I feel right at home in the world of the courtyard house.

Beijing has seen its first snowfall of the winter.

Fine snowflakes drifted gently down from the hazy sky, landing on the gray bricks and tiles of the western city, on the bare branches of trees, and on the shoulders of pedestrians, covering the entire old city with a thin layer of pure white. A cold wind swirled the snowflakes, brushing against the face with a cool, crisp touch, unique to winter.

Inside a small-to-medium-sized hot pot restaurant in Xicheng, the air was thick with the aroma of steam.

Inside the private room by the window, a copper pot with charcoal fire was burning brightly, the red-hot charcoal crackling and popping. The broth in the pot was boiling and bubbling, with wisps of white steam rising upwards, filling the entire room with the fresh aroma of mutton.

Li Jing'an sat in the main seat, his expression calm and his demeanor composed. He wore a clean Zhongshan suit, the collar buttoned up neatly, and his hair combed meticulously.

Sitting opposite him were the Party Secretary and the factory director of a small factory in the city.

This was the second time they had specially hosted a banquet for Li Jing'an.

The two men wore polite and respectful smiles, diligently adding cooked mutton to Li Jing'an's bowl while constantly urging him to drink, their eyes revealing their eagerness and anticipation. Their request was simple—they wanted to use Li Jing'an to get in touch with the head of the Beijing Food Company, pull some strings, and secure more meat supply quotas.

Due to shortages of supplies, meat, eggs, and cooking oil could not be fully supplied. With a large workforce, meat was indispensable for everything, including holidays and canteen resupply. Securing even a small increase in supplies was a tremendous achievement for them and crucial for maintaining morale.

But Li Jing'an knew exactly what was going on.

Based on this ordinary hot pot meal, this small restaurant that can't even be considered a high-end establishment, and a few empty compliments, you think he'd step in and make connections with the food company?

That's way too cheap.

Without any tangible benefits or impressive gestures, how could they expect to order Li Jing'an around with just a meal and a couple of drinks?

The fact that he's even sitting here today is already a huge favor.

At this moment, Li Jing'an was even a little impatient, feeling that he had wasted time and gained nothing, and that he had even lost out by coming all this way.

He remained expressionless, picked up his wine glass and took a small sip, then picked up a slice of meat, dipped it lightly in the sesame sauce, and slowly put it in his mouth. As he chewed, his expression was indifferent. To the two men's repeated requests for "help," "communication," and "care," he simply brushed them off with ambiguous phrases like "I'll do my best," "I'll remember," and "we'll see how things go."

It was perfunctory, utterly perfunctory.

The Party Secretary and the Factory Director exchanged a glance, both seeing the helplessness in each other's eyes, yet neither daring to offend the other, so they could only smile and offer toasts one after another.

Li Jing'an took a few sips and began to plan:

Since these two people are so clueless and unwilling to "show their appreciation," he'll make up for it himself. It's not skillful to eat for free; true skill lies in getting something for nothing after the meal, and leaving the other person with no way to complain.

With a change of heart, he put down his chopsticks, wiped his mouth, and a gentle smile appeared on his face.

"Please enjoy your meal, I need to use the restroom."

"Oh, okay, Director Li, please, please!" The two quickly stood up and politely greeted each other.

Li Jing'an nodded, pushed open the door, and walked out of the private room.

Outside the private room stood a young male waiter, dressed in faded blue overalls, with a lazy expression, displaying the nonchalance and impatience typical of waiters in small restaurants of that era.

Li Jing'an waved to him.

The young man glanced at it, reluctantly moved over, his brow furrowed, and said in a very sharp tone, "What? Let's talk inside, don't block the way here."

Li Jing'an wasn't annoyed at all.

He's gotten used to that look on his face now.

He didn't say anything, but slowly took out a pack of Peony cigarettes from his pocket, pulled one out, held it between his fingers, and gently handed it over.

The young man's eyes lit up, his impatience vanished instantly, his brows relaxed, and his attitude underwent a complete 180-degree turn. He quickly reached out to take it, tucked it behind his ear, and his tone immediately became much more respectful.

"Sir, please speak, please give your orders!"

Li Jing'an smiled faintly, his voice low: "Could you bring the pots and pans here?"

The young man paused for a moment, then shook his head: "We usually don't deliver. We only deliver to regular customers and old patrons. Otherwise, it's too much trouble to carry the pots, charcoal, plates, and bowls. We're also afraid of losing them."

Li Jing'an didn't seem to mind, saying calmly, "If I deliver it today, won't I be a regular customer from now on?"

He paused, then gave an address: "XX Hutong, not far from here."

The young man did the math in his mind; the journey was indeed short, and it wouldn't take much time to go back and forth. He was immediately tempted.

"I can deliver it... but it'll cost extra."

"How much?" Li Jing'an asked.

"Two cents will do," the young man said in a low voice, this was his side job running errands.

Li Jing'an chuckled softly: "I'll give you fifty cents."

Fifty cents is no small sum for an ordinary waiter. It's enough for half a day's wages.

The young man's eyes lit up instantly, his face beaming with a fawning smile as he nodded repeatedly, "No problem, boss! Don't worry, I'll handle it perfectly!"

"Don't go away, listen to my instructions in a moment." Li Jing'an nodded, turned around and pushed open the door back into the private room.

As soon as he entered, the Party Secretary immediately raised his glass again, his face full of earnestness: "Director Li, you're finally back! We've really troubled you with those things at our factory. We'll never forget your kindness if you're willing to help!"

Li Jing'an took the wine glass, lightly clinked it against his, and said in a still gentle and perfunctory tone, "Don't worry, I'll do my best."

After saying that, he tilted his head back and drank the wine in his glass in one gulp.

He put down his cup, picked up his chopsticks, and took two tender slices of mutton from the boiling copper pot. He coated them in a sauce made of sesame paste, fermented bean curd, and chive blossoms, put them in his mouth, chewed slowly, and then sighed softly, his tone tinged with emotion.

"...Hmm, the meat is really good, tender and flavorful."

Upon hearing this, the Party Secretary immediately followed up, saying, "Director Li, I'm glad you enjoy the food! If you like it, we'll invite you again in a couple of days and arrange a special meal for you!"

Li Jing'an waved his hand, the smile on his face fading slightly, and suddenly revealed a slightly sad, filial expression, and let out a long sigh.

"Sigh, no need. I don't care whether I eat or not, it's just... I suddenly thought of my parents. These past few years have been tough, we've had a lot of ration coupons, and the two of them haven't had a proper hot pot meal in years."

He looked up at the two of them, his voice low and tinged with self-reproach: "As their son, I'm usually too busy with work to take care of the family. I can't even afford to let them have a hot pot meal. It really makes me feel terrible."

These words were spoken with sincerity and the expression was just right, showing both concern for his parents and guilt as a son, without any hint of deliberate scheming.

The Party Secretary and the factory director had no idea what was going on in Li Jing'an's mind; they simply thought he was just feeling sentimental because of the scenery.

The two quickly offered words of comfort: "Director Li, you're such a filial son! It's rare to see someone so thoughtful! How about this, next time we'll invite your parents over too, so we can all sit together and have a lively meal!"

These were exactly the words Li Jing'an had been waiting for.

That's exactly what he was waiting for—for the person to speak up first.

Li Jing'an's face immediately showed gratitude, and he quickly cupped his hands in thanks: "Thank you so much, both of you! But my parents are getting old and don't like going out to join the crowds, nor are they used to eating out, so it won't be so kind of you to come to the restaurant. I'll just take a pot home with me in a bit, and they can eat at home, which will be more comfortable for them."

After saying that, before the Party Secretary and the factory director could react, he turned around and shouted loudly towards the door of the private room:

"Young man!"

The waiter, who had been waiting outside, immediately pushed open the door and strode in, his back ramrod straight and his face respectful: "Sir! What are your orders?"

Li Jing'an looked up at him, his tone calm: "Can you even carry a pot like this?"

The young man was stunned for a moment, then immediately reacted and nodded hurriedly, "Yes! Yes! Don't worry, boss, there's absolutely no problem!"

"Okay." Li Jing'an nodded, his tone crisp. "Prepare a copper pot, enough charcoal, and enough food for six people. Meat, vegetables, seasonings, and sesame seed cakes—all prepared. When I leave, you come with me, and I'll deliver it directly to your home."

The young man immediately agreed, and then added a tip about extra income: "Boss, I can deliver it to your door, but you'll have to pay me 50 cents for the delivery."

"No problem," Li Jing'an readily agreed. "Go and prepare."

The whole process was smooth and seamless.