SFS Chapter 191 Appreciation Banquet
Chapter 191 Appreciation Banquet
Qingyue Restaurant.
Fifteen teachers sat at the table, looking at the surrounding arrangements and feeling a little restrained.
The headmaster faced the landscape painting on the wall, stroked his gray beard and said, "This painting has a great style. It's a beautiful painting..."
The waiter, who was serving the food, smiled and said, "Sir, you have a good eye. This painting is an authentic work by the landscape master Lin Xueshi."
The headmaster's eyes widened. "You said this is the original work of Master Lin, the Master Lin from the upper academy?"
"Yes." After the waiter said that, he saw that the new waiter was clumsy when serving the dishes, so he walked over to help and taught him how to set the table.
The headmaster looked at the painting with burning passion, reaching out to touch it but not daring to, as if he was seeing his beloved girl.
The teacher beside him lowered his voice and said to Tang Yichen, "The master whom the headmaster admires most is this scholar Lin. His landscape paintings are unique and no one can imitate their charm."
"Mr. Lin's original work is actually placed here. If it is damaged by someone who doesn't know its value, wouldn't that be a waste of a good thing?" The headmaster's eyes were full of heartache.
"Don't worry, sir. This wing is not open to the public. The boss usually uses it to entertain friends. The boss is a good friend of Mr. Tang's sister, so he gave this wing to you."
The teachers' eyes changed when they looked at Tang Yichen.
This guy was more pleasing to the eye when his family was poor, but now that his family is rich, he's become a bit hated.
"Gentlemen, these dishes are our signature dishes and have been served. If you have any other instructions, just ring the bell on the wall and we will come in and serve you immediately."
"That's enough food."
"Okay. These wines are all fifty-year-old peach blossom wines. Everyone, please try them first. If you want something stronger, we also have the fifty-year-old Spring Breeze Drunk."
After the waiter left, more than a dozen pairs of eyes looked at Tang Yichen.
"Jinzhi, how much does a banquet like this cost? Even if your family is rich, you can't be so extravagant." said Master Zhong, Tang Yichen's mentor.
"Teacher, don't worry. The boss is friends with my sister and only charges the lowest price. We can enjoy delicious food that others would have to pay ten times as much for at the lowest price. If you think about it this way, don't you think this meal is a good deal?"
The masters: "..."
Tang Yichen stood up and bowed deeply to all the teachers.
"What are you doing?"
Tang Yichen said gratefully, "Back then, my family was poor and couldn't afford the tuition. My mentor waived my tuition and bought me brushes, inkstone, and paper. My mentor's wife also mended my clothes. I will never forget this great kindness."
Master Zhong's eyes were red: "So many years have passed in the blink of an eye. You have not disappointed me and your mistress..."
"All along my journey, Jinzhi has met teachers who have treated me with kindness. The teachers allowed Jinzhi to stay in the academy to study. Jinzhi has a lot to do, so he always comes to the academy to bother the teachers during his days off. The teachers are always willing to teach him. Jinzhi will always remember the great kindness of the teachers."
"You're diligent and capable, and you deserve your current achievements," said the stern-faced teacher next to him. "Sometimes when I see you, I can't help but think of my own youth. If I had your diligence and perseverance back then, even if I didn't get a high rank in the exam, I would at least have passed the imperial examination, right? It's a pity that you only realize your own incompetence at this age."
"Today is a good day for Jinzhi, so let's not say unlucky things," the headmaster said. "Jinzhi, you may be the top scorer this time, but that's only in a county like ours. There are many talented people out there, and there are always people better than you. Once you leave here and see the wider world, you'll realize that this little knowledge is far from enough to help you climb higher and reach further."
"Indeed. Although you took first place this time, countless people in various regions are celebrating their first place like you. Moreover, the provincial examination is held every three years, and these three years gather the most talented of the talented. You must not become arrogant and complacent, but continue to study humbly and compete with those people."
"Jinzhi won a great victory in his first battle today. As division commanders, we wish him well, encourage him, and spur him on. Of course, the most important thing is to raise this glass of wine to celebrate together." The headmaster raised his glass.
The Tang family was having dinner next door.
The two rooms were close to each other and the sound insulation was poor, so the conversation from next door could be clearly heard by them.
Tang Dafu always knew that his son was very outstanding, but he didn't know that his journey was so difficult.
There are indeed geniuses in this world, but talent alone won't get you far. Those who make it to the end are like gold, requiring constant sifting and refinement to reach their most beautiful form. Tang Yichen is gold, but he wasn't born pure. So many people have helped him along the way, each one helping him, including those who have troubled him and tried to make him give up.
The Tang family's dinner was just an ordinary family dinner, and it ended quickly. Qin Huiyin had already booked an inn, and the Tang family would stay there tonight and return to the village tomorrow.
Qin Huiyin asked the waiter to help pass a message to Tang Yichen, letting him know which inn they would be staying in tonight, and also told him that they would go back to the inn and wait for him.
It was Tang Luwu and his sister's first time staying at an inn, and it was a novelty. When the waiter brought them the bath water, they felt a little uncomfortable. But they soon got used to it.
Tang Yi smiled and leaned against the window, saying to Tang Luwu beside him, "Sister, I feel like I'm dreaming."
Tang Luwu had just washed her hair, so it was damp and could only be left hanging. She was much taller than she had been a while ago, her face was rosier, and she had gained some weight, starting to look a bit girlish.
"I also feel that it's too beautiful to be real." Tang Luwu said, "But this isn't a dream, it's real. I pinched myself several times and my hands are swollen."
Tang Luwu stretched out her hand, revealing a bruised patch on the back of her hand.
Tang Yi smiled: "..."
"Little brother, I like my life now. Although we are very busy and tired, we don't have to go hungry anymore, and no one looks down on us anymore. We have a father, a mother, and Yinyin."
"I like it too. I have a healthy body, a warm home, and no longer have to suffer from cold and hunger." Tang Yi said with a smile, "Let's go pick up my brother! He must have been drinking."
"I saw the hangover pills you gave him. But let's go find him. I'm a little worried. He drank last time and looked a little stupid." Tang Luwu said.
Qin Huiyin came over from the next room and said to Tang Luwu and her brother, "It's rare for us to spend the night in the city. Do you want to go to the night market?"
"I want to go." Tang Luwu agreed without hesitation.
"Didn't you say you were worried about my brother and wanted to go find him?" Tang Yi smiled helplessly, "Are you worried now?"
"Let's go to the restaurant first. If they haven't finished yet, have the waiter take him back to the inn later. If he's done, we can go to the night market with him," Qin Huiyin suggested. "Even though my brother has been in the county for so long, with his nerdy personality, I'm afraid he hasn't been to a night market before."