Chapter 111: Invite Wang Jianye to the Banquet Again
After Wang Jianye parted ways with Qin Huairu, he spent ten cents to buy a portion of braised pork at a small shop on the street and asked the shop owner to put a handful of cilantro in it because he loved cilantro.

After eating and drinking his fill outside, Wang Jianye returned to the Qianmen courtyard.

He drank too much last night and when he got home, he acted like a hooligan to Liang Ladi without knowing it, bullying this helpless young widow. He felt very sorry for that.

When entering the gate of the courtyard today, Wang Jianye met Liang Ladi again.

Before he could say anything, Liang Ladi greeted him with a smile as usual: "Master Wang, you're back."

"Well, I'm back."

Wang Jianye didn't know what to say, but seeing that Liang Ladi's attitude towards him had not changed, he guessed that she was no longer angry with him.

"By the way, Chen Xiaoyang has made great progress in the past two days. My master, who is also his master's master, has praised him."

"Really?"

Liang Ladi was very happy when she heard that Chen Xiaoyang performed so well.

Wang Jianye nodded and said with a smile: "He is even more diligent and hardworking than I was. I have never seen a chef apprentice who works as hard as him."

"Thank you, Master Wang. You must have taken a lot of trouble."

"Sister Liang, you're welcome. As his master, it's my duty to spend more time and effort on him."

Wang Jianye talked more to Liang Ladi about Chen Xiaoyang's performance in the kitchen.

This made Liang Ladi feel very happy, and she went home happily to praise her son.

Wang Jianye returned to his home.

The lights were still on, and his two younger brothers, Wang Jianwen and Wang Jianwu, had not left after receiving their lunch boxes.

"Brother, you are back."

"You want to tell me something?"

After Wang Jianye entered the room, he closed the door casually.

"Yes, I have something to tell you. The eldest son of the second uncle's family in our courtyard has arranged a blind date and is planning to hold a wedding banquet in the courtyard. He wants to invite you over."

"Liu Guangqi is getting married? When?"

Wang Jianye asked.

"We've already obtained the marriage certificate today, and we're going to have the wedding banquet this weekend. Are you free, brother?"

Wang Jianye thought for a moment and said, "I'm free on the weekend. I'm off that day, so I can take my apprentice to prepare a wedding banquet for his family."

"Then I'll go back and tell them?"

Wang Jianwen asked.

Wang Jianye didn't rush to agree. He had to ask clearly, "How much money do they plan to give me?"

Although we have been neighbors for many years and he is not short of money, we cannot let him help us in vain and get nothing in return.

"Uncle Er said he plans to host five tables, and he'll give you fifty cents for each table."

Wang Jianwen said so.

When Wang Jianye prepared a banquet for the Jia family, the Jia family gave him 30 cents for each table. Liu Haizhong wanted to save face, so the wine and food he prepared were definitely better than those of the Jia family, and he would definitely give more money to the chef.

"How many dishes do you want for the table, Uncle? How many cold and hot dishes do you want? How much do you want?"

Wang Jianye asked again.

Only after he has asked all these questions can he decide whether to take on this job.

Wang Jianwen continued, "Second Uncle said that he plans to charge three yuan per table, with six dishes per table, two meat dishes and four vegetarian dishes. The specific dishes will be decided by you."

Wang Jianye thought for a moment and asked, "Did you bring paper and pen?"

"Uh, I didn't bring it. Don't you have it here, brother?"

Brothers Wang Jianwen and Wang Jianwu did not do their homework here today, so they did not bring these two things.

As for Wang Jianye, he didn't have any paper or pen. He had no use for these two things. "Wait a moment, I'll go find someone to borrow some."

Wang Jianye got up and left the house, passed the hanging flower gate and the corridor and entered the central courtyard, and then came to Liang Ladi's family who lived in the east wing.

"Master, you are here."

When Chen Xiaoyang opened the door and saw that it was Wang Jianye, he quickly invited him in.

"Sister Liang, what are you guys talking about so happily?"

When Wang Jianye saw that Liang Ladi had several children, he kept smiling and asked curiously.

"Master Wang, I asked Chen Xiaoyang what happened in the kitchen, and he told me a little bit. I heard that he has made great progress, and several other chefs have recognized him, so we are very happy."

Liang Ladi said.

Chen Xiaoyang felt a little embarrassed.

Wang Jianye smiled and talked about the purpose of his visit.

Without Liang Ladi's instructions, Chen Xiaoyang hurriedly found paper and pen, and went to the front yard of the house with Wang Jianye.

"Hello, Brother Chen."

When Wang Jianwen and Wang Jianwu saw Chen Xiaoyang, they politely called him "brother".

Chen Xiaoyang agreed, then sat down on the chair, put the paper in his hand on the table, and held a pen in one hand.

Wang Jianye put his hands behind his back and walked a few steps in the room thinking, "Chen Xiaoyang, remember, I made the following... um, I plan to make the following dishes, hot and sour potato shreds, pork stewed with cabbage and vermicelli, braised potato cubes, vinegar-fried cabbage, dry-pot potatoes, sweet and sour carp, have you remembered everything?"

Chen Xiaoyang nodded, "I have finished remembering Master."

Wang Jianye took it and took a look. After confirming that it was correct, he handed the written menu to Wang Jianwen: "When you go back, show this to Second Uncle. If you are satisfied, come and tell me tomorrow. I will cook according to this menu. They will prepare enough ingredients for five tables. If you are not satisfied, let them discuss and modify it, and then you can show it to me tomorrow."

"understood."

Wang Jianwen nodded and took note of it.

Wang Jianye then instructed, "I am now the second chef. Only 50 cents per table is too low. Tell them to give them an extra 10 cents per table."

For Wang Jianye, fifty cents is acceptable.

But he suddenly remembered that he would bring Chen Xiaoyang with him to cook, so he had to add Chen Xiaoyang's share.

Even though Chen Xiaoyang had only been learning from him for two days, he hadn't even finished shredding the potatoes.

But since he was bringing him along, Liu Haizhong had to give him more money.

……

The next afternoon.

Wang Jianye sat on the back seat of the bicycle ridden by Chen Xiaoyang. After returning home, he met Wang Jianwen and Wang Jianwu.

"Have you told him?"

"I told you everything."

Wang Jianwen nodded, "Second Uncle said there is no problem with the menu he set for you. He will prepare the ingredients according to this, and he will give you 70 cents per table."

Originally Wang Jianye asked for an extra dime, but unexpectedly Liu Haizhong gave him an extra two dime.

"Good."

Wang Jianye was quite satisfied, and asked Wang Jianwen and his brother to go back and tell the second uncle that it was settled, and then he would go back the night before to check.

After the Wang Jianwen brothers left.

Wang Jianye said to Chen Xiaoyang, "This weekend, come with me to the courtyard in Nanluoguxiang. I'm going to prepare a banquet for someone. If you help me, I won't let you work for free. I'll give you 20 cents per table. For five tables combined, that's one dollar."

"No, no, no, Master. I don't know anything yet. I am already very satisfied if I can help you. I can't take this money."

Chen Xiaoyang quickly refused.

(End of this chapter)