Counterattack Strategies

On the day of the birthday banquet, the sun was shining brightly, and the staff at the villa started their busy work early.

After several elderly people woke up and had the longevity noodles personally made by Lu Jingqian, they chatted for a while before strolling leisurely towards the grand hall below the villa, waiting to welcome the guests who were coming to the banquet.

The children and grandchildren of the Hong family had already stayed at the villa yesterday, specifically waiting to entertain the guests today. However, the number of guests coming today might be overwhelming for the Hong family’s children. The other elderly people had a close friendship with Mr. Hong for decades, closer than relatives, so their children were also called to help with the reception.

To facilitate the guests’ entry without crowding, the villa had already opened all three main gates, waiting for the guests to arrive.

Lu Jingqian sat in the resting area of the kitchen’s head chef while sipping tea and watching the other chefs and apprentices busy at work.

The villa had been open for over a month now, and since he had taught the other chefs some dishes, he was no longer as tired as during the initial opening period. Most of the time, he just drank tea and managed the overall situation in the kitchen. Unless there were important guests or he was cooking for the old masters, he spent less time personally cooking now.

Today was Grandpa Hong Boxiao’s birthday banquet, and soon he would go to the courtyard where the guests were being received to cook and let everyone watch. After finishing the dishes, they would be served directly. There would be at most four or five tables that he needed to personally cook for, which he could handle.

He knew that Mr. Yan and the members of the Gourmet Association would be coming today. The original host’s grandfather was also one of them. Now that he was cooking for the Hong family, it would be fine if the quality is going to be average, but he wondered what their expressions would be if it turned out to be exceptional.

He was determined to take revenge for the original host. He would definitely not let go of Yan Bin and Lan Mingze. As for the Yan family, it would depend on whether they were willing to abandon Yan Bin when the time came.

“Head Chef, everything is ready over there. You can go and rest, and wait for the banquet to begin.” After the manager arranged everything, he personally came over to invite him.

“Hm.” Lu Jingqian nodded and walked out.

“Chairman Hong, hello, welcome!” Mr. Yan greeted Mr. Hong with a group of people from the Gourmet Association, wearing a smile on his face. It wasn’t because he was genuinely happy, but rather, he always smiled like this in front of outsiders. He had earned the nickname “a smiling tiger” in his youth.

“Chairman Yan, welcome, welcome.” Chairman Hong also stood up to welcome his friends.

Ou Wenyu and Hong Boxiao came out to entertain some friends and happened to see this scene. Ou Wenyu whispered to Hong Boxiao, “It looks like a meeting between two gang bosses in a movie. It’s about who has more momentum.”

“Hurry up and stop talking nonsense. Today might be exhausting but you still have the leisure to say these things.” Hong Boxiao pushed Ou Wenyu.

“It’s still early. How about I take you for a stroll in the garden?” Mr. Hong asked.

“Please, please, please,” Old Master Yan repeated the word “please” three times and gestured for Mr. Hong to lead the way.

Among those who needed personal attention from Mr. Hong were these elderly gentlemen of similar age and status. Other guests would naturally be attended by the younger generation.

As the time for the banquet approached, Mr. Hong led the elderly gentlemen, whose ages added up to over a thousand, to their seats.

Then other guests gradually arrived in the courtyard. After wishing Mr. Hong a happy birthday, they found their seats.

Lu Jingqian rested in a room on the second floor next to the courtyard. Through the window on the second floor, he could clearly see everyone in the courtyard.

Lu Jingqian took out a small iron tube the size of his pinky finger and consecutively loaded five ice balls the size of soybeans into it. Then, when he saw a certain figure approaching Mr. Hong’s table, he aimed at the gap in the wooden window and pressed the switch on the iron tube twice in a row.

After standing in front of Mr. Hong’s table, Yan Bin said a few words of congratulations and slightly bent his waist before preparing to leave. However, he suddenly felt a sharp pain behind his knee pit. Before he could react, he was already kneeling down.

The elderly gentlemen at the two tables were all stunned, not understanding the reason behind his sudden action.

Yan Bin knew he had embarrassed himself greatly. He tried to stand up quickly with his palms on the ground, but he suddenly felt another stab of pain in his lower back, causing him to not only remain prostrated but also hit his head heavily on the bluestone slab beneath him. When he tried to stand up again, he fell down once more. After the third time, he maintained his position and dared not stand up quickly.

Everyone looked at him in astonishment. In Chinese culture, kneeling is only done to close family elders, and even for ordinary relatives, kneeling is never performed. No one understood why Yan Bin suddenly performed this three-bow ritual.

Old Master Yan’s face looked even worse. He was still sitting here while his own grandson went to pay respects to someone else as a filial and virtuous grandson. And it happened right in front of so many people. His old face was completely humiliated today.

After Mr. Hong regained his senses, he turned his head and glanced at Old Master Yan’s pale face. He said to Yan Bin, who was still on the ground, “Quickly get up, quickly get up. My own grandson hasn’t paid his respects to me yet, and you’re making such a grand gesture. Although you are of the same generation as my grandson, you are not my direct grandson. I can’t accept such a grand gesture from you.”

Yan Bin slowly straightened his body and, after confirming that he no longer felt any pain, stood up and bowed his head, saying, “I’m sorry, I suddenly felt unwell. I apologize for my rudeness.”

The people at Mr. Hong’s table, due to their seating angle, could visibly see the red mark on his forehead. They suppressed their amusement and turned their gazes to the side.

Mr. Hong waved his hand and said, “If you’re feeling unwell, just sit down. Do you want me to have someone take you to a room to rest?”

“Thank you for your kind offer, Mr. Hong, but I’m already feeling much better.” Yan Bin felt deeply embarrassed and dared not look into the eyes of the others. He nodded and immediately walked away. Only after he sat down at his table did he raise his head and scan the crowd, trying to figure out if someone had plotted against him just now. However, with people coming and going, he couldn’t figure out who among them could have done it. Moreover, he had no grudges against any of these people. Who is it exactly? Why would they do this? Yan Bin felt frustrated and vowed to find the person who plotted against him, or he would never give up!

Old Master Yan glared at Yan Bin, forcing himself to regain a normal facial expression. He knew that the more unpleasant his expression, the more the elderly gentlemen at the neighboring table would relish it.

When Hong Boxiao entered the courtyard, he happened to witness Yan Bin kneeling down. He was also taken aback. After Yan Bin finished knocking his head and took his seat, He quickly glanced at the wooden window on the second floor before leading his group of people over.

“Grandfather,” Hong Boxiao approached Mr. Hong’s table and leaned over to say, “This is handmade by Shaoxuan this morning. It’s called ‘Hundred Beasts Offering Blessings.’ It has just been steamed and taken out of the pot. Take a look.”

Everyone looked at the large round plate carried by the three individuals with curiosity. The background color of the plate was a forest, and on top of the plate were at least a hundred different animals, vividly standing there.

“Wonderful!” Old Li clapped his hands and stood up. As he carefully examined it, he exclaimed, “These are all handmade? Even machines would find it difficult to make them look so lifelike, right?”

“All of these were made by Shaoxuan himself,” Hong Boxiao emphasized once again. He looked at Mr. Hong and said, “It signifies blessings and animals. It’s Shaoxuan’s way of wishing you good fortune and longevity.”

“Very good, very good.” Mr. Hong had a wide smile on his face, feeling extremely proud. He nodded in satisfaction and said, “This child has a good heart. Please thank him on my behalf.”

Hong Boxiao had someone bring out a large round table and placed a big round plate on it, specifically for the guests to admire.

The elderly gentlemen gathered around the table, discussing which animal looked more lifelike. The final consensus was that they all looked extremely realistic as if they were about to come to life. The detailed movements were exquisitely portrayed.

The people at Old Master Yan’s table discreetly glanced at each other. Although they were sitting still, they could clearly see the delicate pastry animals. They thought they looked intricate. With years of experience in the food industry, they knew that this was pure craftsmanship. Machines would make the figures appear rigid, making it difficult to achieve such nimble and lifelike poses.

After the elderly gentlemen had finished admiring, others started to gather around in groups to take a look. They all praised not only the beauty but also the auspicious meaning of the display. It had an impressive presence.  The older ones felt envious, and their children said they would find a way to have a similar “Hundred Beasts Offering Blessings” for their birthdays.

At Old Master Yan’s table, there was an elderly gentleman who particularly loved pastries. He couldn’t hold back and finally stood up, walking to the table where the round plate was placed. He looked and examined it, his heart filled with delight. However, he murmured to himself, “It looks good, but I wonder if it tastes delicious.”

Although Mr. Hong was old, his hearing was still sharp. Upon hearing the man’s comment, he initially wanted to call for the villa’s staff. But just then, he saw Hong Dongbo approaching and instructed him, “You’ve arrived at the right time. Boxiao said those pastries have just come out of the pot. Distribute them for everyone to taste while they’re still hot.”

Hong Dongbo walked to the round table and looked around, saying, “Did Shaoxuan make these? Only his hands can create such delicate pastries. They look so well-made. It’s a shame to eat them.”

“They’re made to be eaten. What’s there to regret? When I feel like admiring them, I’ll have Shaoxuan make another plate specifically for display.” Mr. Hong said. “Let’s distribute this plate while it’s still hot. There’s still some time before the main course is served, and the elderly folks can have a light snack to fill their stomachs.”

“Hey, hey, I’ll make it clear now. When it’s my birthday, I’ll have Shaoxuan make two plates for me, one for eating and one for display.” Old Man Wu spoke up.

“You want two plates?! !” Old Man Li stared at him, then his tone changed, “Well, in that case, I also want two plates.”

“Me too, I want two plates.” Old Man Zhang quickly joined in.

“All right, all right, when the time comes, I won’t forget about all of you. Rest assured, rest assured.” Mr. Hong reassured them.

Although Hong Dongbo felt that it was a pity to eat the pastries, since the old master had spoken, he had no choice but to comply. He called several staff members and had them bring the large round plate to Mr. Hong’s table. Hong Dongbo said, “Father, today is your birthday. Please choose one first.”

“This lion is good, the king of beasts.” Suggested Old Man Li.

“This elephant is also good, it seems to have quite a good amount.” Said Old Man Wu.

“The tiger looks great too, but I wonder what filling it has.” Said Old Man Zhang.

“Father?” Hong Dongbo waited for Mr. Hong to make a decision.

“Then let’s choose the lion. I’ll be the king of beasts again.” Mr. Hong decided firmly, slamming the table.

Although Hong Dongb didn’t understand what was so worth slamming the table for, it was normal for older people to become childish with age.

There were dozens of tables in the courtyard, but there were only a hundred types of animals on the round plate. It was impossible for each person to get one, so they only gave them to the older guests first.

“Hmm… Mine is mango-flavored, delicious!” Old Man Zhang took a bite of his tiger-shaped pastry and said, “So tasty!”

“Mine is peach-flavored, it’s also delicious, hmm! Really good!” Old Man Li, who was born in the Year of the Monkey, chose the golden monkey-shaped pastry.

“Mine has fish soup filling, it’s delicious and savory!”

“Mine has pork sauce filling, it’s truly delicious…”

“Mine has crab roe…”

“Mine has pumpkin, with a hint of milk…”

The people who received the pastries asked each other, and surprisingly, none of them had the same filling. Each flavor was equally delicious, and they all believed that their own pastry had the best taste.

At Old Master Yan’s table, everyone was elderly, so they all received pastries. They didn’t need to listen to others’ descriptions to know whether they were good or not, they knew it in their hearts.

“They really put their heart into it. I thought that pastries with high visual appeal would surely have a slightly inferior taste compared to the snacks they usually make for us. But unexpectedly, not only are they not lacking in taste, but the fillings are all unique.” Exclaimed Old Man Wu.

The others nodded in agreement.

Lu Jingqian played with the iron tube in his hand, seeing that the time was about right. After finishing the water from his teacup, he stood up and went downstairs to prepare the dishes.to cook.