banquets. At the time, he scoffed at the dish, thinking it was just a bowl of ordinary chicken soup with cabbage. He didn't understand why people would exaggerate its merits and thought it was just a way to exploit the intelligence of the wealthy.

But after he tasted it himself, Li Xiao mentally slapped himself hard.

What a load of rubbish, it's a tax on people's intelligence.

People who would agonize over whether to add enoki mushrooms to a braised chicken dish in their past life have the audacity to look down on boiled cabbage.

Then, the second and third dishes... were served one after another.

"Young master, this is a lion's head meatball made by hand with top-grade two-headed black mullet and premium black truffles, this is a wild yellow croaker from the East China Sea, and this is a golden broth sea tiger shark fin soup..."