Before entering the banquet hall, Jiang Chen who had been walking ahead of me suddenly stopped and walked a few paces back to stand by my side. He bent his elbow and looked at me as though he was offering it.
I looked back at him suspiciously, "Do we have to strike a pose? Who's taking the pictures for us?"
He glared at me so I quickly laughed it out, squinting my eyes, "I'm just joking with you."
After I was done talking, I slipped my hand into the crook of his arm, and lightly held unto it, "There's a thing in the movies where everyone has to be arm-in-arm when making an entrance."
I looked at my hand that was clutching on his black suit when all of a sudden, a knot seems to be forming in my chest, I couldn't help but grasp his arm firmly. He bent his head to look down at me, and said softly as if trying to gently calm me, "Go look around as if you're watching a movie."
I looked around the banquet hall. A large crystal chandelier was hanging from the ceiling, twinkling in a multitude of brilliant lights and vibrant colors. Under the chandelier were wandering men and women with wine glasses all lively. Long tables were covered in tablecloths the colour of champagne, and filled with food that it makes one's mouth water. This is definitely a movie about gourmet.
"Chen Xiaoxi, don’t just look at the food, smile.” Jiang Chen suddenly bent over and whispered quite close to my ear, his hot breath tickling it. I couldn’t help but shot him a glare.
"Smile." He said once again.
I followed his line of sight — a group of people were slowly walking towards us, crowding around a small, familiar-looking old man.
Jiang Chen half dragged me towards them. I asked him through the forced smile plastered on my face, “Which one is your patient?”
"That old man in the middle."
When I looked at said man though, he was beaming in the pink of health, and doesn't look like someone who just recovered from a serious illness so I inquired, "What's his illness?"
"Heart disease."
Jiang Chen was just about done with his reply when we've finally reached them.
They greeted each other with a simple handshake, I heard Jiang Chen calling him Secretary Zhang* and it dawned on me where the feeling of familiarity came from — I saw him in the local news and not only that, I saw him lots of times. The fact that I watch the local news no more than ten times an entire year, his appearance in them is certainly very high then. It will be good if we're introduced，after all, he's a very sought-after member of the ruling class* of society. (T/N: secretary means a chief official of a branch of a socialist or communist party. The ruling class refers to the elite, upper echelons of society)
Secretary Zhang was all smiles, looking at me, "Is this Little Jiang's girlfriend?"
I shot a quick look at Jiang Chen and thought to myself if I should send the Buddha to the furthest of West*, I put on a smile and nodded, "Hello, my name is Chen Xiaoxi." (T/N: Sending Buddha to the West is a proverb meaning if you're helping someone then help them till the end, not giving up halfway.)
Secretary Zhang also nodded. Men of this age are rather kind, when he smiles his appearance looks like that of a mere mortal who finally achieved immortality through cultivation, “Miss Chen looks really beautiful, indeed a talented man and a beautiful woman*. I was actually thinking of introducing my granddaughter to Little Jiang, it seems like my granddaughter doesn’t have enough luck.” (T/N: means ideal couple)
I didn't know how to answer to that, so I just smiled apologetically. Jiang Chen decided to take on the subject himself, "Secretary Zhang's favor and high regards, I dare not make presumptions*." (T/N: lit. dare not pull myself up high, a humble phrase of someone not daring to make friends or settle as relatives with people in a higher status than themselves.)
Secretary Zhang laughed and suddenly announced in a clear, distinct voice, "Ladies and gentlemen."
His voice wasn’t particularly loud, however, there’s a strange summoning force to it. The hall packed with people went silent and seemingly turned their heads towards our general direction. My hand that was pulling Jiang Chen’s arm subconsciously tightened, he extended his other hand and gently patted the back of my hand.
Secretary Zhang raised the wine glass in his hand, “This is my benefactor, Dr. Jiang. I’m asking everyone to help me thank Dr. Jiang and his girlfriend with a glass of wine. Thank you!”
When he was done with his toast, we were then handed a glass of wine each.
Jiang Chen also made a toast to him, "I'm simply doing my job."
Honestly speaking, I was really terrified, I’ve never meet the people of this kind. In my memory, the biggest crowd I've ever faced was when I joined a choir competition during grade school. At that time I was right in the middle of a group of children singing with our mouth wide open. My legs on the other hand, were trembling as that of someone with infantile paralysis.
Now, a bunch of people were looking our way in unison, moreover, every single one of them is an elite — tycoons, influential officials and such. I wanted to say I’m just an ordinary person who just came over to watch a movie so please don’t look at me.
Fortunately, the limelight was on us for only a short while. When everyone was done drinking, they quickly resumed to where they had left off, only then did I also notice that in my nervousness, I spilled wine on my hand.
It was only Secretary Zhang who seems as though he has no intentions of letting us go and toasted us another glass of wine again.
“Little Jiang, when you get married, remember to send me an invitation.”
"We will surely send out an invitation but you mustn’t drink anymore wine, your heart can’t stand it.” Jiang Chen said smiling, in a tone laced with strong authority unique to that of doctors.
Secretary Zhang actually let out a smile and put the glass down. I was thinking about how to escape unharmed, and looked down languidly at the skirt I was wearing, analyzing where I should wipe my dirty hand so as the stain wouldn’t be too obvious.
“Chen Xiaoxi, go to the restroom.” Jiang Chen said before he was whisked away by Secretary Zhang.
After I was done washing my hands, I spotted Jiang Chen and Secretary Zhang from a distance, surrounded by a group of people. I hesitated for a moment, I think it's more fun to stay right beside the long table and stuff myself. Anyway, I've already shown my ability of blocking the Secretary's granddaughter, now I can finally show the ability of my stomach.
I stood right beside the table, observing it for a moment. I found out that the food looked the same when they were taken out, as the few people who went to table stayed there for no more than ten seconds. So I felt reassured and took a big plate, prepared to eat everything from the beginning of the table right till the end, and to satisfy my desire to exploit the ruling class.
I was only able to eat four dishes when I encountered an obstacle. Of course it’s not about being full, I’m very confident about my stomach.
In front of me was a group of women. They were chatting by the table, and are naturally dressed for the banquet with brands that I obviously can’t afford. It’s hard to say if they look beautiful, as their makeup was done by someone with the hands of the gods. Indeed, the true features of the human race already cease to exist.
As the table was pushed right against the wall, and by the looks of it, these women are going to stand there forever, I probably wouldn’t be able to try every food there is before the banquet is over. Just by the thought of it, I’m already itching to set this group of women on fire.
I silently walked past them, intending to eat the dishes placed at far end of the table. When I passed by their side, I was called over by a woman, “Hello, Dr. Jiang’s girlfriend.”
I turned around, the girl who spoke to me looked beautiful, even though she was also dress to the nines and wearing thick makeup, she was able to look amorous and refined. She looked quite a bit like the Cleopatra in my middle school’s World History textbook, and also amazingly tall wearing a pair of high heels which I reckon, is more than ten centimeters — a look that can’t be put together without breaking through the roof of the banquet hall.
I smiled at her, "Hi."
She came close to me and pulled my hand, “My grandfather being able to recover this time was truly thanks to Dr. Jiang. I was in the hospital looking after our old man when he got sick and I can say that Dr. Jiang is really dedicated to his patients. For around half a month, I hardly ever seen him leave the hospital. It’s fortunate that he has a girlfriend like you who is understanding of such things.”
I know that I’m quite sensible, but this really has nothing to do with me…….
I was still holding the big plate on one hand, the other was pulled by her. I had no choice but to stare at her hand that was holding mine, so soft as if there’s no bones, her fingers long and slender like pared scallions, her nails coated with a layer of pale pink, looking like the layer of brine sauce dripping from a first-rate Hong Kong-style chicken feet.
Perhaps she noticed my awkwardness and loosen her hold on my hand. “I think Dr. Jiang is still being dragged around by my grandpa. Being alone you’ll get bored, come and join our chat.”
I had to put my plate down, assume an air of enthusiasm and listen to them talk. I’ve managed to catch bits of their topic, Ivy League schools abroad, holiday resorts, famous brands……I really don’t understand these things, so I wasn’t interested.
Now they’re talking about whose rich family was raising a dog with a very long breed name, whose rich family was rearing a foal, etcetera……..This animal topic soon switched to food.
A woman with a ferocious mouth of a beast* said, “The French truffles that XX restaurant air-freighted arrived. I just went to eat yesterday, it was pretty good.” (T/N: means someone who looks very covetous or greedy)
“Really? I’ll have my boyfriend take me there tomorrow.”
“I heard that the blackfin tuna in YY restaurant is good too. "
“Really? Then we’ll go there in another day. But I still prefer Kobe beef. "\n“If I want to eat truffles, I’ll fly to either France or Italy, French black truffle is pretty good, Italian white truffle is alright too. I don’t eat blackfin tuna. Kobe beef is something I have no choice but to eat when going to Japan. However, I’d rather eat caviar and only the freshest. If the globules look plump and smooth, then without any seasoning or other food, I’d use a spoon made from ivory and eat a spoonful from a chilled glass bowl.” A sweet and charming voice strangely made this group of rich, young misses miraculously turn silent.
I look at the woman who just spoke, she was leaning lazily against the table, smiling yet not smiling, and is very beautiful. Her beauty is not that of a goddess from the heavens who doesn’t eat worldly food*, her beauty is aggressive, you can even say flashy. It’s the kind that when a man sees her, they couldn’t help but indulge in their own fantasies, and when a woman does, they couldn’t help but want to throw sulfuric acid on her beautiful face. (T/N: According to folklore, the Daoists believed that celestial beings never ate cooked food. Later on, this phrase was used to describe a person who has otherworldly qualities similar to that of celestial beings – a pure beauty.)
She was wearing a customized greenish coloured qipao* embroidered with red flowers. The dress doesn’t have exaggerated slits or a plunging neckline but only clung to her curves like a glove. For the first time in my life I finally saw someone look tempting in clothes that's actually conservative. (T/N: a close-fitting Chinese dress with a mandarin collar and slits)
I also noticed that when she spoke, the women around showed a look of disdain, so much that some even whispered "vixen" under their breaths.
When I heard the word "vixen", I felt completely relieved, that's right, growing into such a bad vixen is truly a waste of talent.
Perhaps because the conversation has gone stale, the granddaughter of the host, Miss Zhang, suddenly turned to me with a smile and asked, “What does Miss Chen usually like to eat?”
I was caught off guard by her question, don’t know if she was trying to save the show or trying to embarrass me, so I replied evasively, “I don’t have something I particularly like to eat, I usually just eat at random.”
“I saw Miss Chen eating a lot of stuff just now, surely you’ve done quite a research on food, don’t keep your secret so selfishly.”
“It’s like this.” I rubbed the back of neck, a bit distressed. “I think Nissin’s egg instant noodles is quite delicious. Master Kong is alright too. I also like mine a bit soggy. And then the eggs, it’s best to have two; crack one and mix it with the noodles, the other one is poached at the side. When it has come to a boil, only then will you add the seasoning, don’t add any more than that, just that bit to make it palatable, a lil’ salt, and some soy sauce. Truly delicious.”
There was silence as though the Grim Reaper came.
See? Why must you let me share my expertise? I really didn't want to.
That’s it folks. Don’t forget to talk to us on our SNS!