1979: Reopening Wenhao Road from the Village

"Give us two roast ducks."

Chen Weidong glanced at the menu on the wall.

Waiter: "Would you like some duck four-piece set?"

Chen's mother asked curiously, "What is 'Duck Four-Eat'?"

The waiter gave a brief explanation this time:

"Steamed eggs with duck fat, shredded duck with pickled vegetables, duck soup, and duck carcass."

"Give us one."

"What about the staple food?"

"What do you have now?"

The waiter sensed that Chen Weidong was someone who could make decisions, and readily replied, "Lotus leaf buns, sesame seed cakes, rice, and steamed buns."

What would you all like to eat?

Chen Xiaoteng: "Second Uncle, I want to eat lotus leaf cakes."

Chen Xiaoting: "I want lotus leaf cakes too."

Chen Xiaosui: "Dad, I want to eat them all."

Chen Xiaoan: Ah ah...

"Let's start with one of each, and also some stir-fried shrimp chips, braised pork, spicy chicken, sweet and sour fish slices..."

Chen Weidong was so annoyed by their noise that he simply waved his hand and said he wanted them all, displaying his generosity.

"Weidong, that's enough. There's plenty for us to eat."

Chen's mother quickly stopped her.

"Then let's have another soup, and I'll have Sichuan-style duck liver!"

"This is a hanging oven roasted duck, roasted with fruitwood. It has a date-red appearance, crispy skin, and tender meat. The ducks are also force-fed, supplied by Donglaiji Duck House, which was exclusively for the imperial court."

The whole process takes forty minutes of roasting, roasting on the outside and simmering on the inside, resulting in a flavorful yet not greasy dish. Therefore, the roast duck will take a while to arrive; you can eat other dishes first.

Perhaps it had been a long time since I had met someone as magnanimous as Chen Weidong. After we ordered, the waiter's attitude softened considerably, and he even gave us a brief introduction.

Braised pork, spicy chicken, sweet and sour fish slices – each dish was devoured in no time. Chen Weidong watched Chen Xiaosui and Chen Xiaoting, their mouths greasy from eating. These two little ones looked small, but they had quite the appetite.

When the stir-fried shrimp chips were served, Chen's parents and others put down their chopsticks and gave all the food to Chen Xiaoteng and his family.

"There will be roast duck later, but if you eat your fill, you won't be able to eat any more."

Chen Weidong reminded her, and Chen Xiaosui paused for a moment, let out a burp, swallowed the last bite of fried shrimp chips, and leaned back in her chair, motionless, looking exhausted.

"What's wrong? Are you full?"

"I'm full!"

Chen Xiaosui nodded first, then continued, "I also want to eat roast duck!"

A typical case of being big-hearted but small-minded.

Just then, the duck carver pushed the roast duck over and began to carve it.

"Look carefully, this is the first plate of dough. Eat it with white sugar."

"Dipping it in white sugar?"

Su Man was a little confused. What kind of way of eating is this? Doesn't it feel greasy?

"Duck skin is first dipped in white sugar and eaten, a method first created by Mr. Mei Lanfang. The duck meat is then eaten wrapped in lotus leaf pancakes with shredded scallions, sweet bean sauce, and other ingredients."

The duck head and tail are the most prized parts, and the duck tenderloin, of which there are only two pieces, is the most essential.

"I didn't expect to meet an expert today. Do you want the duck carcass? You can take it to make soup."

"want."

Chen Weidong smiled and nodded. As for being an expert, he was far from it. He had only learned it from a playboy in his previous life. The playboy's family was rich and would often invite them to Quanjude.

Every time, it's all about grand pronouncements; as long as you flatter the other person and make them happy, you'll never have to worry about food.

"Weidong, how do you know so much? What do you need this duck carcass for? We don't keep any cats or dogs at home."

Chen Jianguo looked at the bare duck carcass with some confusion.

"I'm just showing off my limited skills in front of an expert; I only learned these things from books."

Duck carcasses are a real delicacy. After being roasted for so long by the chefs, the flavor has completely permeated them. Take some home, add some cabbage and glass noodles, and make a soup—it's incredibly delicious!

Chen Weidong is all talk and no action. Don't be fooled by his eloquent words; if you actually put them into practice, he'd probably mess it up.

"Dad, I want another piece."

Chen Xiaosui looked up at Chen Weidong and said.

"You can't eat anymore. You've already eaten so much. Be careful you don't get a stomachache when you get home. Don't you remember last time you ate too much and had a stomachache all night?"

Su Man frowned and said to Chen Xiaosui.

Chen Xiaosui's lips twitched, somewhat displeased. She looked up at Chen Weidong, who immediately turned his head away, not daring to respond.

Chen Xiaosui ran into a wall with Chen Weidong, then turned to look at Old Mrs. Chen and Chen's mother. She had recently become familiar with the two of them, and usually, as long as she acted cute, she could always get some food.

However, Chen Xiaosui miscalculated this time, and Old Mrs. Chen simply pretended not to hear.

As for Chen's mother, she also lowered her head, pretending not to see anything.

Although they doted on their only granddaughter, Su Man was disciplining the child, and what she said was quite right. As elders, they shouldn't interfere, or they would ruin the child.

Chen's mother had a deep understanding of this. Chen Weidong used to be quite unruly, mainly because he relied on his parents as his protectors when he was young. Every time he made a mistake, he would run to the main house, which made it impossible for his parents to discipline him.

"Ugh, my tummy hurts, I'm not eating!"

Chen Xiaohui didn't know the saying "A wise man submits to circumstances," but she instinctively felt that she should back down now, or she would be in trouble.

"Look how obedient your sister is, you all don't need to eat anymore."

Looking at the well-behaved Chen Xiaosui, and then turning to look at her two sons beside her, she saw that their hands and faces were covered in oil, and even their clothes were stained with oil.

This ignited a fire within Sister Chen, and if they weren't outside, she would have taken off her shoes right then and there.

The meal cost Chen Weidong thirty-nine yuan and twenty-three cents. Keep in mind that this included four dishes and a soup, two roast ducks, and staple food for about ten people, and it was eaten at Quanjude. If it were decades later, it would cost hundreds or even thousands of yuan to afford such a meal.

However, it was indeed a painful blow for Chen's mother, Su Man, and others, since Chen Jianguo's monthly salary was only thirty-three yuan, which wasn't even enough for a meal.

"It's too expensive. I won't eat out anymore. With that money, I could buy so much pork and make so many dumplings."

As soon as Chen's mother left, she started nagging.

Su Man nodded in empathy. She was hesitant to speak at the moment, but she wholeheartedly agreed with what Chen's mother said.

Mr. Chen and his family also felt it was a bit expensive; the meal cost more than the gifts they gave to Wang Liming.

"It's just a meal once in a while, and it's already in your stomach anyway, so saying so much won't change anything."

Moreover, money can't all be saved; it's mainly earned.

"Distorted logic and heresy!"

Chen's mother couldn't help but kick Chen Weidong and glare at him fiercely. If it weren't for Old Man Chen, Old Woman Chen, and the children, she would have made Chen Weidong go back to school for a complete overhaul.

Chen Xiaosui glanced at her mother, as if she hadn't expected that such a kind person would hit someone. "Is she going to hit me too?" she wondered.

"Grandma, I'll be good! I'll hit Dad!"

When Chen Xiaosui saw her mother looking over, she immediately spoke and then buried her head in Chen Weidong's chest.

Hahaha……

Everyone was amused by Chen Xiaosui's antics, even her angry mother laughed in exasperation, her face slightly flushed.

"You're such a good daughter!"

Chen Weidong gently patted Chen Xiaosui's bottom.

"Yes, I'm a good daughter!"

Chen Xiaosui thought it was a compliment, so she nodded again, grinned, and revealed a few baby teeth.