Chapter 2535

At a little past 11:00 that morning, Yu Ruoqiu and Yu Ruizhi each drove a car, and Su Xinghui also drove a car, picking up the entire Su family and taking them to the private kitchen restaurant, then entering the backyard.

In the room in the backyard dedicated to Yu Ruoqiu, a table had already been set. In the center of the table was a copper charcoal hot pot, prepared for shabu-shabu. Only this kind of copper charcoal hot pot was the most authentic utensil for shabu-shabu.

Yu Ruoqiu smiled and said to Su Wenjun, "Uncle Su, this is a private kitchen restaurant I opened. Today, we are celebrating your birthday here; please feel free to order whatever you like."

Usually, except for a few people like Yu Ruizhi and Su Xinghui, Yu Ruoqiu was cold and frosty to everyone else. But to Su Wenjun, she was very enthusiastic, making Su Wenjun and the others unable to see Yu Ruoqiu's usual personality at all.

Su Wenjun nodded gratefully and said, "Thank you. This is too much trouble for you."

Yu Ruoqiu smiled and said, "Please don't be so formal. Xinghui and Xiaoya are my friends, so what trouble is it for me to invite you to a meal? It's my own restaurant, after all."

Guo Suhua liked Yu Ruoqiu very much. She thought that not only was this girl beautiful, but she also respected the two of them and was so enthusiastic—truly a polite and good child. She looked at the courtyard and said, "You opened a restaurant in this alley? This place isn't big; can you have business? Won't you lose money?"

Su Xinghui smiled and said, "Mom, Ruoqiu won't lose money. For ordinary people to come to her restaurant for a meal, they have to book at least a month in advance, and one table costs at least several thousand yuan."

Guo Suhua opened her mouth wide and said after a long while, "My goodness, it's so expensive, and there are still so many people eating here?"

Lu Xiaoya said, "Yes, Mom. Just this restaurant alone, Ruoqiu earns at least several million a year."

Guo Suhua said, "Miss Yu, then it really cost you a lot today!"

Yu Ruoqiu smiled and said, "Auntie Guo, please don't say that. Actually, I don't open this restaurant to make money anymore; it's just so that when friends come, there's a place to gather."

Yu Ruoqiu really wasn't being pretentious. With her current assets, she really didn't need this restaurant to earn much money. She did indeed open it so that when friends came, there was a place to gather. In addition, this restaurant now had shares from the chef and Manager Wang, so it was also a livelihood for them and had to be kept open.

While they were talking, Manager Wang led the waiters to serve the dishes. Today's dishes were made by the old chef himself. Although he had passed on all his skills to his two sons, some dishes requiring precise heat control still had to be made by the old chef himself to be the best.

For Yu Ruoqiu, Su Xinghui's family were honored guests, so she had the old chef start preparing yesterday and made such a table of good dishes.

As each dish was served, Yu Ruoqiu introduced it to everyone. Today, to entertain these honored guests, the private kitchen restaurant's signature dishes, such as steamed single-clove garlic and stir-fried double-crisp, were of course served. In the very center was a large plate of lamb slices cut as thin as paper.

The taste of the food here was, of course, beyond reproach. With the old chef doing it himself, the heat control was also mastered perfectly. Everyone praised it endlessly. Even Su Xinghui, who had eaten here many times, nodded repeatedly, let alone Su Wenjun and the others who were eating here for the first time.

When the meal was almost finished, Manager Wang brought out a large birthday cake. Everyone helped light the candles together. After Su Wenjun made a wish, he blew out all the candles in one breath, and everyone clapped happily together.

Su Wenjun was always calm, but today he was also very excited. This could be considered the most memorable birthday he had ever had.

After returning to the courtyard house, Su Wenjun talked to Su Xinghui alone for a while. He asked Su Xinghui, "Xinghui, I heard that you haven't been assigned any specific duties yet? You're just a researcher, right?"

Su Xinghui smiled and said, "That's right."

Su Wenjun said, "And they haven't prepared to assign you any specific duties yet?"

Su Xinghui said, "The organization said to let me spend the New Year first and arrange specific tasks after the New Year."

After Su Xinghui returned to Jingcheng from Yanzhong City, he wrote a report on his work situation in Yanzhong City and submitted it to Premier Nan. Premier Nan told him to rest well for a few days and have a good New Year, and his next specific work tasks would be arranged after the Spring Festival.

Su Wenjun was still quite concerned about his son's future. In the past few years, his son had always been smooth sailing in his official career, basically moving up a step every year. Now, only eight years in, he had risen from an ordinary cadre to a division-level cadre. This speed was simply rocket speed.

But while happy, Su Wenjun also knew the dangers of the officialdom. His son had been transferred to Jingcheng for more than three months and had always been a researcher without any specific duties assigned, which made him feel uneasy. So, taking advantage of being alone with his son, he also wanted to ask.

Su Wenjun nodded after hearing Su Xinghui's words and didn't ask any more. He didn't want to put too much pressure on his son. He said, "Alright, as long as you are happy yourself, that's fine."

Su Wenjun didn't actually have many expectations for how high an official his son would become; he was just afraid his son would feel stifled. Now, seeing that his son's mood was quite good, he felt a bit more at ease.

Su Xinghui said, "Dad, a few months ago, I helped save a state-owned enterprise in Yanzhong City, so I feel that I am not an idle person now. My work is still very meaningful, and I feel very happy."

Su Wenjun hadn't heard Su Xinghui talk about his time at the Yanfang Group. Hearing it today, he couldn't help but ask, "Oh, is that so? Then tell me, what did you do there?"

When Su Xinghui was young, he often talked to his father about what he did at school and what achievements he had made, and he liked to tell his father, hoping his father would be proud of him. However, after starting work, the father and son rarely talked heart-to-heart. Today's opportunity was quite good, and the father and son could talk heart-to-heart.

Su Xinghui told his father about his actions at the Yanfang Group. Su Wenjun nodded repeatedly. He was happy that his son could save a large state-owned enterprise, and he was even happier that in the eight years since Su Xinghui started working, he had never forgotten his original intention and could always keep the interests of ordinary people in his heart.

Su Wenjun nodded and said, "Xinghui, you did very well. There are too many laid-off workers now, and they are suffering too much. You really must keep their interests in your heart."

Su Xinghui nodded and said, "Dad, don't worry, I will."

After celebrating Su Wenjun's birthday, it was the 27th day of the twelfth lunar month, only two or three days away from the New Year. Therefore, early on the morning of the 27th, Su Xinghui drove the car, taking Lu Xiaoya and his sister Su Xingyun's couple out to buy New Year's goods.

Actually, there were already quite a few New Year's goods at home. When Su Xinghui returned to Jingcheng from the Yanfang Group, the workers at the Yanfang Group stuffed him with many things, all of which were food specialties from Yanzhong City. Su Xinghui took a few large bags home, and the rest were given to Xia Song and the others.

And at the Department of Economic System Reform, although Su Xinghui hadn't worked there for many days, when they distributed New Year's goods, they still gave Su Xinghui a share, and it was very rich, with fish, meat, chicken, duck, and fruit.

When Su Wenjun and the others came to Jingcheng, they also brought some dried fish and meat specialties from Shangjun. Although not too much, it was enough for the New Year.

However, this courtyard house had just been moved into, and Su Xinghui hadn't been in Jingcheng for a long time, so nothing had been prepared. Therefore, the family still needed to buy some peanuts, melon seeds, candies, pastries, vegetables, window flowers, and such. They also had to buy a set of new clothes for everyone for the New Year, so they had to go to the street for a big shopping spree.

The Department of Economic System Reform was quite decent this time. Not only did they give Su Xinghui New Year's goods, but the Audi car he had been using was also still being provided for his use. This was Yan Xianhua's intention. Otherwise, with Su Xinghui's status as a researcher, it would be impossible to be assigned a car individually.

With this car, many things during the New Year would be much more convenient. In this regard, Su Xinghui was still very grateful to Yan Xianhua.

Of course, even without this car, it would be very easy for Su Xinghui to borrow one from someone, such as Yu Ruizhi, whose Mercedes-Benz Su Xinghui could use at any time. But that would have some influence, after all.

After the few of them drove to the street, they quickly bought peanuts, melon seeds, candies, pastries, and such. Su Xinghui bought some relatively novel dried fruits, such as macadamia nuts, pecans, hazelnuts, and pine nuts. These things were very hard to find in Shangjun County.

As for pastries and candies from old Jingcheng brands, Su Xinghui also bought quite a few to take back. His parents were coming to Jingcheng for the first time, so he, of course, had to let them have a taste.

Su Xinghui also bought quite a few window flowers to paste on the windows for the New Year. Now that there were many rooms in the courtyard house, window flowers had to be pasted on every window, so this was also indispensable. ===== CHAPTER 2537 =====