Ordering Dishes
Leonard Li sat down himself, inviting Governor Yale and the members of the Su family to take their seats, but completely ignored the Su family members kneeling on the floor. He was clearly intent on giving them a show of authority.
Governor Yale was more than happy to see Leonard Li vent his anger on the Su family, as long as it wasn’t aimed at him. Cheerfully, he handed over the menu and invited Leonard Li to order.
"Heir Li, today the Su family is hosting this meal to apologize and make amends to you and Lady Su," Governor Yale said with an ingratiating smile. "Fragrant Pavilion is the most famous restaurant in Green Seed City, and the dishes are excellent. Please, Heir Li, order whatever you like."
Leonard Li clicked his tongue. He ate at Fragrant Pavilion often and knew the food was good. As for the best dishes, they naturally came from the recipes provided by Su Li, the restaurant’s co-owner.
Su Shimao knelt on the ground, his eyes darting around. He’d long wanted to befriend Leonard Li but was blocked by Liu Hui and Zhang Bin. Though his family was being humiliated now, the chance to dine together was too valuable—he was determined to seize the opportunity! If he could catch the Heir of Huainan’s eye, Su Shimao might just have a chance to turn his luck around!
At that moment, Leonard Li flipped through the menu, clicking his tongue, "Hmm, the Su family is hosting, and since they’re just farmers and not wealthy, I shouldn’t order anything too expensive."
Hearing this, the Su family breathed a sigh of relief. They thought, this Heir Li is actually pretty considerate. The prices at Fragrant Pavilion were outrageous for them—if he ordered lots of chicken, duck, fish, and rare delicacies, they’d have to borrow money just to pay for the meal.
But suddenly, Su Shimao raised his head and said, "Heir Li, today is our family's apology and we want to show our sincerity. We hope everyone enjoys themselves, so please, don’t hold back—order whatever you like."
The moment Su Shimao said that, the faces of the Su family turned green! Ordering freely in Fragrant Pavilion could easily rack up a bill of several hundred taels!
"Shimao, you don’t make money, so you don’t know how expensive everyday things are! Our family isn’t wealthy, and Heir Li is kindly trying to save us some money. How could you say that?" Madam Zhao tugged hard at Su Shimao’s sleeve.
Su Daqi was anxious too, and scolded in a low voice, "Shimao, you’re not the one paying. Why are you acting so generous?"
But Leonard Li seemed not to hear Madam Zhao and Su Daqi. He glanced at Su Shimao and smiled, "You do know how to behave. Oh, I forgot you’re all still kneeling—come, get up and take your seats."
Su Shimao’s heart leapt with joy—he’d finally caught Heir Li’s attention! This was his first step toward climbing the social ladder!
The Su family’s legs were numb from kneeling. They helped each other up and took their seats.
Old Madam Su glared at Su Li, who was sitting comfortably, her heart full of resentment. She muttered under her breath, "How can that wretched girl just sit there so calmly while her grandparents are kneeling?"
Old Master Su heard his wife grumbling and quickly scolded her in a low voice, "You’re all talk and no sense! Shut up! Su Li has Heir Li’s protection. If you offend her, you’re disrespecting Heir Li—and you want our whole family to suffer?"
Old Madam Su shrank back, frightened, and kept her mouth shut.
Leonard Li looked through the menu and asked Su Li for her opinion, "A-Li, is there anything you’d like to eat?"
Su Li gave a sly smile, "Me? Ever since I fell into the river last time, my appetite’s been poor. I don’t like anything too greasy or heavy—just order a few vegetable dishes for me, something light like stir-fried greens."
Madam Zhao perked up at the mention of vegetables—stir-fried greens were cheap! She quickly added, "Yes, let’s order stir-fried greens! They’re great for clearing the stomach. Too much greasy food isn’t good; vegetables are best! Vegetables for the win!"
"Alright, let’s have one stir-fried greens," Leonard Li nodded. "Since the hosts said to order more vegetables, let’s get the full vegetarian banquet from your menu."
"Vegetarian banquet, perfect!" Madam Zhao thought, this would save them a lot of money. She was feeling quite pleased.
Su Li glanced at Madam Zhao’s foolishly smug face and sneered inwardly: Saving money on vegetables? Clearly, she hasn’t checked what season these vegetables are in—just wait till the bill comes, you’ll be crying over the price!