Cheng Su was waiting for Taiguo to discuss the farewell party date, but what she didn’t expect was to be entrusted with the business of hosting the farewell banquet at her restaurant.
There were, in total, fifteen friends, including family, amounting to more than thirty people. However, the little restaurant was too confined for large tables, so they had to make do by piecing together smaller tables.
For this farewell banquet, the budget was only thirty yuan. Taiguo felt very ashamed and said to her, "It’s precisely because everyone is leaving the service that we need to save wherever we can. This thirty yuan is indeed too little, but you see..."
Thirty yuan for a banquet for more than thirty people, including drinks, truthfully speaking, there was definitely no profit in it, breaking even would be good enough.
But who was Cheng Su? The guests of this farewell were her husband’s comrades-in-arms. Since they proposed having it in her own restaurant, even if it incurred a loss, she was willing to take it, considering it was an honor for her husband.
Yet Cheng Su also couldn’t let Taiguo think she was easy to persuade, so she pretended to sigh and said, "Who else could I be but your wife? If my husband is wasteful, I just have to accept it. Leave it to me."
Taiguo breathed a sigh of relief and said, "I’ll make it up to you with next month’s allowance."
With a budget of only thirty yuan, trying to match the quality of the previous meal they hosted was impossible. At least Buddha Jumps Over the Wall was out of the question, as the ingredients were too expensive, and the drink couldn’t possibly be Maotai.
Cheng Su and Old Song carefully discussed and calculated, finally settling on ten dishes and one soup, with the drink being the most common Double Distilled Wine because Taiguo mentioned that they were likely to bring their own alcohol.
The soup was a simple winter melon and sliced pork concoction, low in cost and refreshing for the summer heat.
As for the dishes, there was a mix of hot and cold plates: marinated chicken, Dongpo pork, orange peel ribs, steamed eggplant with minced garlic, boiled shrimp, sour cabbage fish, among others that were good with liquor and also suitable with a meal. Even if it would be a loss, it wouldn’t be by much.
When the appointed day arrived, the staff at the restaurant were extremely busy, beginning food preparation from two in the afternoon, chopping and washing, setting tables and arranging dishes and utensils, spinning like tops without a moment’s rest.
At six in the evening, Taiguo led his group into the restaurant. Cheng Su, dressed in a figure-hugging dress, elegantly stood at the entrance to welcome the guests.
"Taiguo’s wife, we’ll have to trouble you today," Old Zhou said with a smile to Cheng Su.
"Not at all, I’m open for business and there’s no disturbance," Cheng Su replied with a smile.
"Is this place that small?" Hualing came along with Chen Shouwang, glancing around the restaurant with a hint of disdain.
Strictly speaking, Chen Shouwang wasn’t on the list of those being discharged, so it wouldn’t have mattered whether he came to the farewell feast or not. But since they lived on the same floor, Taiguo had also invited him. Chunhua and Guiying, his spouse, also arrived.
"It’s a small business, thanks for condescending to join us," Cheng Su still said with a smile.
Hualing gave her a look before quickly turning away, yet inside she felt as if a small boat in her heart had capsized.
Today, Cheng Su had touched up her makeup lightly, and her dress with heels made her appear gracious and elegant. She seemed more at ease and lovely than any other family member there.
In contrast, Hualing wore a dress that was only eighty percent as new as those on sale, bought the previous year. The black dress on Cheng Su was both generous and flattering, a style Hualing had never seen before. This made Hualing feel deeply hurt.
She realized that whether in marriage or daily life, Cheng Su was steadily outpacing her, and this disturbed her greatly.