Chapter 532: Eat Your Fill, Then Propose

Major life events cannot be taken lightly.

Especially a wedding banquet—must secure the organizing rights for yourself.

This concerns Yu Dazhang's future status at home.

You can yield on everything else, but saving face matters absolutely.

If Qu Wannian handles it, he'll surely book a five-star hotel—luxury goes without saying.

But outsiders will surely laugh at Yu Dazhang for being incapable.

Because such a standard clearly isn't affordable for an ordinary family.

So this time, he'll arrange a banquet fitting his family's means, so everyone knows it's arranged by the groom's side.

There's another important reason.

His job nature.

As always: public officials must maintain personal image.

If it's too decadent, his colleagues probably won't dare show up.

"Then tell me, how does your family plan to arrange it?" Qu Wannian still wasn't reassured.

As for this, Yu Dazhang actually had a clear idea, because his mother had nagged him about it at home before.

Though he was too lazy to listen, hearing it so often, he had absorbed it.

"My mom booked a Chinese restaurant—on the engagement day, we'll rent the whole place, each table has 18 dishes, 588 yuan."

Yu Dazhang puffed out his chest, raised his head, and said:

"We'll estimate how many guests will come, and our family will arrange according to headcount—don't worry, the venue will be more than enough."

After he finished speaking, the Qu family's parlor fell silent.

Qu Wannian gripped his wine glass, staring blankly at Yu Dazhang, his lips moving several times but no words coming out.

Eighteen dishes, 588 yuan?

Qu Tuotuo and her mother were also stunned.

Brother, this is Songhai.

Even ordinary families don't cut corners this badly for banquets.

"Each table also includes two large bottles of soft drinks and one bottle of baijiu."

Seeing them stare fixedly at him, Yu Dazhang quickly added:

"The dishes are balanced between meat and vegetables—tasty but affordable."

Each table includes drinks and baijiu? The family's minds were spinning.

After drinking that much, won't people lose control?

But who dares drink it?

Qu Wannian, back when he served in the military, had endured hardship—he'd drunk cheap liquor, even fake baijiu.

Back then, he was young, strong, and metabolized fast.

At his age now, he simply can't risk fake liquor—if he doesn't survive, he's gone.

"Big Zhang, didn't your aunt visit more than one restaurant?"

It was Qu Tuotuo speaking—she wanted to give Yu Dazhang a way out, to let him retract his words.

But Yu Dazhang felt his mother's arrangement was perfectly fine.

In a few years, a "Anti-Waste Convention" will emerge, setting the standard: banquets of two tables or more must not exceed 18 dishes per table, with minimum spend of 588 yuan.

The minimum spend ensures merchant profit and prevents cutthroat competition.

If you want to compete, offer free drinks or upgrade the food quality.

"Why visit so many restaurants?"

Yu Dazhang looked unconcerned:

"It's settled— I've seen that restaurant, the ambiance is decent."

He'd lived two lifetimes—he knew lavish displays invite trouble.

Within the system, many people fell because of this.

"I have only one request."

Seeing Yu Dazhang's firm stance, Qu Wannian understood a bit and suggested:

"Let's bring our own drinks—don't use the restaurant's. I'm afraid of problems."

Everyone coming from our side is respectable—if they drink cheap brand liquor, it'll be a loss of face.

Especially now, most people are sub-healthy—if someone gets sick from it, won't that just invite trouble?

"Fine, it's settled."

The request was modest, so Yu Dazhang agreed on his mother's behalf.

After that came another round of gorging.

After eating and drinking their fill, Yu Dazhang stood up, pulled a delicate little box from his pocket, and knelt on one knee before Qu Tuotuo.