The waiter hurried over, placing the menu in front of the patrons. Tang Shunyan glanced at the dishes. He didn’t let his alpha male instincts take over to order without consultation, choosing only two dishes he liked.
Meng Zhaojun, of course, was not shy in ordering the signature dishes of the restaurant, adding items until she was satisfied, without concern whether she could finish them all.
The waiter wondered as he saw the master and the young master order eight dishes and one soup—could these two children really finish it all?
Guided by a principle of not wanting to waste, and not fearing death, he ventured, "Are you combining your order with the table next to you to eat together?"
"What are you implying? Are you afraid your young patrons can’t pay, is that it? Don’t you know the rules? How could members of the official family eat with the servants?"
Meng Zhaojun lashed out at the meddling waiter, blanketing him with a barrage of scolding. She was eagerly anticipating time alone with her companion!
This waiter clearly lacked perceptiveness; it was as if he had never seen patrons order for a meal out before. Unlike workers, if they ordered too much, couldn’t the leftovers just be eaten by others? As long as someone was willing to pay!
The waiter, covered in metaphorical soot and ash from the scolding, could only silently bow his head in acquiescence, opting to step back and withdraw.
Tang Shunyan could no longer bear to watch; after all, this was his employee, and he himself hadn’t reprimanded him. This official’s daughter was overstepping her boundaries.
"Meng Zhaojun, if you can finish the food, then order it. Aren’t you the host? Don’t you care about the money? You must have never seen the hardship that poor families endure. Even if you have money, you shouldn’t waste it. Wouldn’t it be better to save the money for protection?"
"Tang Shunyan, do you really expect me to treat you to a meal? If I treat you, then you settle the bill, alright? You’re not telling me you can’t afford to pay for a meal you’ve invited me to, are you?"
Meng Zhaojun selectively forgot about her recent spree of purchases, likewise eager to forget about the several tens of taels mentioned earlier. Just as Tang Shun had said, having money on hand was better, especially with many upcoming expenses once back in the Capital City.
"If you want me to treat you, you have to be able to finish the food. If you can’t finish the dishes you’ve ordered later, then you’ll have to pay for it yourself. Don’t even think of having me pay. I’ve made this clear beforehand—although I am wealthy, we shouldn’t squander it thoughtlessly or waste resources!"
Tang Shunyan lectured with a stern face, criticizing and educating. Although he lived an affluent life, he had also heard about the daily struggles of the poor.
To instill lessons in him, his grandparents would tell him about the poor families that rented their lands for farming and then how much they had to pay in dues.
If there were no natural disasters or calamities that year, the farmers could eat their fill, albeit the quality of the food left much to be desired.
The dishes Meng Zhaojun had just ordered easily amounted to several tens of silver taels, selecting only the most expensive items, including imported seafood such as abalone and signature dishes favored by the wealthy.
These were dishes that only businesspeople would indulge in, whereas a meal costing several silver taels would already be a significant expense for average patrons.
Some farming families, working hard all year round, might not even see a few silver taels, unless the household was free from other obligations.
If a family had members pursuing education, celebrating life events, or raising children, being in possession of a few copper coins could already be deemed fortunate, and they might still be in debt.
"Ah well, I had thought that eating out with you, I could try all the signature dishes here, given that we’re heading somewhere else soon and won’t have the chance to dine here again."
Seeing his stance, Meng Zhaojun felt that since they were parting ways, she couldn’t leave the young boy with a bad impression, so she put on a pitiful act.
"You can order if you want. Just let them join us here; we can put together a group. I won’t say a word!"
Tang Shunyan’s heart softened at the sight of the girl’s expression, still believing that they should not waste. Counting the Attendant Student, they had seven people total, nearly enough for one table. Eight dishes and one soup could be reasonably manageable without wasting.
"Would it be possible to split the dishes into two plates each and divide the tables?"
Meng Zhaojun wasn’t entirely concerned with the propriety of masters and servants not sharing a table. She simply wanted to dine at the same table with the man before her, with those puppy dog eyes begging to be taken in.
The pair wished to dine at the same table, excluding others, hopeful just to "fill the seats."
The waiter had been listening to their conversation. He had wanted to retreat initially, but hearing the young master’s words, he didn’t want the two of them to start quarreling again; it was merely a matter of taking on some extra dishwashing.
"Young patrons, this is possible. We can split each dish into two portions, and when serving, we can also divide the soup into separate containers."
Tang Shunyan nodded at the waiter’s words, instructing him to continue with the work; there was no need for him to attend to them here.
Tang Shunyan averted his gaze from Meng Zhaojun, looking out the window at the bustling street, now less crowded. There were still peddlers around, some selling snacks, surrounded by people indulging in street food.
This was probably the affordable kind, something people like them wouldn’t typically try.
It was like those at the bottom of society, eating such expensive food from an upscale restaurant, some might never afford it in their entire lives!
Meng Zhaojun watched as the young boy turned away, unable to see his facial expression or know his thoughts. She quietly moved to the window as well, gazing down at the street below.
Standing high above the crowd below gave her a sense of superiority. She could enjoy a good meal here, exploiting connections without spending a penny, while those below could bustle their whole lives and still possibly never have this chance.
Such was the limit of each person’s opportunities, perhaps ordained from birth.
Meng Zhaojun also believed that through hard work, some could have a brighter future, but for those at the bottom, striving was often a grueling path.
Fortunately, she was not born low; she was destined from birth never to live a life of poverty.