Chapter 217: Good Food Is Not As Good As Dumplings

Huaihua could not hide the smugness on her face, slightly lifting her chin: "Dawei bought it for me yesterday, a Shanghai Brand~"

Xiao Dang grabbed her younger sister's wrist and brought the watch before her eyes.

The brand-new watch was actually somewhat dazzling.

This was a Shanghai Brand watch, one hundred and seventy yuan each, and it was a case of having the price but no stock; even if you had the money and the ration coupons, you still had to find someone to be able to buy one.

Now that it was actually worn on her younger sister's wrist, Xiao Dang felt like she was about to fall apart.

It was true that they were sisters, and it was also true that the two had a good relationship, but there was still competition and comparison between sisters.

Previously, it had always been Xiao Dang leading her younger sister, and even a few days ago, Huaihua was still as obedient as a little follower in front of her.

But now...

Of course, comparison is comparison; Xiao Dang was not entirely jealous in her heart, and there was also a bit of relief. At least for now, it seemed that Huaihua would likely not live a hard life following Ning Wei.

Turning to think of herself, Xiao Dang felt somewhat dejected.

Up to now, she had been on two dates, but not one was to her liking.

Supposedly, her appearance was not bad; she took after her mother by seventy or eighty percent and was a famous beauty in the alley, and her figure was even more beyond reproach. Every time she went to the public bathhouse, with so many people stripped bare, who was big and who was small was clear at a glance, which always gave her a certain sense of superiority in her heart.

But why couldn't she meet someone like Ning Wei~ Just as Xiao Dang was putting on a brave front on the surface while wallowing in self-pity inside, Ning Wei walked quickly out of the inner courtyard and said to the kitchen: "Uncle He, Aunt Qin, prepare to serve the dishes!"

The few people in the kitchen immediately perked up; Huaihua put away her watch, and Xiao Dang came back to her senses.

Today was the critical moment; whether it was a mule or a horse, it all depended on this time.

Before long, Ning Weidong accompanied the Xieliaosha couple from inside and walked into the canteen in the south-facing room.

Because today was quite special, the original square Eight Immortals table was pushed to the side and replaced with a more imposing pear wood round table.

Because it was a canteen, the interior had not been renovated much, and at first glance, it looked somewhat crude.

The Xieliaosha couple were slightly surprised when they entered; this was completely different from the magnificent style of their Soviet Union and Tsarist Russia.

Ning Weidong smiled and invited them to take their seats.

At this time, the newly hired Li Hong and Wang Xia, wearing waiter uniforms, brought up several sets of tableware.

Ning Weidong introduced: "There are many nuances to eating Official Cuisine. Just take this set of tableware, for example; they are all imperial kiln porcelain. This set is from the Jiaqing era of the Qing Dynasty, equivalent to your Alexander I."

Xieliaosha and Liudemila were slightly surprised; they did not expect the tableware in front of them to be antiques from two hundred years ago.

At this time, He Yuzhu came to the kitchen door, dressed in a Zhongshan Suit, nearly 1.8 meters tall, looking quite decent when dressed up, wearing a snow-white apron and a chef's hat.

He gestured to Ning Wei, and Ning Wei nodded.

Immediately, dish after dish was brought out from the kitchen.

At the same time, Ning Wei took a bottle of wine from the side.

Ning Weidong smiled, twisted open the bottle, and poured it for Xieliaosha and Liudemila.

Xieliaosha said: "Chinese white spirit?"

Ning Weidong smiled and said: "China has more than just white spirit; it also has vodka. This is our Chinese vodka."

Xieliaosha was stunned. He knew that Poland had vodka, Sweden had vodka, and Finland did too... but he had never heard that China also had vodka.

Filled with curiosity, the couple could not help but take a few extra looks.

The square, long-necked glass bottle had a very well-designed label in the middle, with the words 'Vodka' written in Chinese, Russian, and English.

The bottle was carefully selected by Ning Weidong, chosen as the best-looking one among several dozen white spirit bottles.

The label was designed and printed by him personally.

As for the wine inside, it was made by using laboratory tools to filter and purify it on a small scale, then mixing it with pure water to create a 55-degree alcoholic liquid.

In reality, this bottle of wine was the true protagonist of this meal.

"My friend, taste how the flavor of our Chinese vodka is~" Ning Weidong was the first to raise his glass.

Xieliaosha did not stand on ceremony, and Liudemila was even more heroic, downing the two-tael glass in one gulp.

In an instant, a fiery sensation went down her throat.

It did not have the taste of traditional white spirit; it was indeed close to the crisp taste of vodka, and the flavor was very clean.

"Ah~" Xieliaosha exhaled a breath of alcohol and could not help but feel a bit excited.

He did not expect that China actually had vodka, and it tasted quite good.

Ning Weidong watched their expressions from the side; seeing the reaction of the Xieliaosha couple after drinking the wine, he knew that more than half of the subsequent matter was already successful.

However, Ning Weidong was not in a hurry to speak, as that would make his purpose seem too strong.

It was still that saying: things forced are not good business.

Today was just laying the groundwork.

The meal lasted for an hour and could be described as a pleasure for both host and guest.

After sending Xieliaosha away, Ning Weidong had slightly flushed cheeks and also carried a bit of alcohol, smiling as he came to the kitchen.

"Master He, it truly lives up to its reputation!" Ning Weidong shook hands with He Yuzhu: "Today, entertaining foreign guests, everyone worked hard. Everyone gets a twenty-yuan bonus, and Master He gets one hundred."

The eyes of everyone in the kitchen lit up. Twenty yuan was not a small amount at this time; many workers in the Big Collective, working themselves to the bone for a month, only made twenty-something yuan.

He Yuzhu was even more exaggerated, getting a reward of one hundred all at once.

He used to be the Squad Leader of the chefs at the Rolling Mill, and he only made forty-something yuan a month.

However, others could not be jealous of this money; he truly had the skills.

He Yuzhu was also overjoyed and thanked him repeatedly.

It was not in vain that he had been so busy these past few days for this banquet.

Ning Weidong returned to the Office, drank a few sips of tea, and the alcohol effect faded.

He pondered the next step in his mind.

Now that he had let Xieliaosha know and personally drink 'Chinese vodka', the next step was to let things take their natural course and let the other party discover the huge benefits contained within.

There was no rush for this.

Just at this moment, the telephone on the table rang.

Ning Weidong's train of thought was interrupted; he reached out, grabbed the receiver, and said, "Hello."

An Ning's voice came from the other end of the line: "What have you been busy with lately~ You've forgotten all about me, haven't you~"

Ning Weidong laughed: "I've been busy with plenty of things. Do you have something on your mind?"

An Ning said: "Let's meet and talk~"

Ning Weidong raised his hand to check his watch: "Where to?"

An Ning said: "Come to my place, I'll make dumplings for you."

Ning Weidong clicked his tongue: "Nothing tastes better than dumplings, nothing is more fun than a sister-in-law~"

"You're only good with your mouth; why don't you actually come over~" An Ning teased: "Hurry up, I'm already kneading the dough."

After hanging up the phone, Ning Weidong's smile faded; he knew An Ning wasn't looking for him just to eat dumplings.

However, he also happened to want to find An Ning.

Forty-some minutes later, Ning Weidong rode his bike to the Overseas Chinese Apartment.

An Ning had drawn her eyebrows and was dressed in casual yet deliberate attire; at a glance, she was quite charming.

When she came to open the door, her sleeves were rolled up above her elbows, her hands were covered in white flour, and she was indeed making dumplings. "Close the door~" An Ning said familiarly, ignoring Ning Weidong and immediately turning back inside.

Ning Weidong closed the door, glanced at the slippers prepared on the floor, kicked off his leather shoes, and changed into them.

The dough and filling were laid out on the dining table outside the kitchen.

An Ning said: "Two kinds of filling, three-delicacy and green pepper with pork." As she spoke, she looked slightly surprised, smelling the alcohol on Ning Weidong: "Did you drink at noon?"

Ning Weidong reached out, pulled out a chair by the dining table, and sat down: "Two foreign guests came to the company, I had to host them."

An Ning's heart stirred: "Foreign guests?"

Ning Weidong said: "What, am I not allowed to have two foreign clients?"

"You didn't say that." After this period of time, An Ning had gradually found the rhythm of getting along with Ning Weidong, and said very relaxedly: "Do you know how to wrap them? Go wash your hands and help me wrap a few."

Ning Weidong acted like a pampered master: "Don't want to~"

An Ning rolled her eyes and said: "Fine, you are the master~"

Ning Weidong teased: "I heard that in the past, the masters of the banner families were particular about boiling only five at a time, eating them while they were piping hot."

An Ning looked speechless and said: "Why don't you just dream on~ It's like you're treating me as your maid."

Ning Weidong chuckled: "Then are you willing or not?"

An Ning shot him a glare and said helplessly: "Fine, whatever you say."

Ning Weidong felt that was enough; he stopped teasing An Ning and turned to ask: "Any news from your cousin lately?"

Ever since reconnecting with Ning Weidong last time, An Zhiyuan had confirmed Ning Weidong's requirements and had already returned to Hong Kong to report the situation.

An Ning said: "A telegram just came two days ago, saying he'll be back on the tenth or so of next month."

Ning Weidong nodded and added: "By the way, my company needs a few cars. You contact that side and help me get a few."

An Ning's hand wrapping the dumpling paused, and she immediately asked: "What are the requirements? New cars or old cars?"

Between her and Ning Weidong now, what she feared most was Ning Weidong having no requirements.

Ning Weidong said: "Seventy or eighty percent new is fine. Don't be too flashy, and don't try to fool me with cut-and-shut cars."

An Ning was stunned and blinked her eyes: "What's a cut-and-shut car?"

Ning Weidong realized that An Ning had grown up in Beijing and didn't understand the situation in Hong Kong, so he explained: "It means stolen cars where the body is cut up, dismantled into parts, and then smuggled and reassembled. Cutting them open and welding them back together is never reliable."

An Ning understood then, nodded, and said: "I know."

After finishing this topic, An Ning had almost finished wrapping, so she started boiling water to cook the dumplings.

Saying she boiled five at a time was half a joke, but An Ning only put a dozen or so in the pot at once; she would wait until they were almost eaten before putting in new ones, keeping the water in the pot boiling the whole time.

Although Ning Weidong had eaten at noon, he had to discuss business with Xieliaosha, so it was a business meal.

No matter how good He Yuzhu's cooking was, he couldn't eat his fill, so he wasn't full at all.

Plus, Ning Weidong had a big appetite, so eating another round of dumplings was normal.

Truth be told, An Ning's dumplings were actually quite high-quality; the meat filling was seasoned very tastily.

Paired with the aged vinegar from Jin Province, it really suited Ning Weidong's palate.

Only when he had eaten enough did he remember to ask: "By the way, why did you call me today?"

An Ning put down her chopsticks and said: "If you hadn't mentioned it, I almost forgot. Do you remember that matter I told you about last time?"

Ning Weidong was surprised: "What matter?"

An Ning said: "The things my father left behind back then..."

Ning Weidong raised an eyebrow.

An Ning had indeed mentioned it to him before, but there had been no follow-up since.

After Ning Weidong confirmed his relationship with Zhao Ruyi, he hadn't been as attentive to her side, just assuming the matter had passed.

He didn't expect An Ning to bring it up again today.

Ning Weidong's mind raced, and he immediately guessed seven or eight tenths of it.

It was likely that An Ning had found some clues earlier and thought she could handle it alone, so she didn't look for Ning Weidong again.

After all, since Ning Weidong confirmed his relationship with Zhao Ruyi, his status was no small matter; to seek him out again, she would likely have to pay a greater price.

Now that she was bringing up the old matter again, it was likely she had encountered a problem she couldn't solve and had to turn to Ning Weidong once more.

Thinking this through, Ning Weidong couldn't help but smile, saying meaningfully: "Ran into trouble?"

An Ning felt a trace of embarrassment, but it was only for an instant; she hummed and said softly: "I did run into a little trouble, help me out, won't you~"

"A little trouble?" Ning Weidong chuckled, picked up a dumpling dipped in vinegar, and stuffed it into his mouth: "I don't think so~ Tell me about it."

An Ning stopped wasting words and immediately explained the situation.

It turned out that her father had anticipated that trouble might arise back then, so he had exchanged most of the family's funds into hard currency and hidden it away.

He had prepared to endure for two or three years first.

It was just that he hadn't expected that while he had accurately judged the situation, he had underestimated the subsequent developments.

He had thought he could get through it in two or three years at most, but who would have known it would suddenly be ten years.

What was even more fatal was that the people he had befriended back then all became like clay bodhisattvas crossing a river when the critical moment arrived.

Added to the fact that An Ning was not by his side at the time, some key information could not be passed on, ultimately leaving An Ning unaware of exactly where that wealth was hidden.

She could only rely on some clues left behind by her parents to search for it.

Originally, some time ago, with An Zhiyuan returning, it allowed her to re-establish contact with the Overseas An Family and obtain some resources from them, which made her overjoyed.

An Ning thought she could manage on her own, and even felt some regret for having mentioned this matter to Ning Weidong earlier.

It was just that later, Ning Weidong didn't ask, which gave her a glimmer of hope, so she simply let the matter drop.

But reality was far from as simple as she had imagined, and very soon she encountered a problem she could not solve.

After listening, Ning Weidong organized his thoughts and said, "In other words, you have already found the place, but now it has been occupied by another unit."

An Ning nodded hurriedly, "Can you think of a way?"

Ning Weidong pondered and said, "What is that unit called?"

An Ning said, "It is the Fumin Hostel on the north side of Chang'an Avenue. That was originally my family's property, but later it underwent public-private partnership and was sold directly to the state. Now half of that building is still a hostel, and the other half is the Office for the district Literature and Art Federation."

Ning Weidong suddenly understood; there must have been some underhanded maneuvering involved in this.

Given the original scale of the An Family, a single hostel was really not very conspicuous, and they had utilized this point to make a clean break on the surface.

But after selling it, the An Family still retained a certain degree of control over this Fumin Hostel.

This was also easy to understand; although the shares were bought and the rights and responsibilities were changed, who the staff inside listened to was another matter entirely.

It was just that An Ning's father hadn't expected that despite all his calculated schemes, he would still be ruthlessly crushed by the tide of the era.

Times had changed, and today's Fumin Hostel was long since different from the past, with other units mixed in; no wonder An Ning was at her wit's end.

However, for Ning Weidong, this might not necessarily be very difficult.

It was just uncertain how much of An Ning's story was true and how much was false; this woman was certainly no simple character.

(End of this chapter)