National Tide 1980

No one or anything in the world is absolutely perfect.

The same goes for Ning Weimin's opening ceremony.

Even if he thinks carefully, he will inevitably make some omissions.

No, compared with the cheerfulness and joyful faces of most of the guests.

Two guests today were the exception. They felt slighted and really unhappy.

They are Chi Guowei, the deputy manager of Tingliguan Restaurant in the Summer Palace.

and deputy manager Yan Hong, the representative of Fangshan Restaurant.

The two are about the same age, have about the same length of service, and have similar resumes.

They are all in their thirties and have worked in their respective units for more than ten years. They are grassroots cadres who have been promoted step by step from waiters.

And speaking of it, they are all the same business backbones who were promoted after the retirement policy was introduced in 1982.

Therefore, through attending various meetings of the district service bureau's catering service company, the two of them have long been old acquaintances.

But just because their backgrounds and conditions are so close, they have become competitors in various award selections and performance evaluations.

The discord between their faces and hearts is the true reflection of their relationship.

Even if they met here today, when they met, they would just nod and say a few polite words to each other, then stop talking.

This fully exposes the alienation of "comrades are enemies".

On the contrary, it was not as lively and harmonious as the other strangers.

But it's interesting to say that today is different from usual.

As the opening ceremony progressed step by step, they actually developed an unprecedented tacit understanding.

It is rare to have the meaning of "we are destined to meet each other thousands of miles away, and we will forget our grudges when we meet".

For no other reason than because Ning Weimin held today's opening ceremony so well and stimulated them at the same time.

This prompted them to unknowingly develop a common enemy, turned their guns, and regarded "Tan Palace" as a common enemy.

In fact, as soon as they came here today, these two people felt uncomfortable.

No matter in front of the restaurant, there are lights and colorful lights welcoming guests, tall billboards, service staff in retro costumes, sign-in books imitating imperial edicts, and the amazing lion dance with firecrackers blasting. .

These grand and prosperous scenes were far beyond their expectations and made them quite uncomfortable.

I thought to myself, why not open a restaurant? They are really capable of sorting things out, and there are a few bad guys who don't know how to show off. What's the use of all this fuss and excitement?

The other person also felt that he really didn’t know how high the sky was. Our restaurant receives ministerial-level leaders all day long, and the opening of our restaurant is not as ostentatious as yours.

Who are you?

As a result, the sour smell caused them to feel depressed at the same time.

In addition, there were too many guests arriving by car to attend the celebration today.

Not only the district leaders, the Tourism Bureau, the Service Bureau, the Artists Association, Fu Jie and his wife, and the crew of "The Burning of the Old Summer Palace" all have their own cars.

Even the old artists, calligraphers and painters, and teachers and students from the two art academies were all specially picked up and dropped off by taxis hired by Ning Weimin.

In this way, the long row of shiny cars parked on the side of the road made them feel even more uncomfortable in the eyes of the two restaurant managers. It looked like they were shabby coming all the way by bus.

What was especially unexpected was that the waiter at the restaurant entrance actually asked them to leave one by one from the shade of the trees in order to free up parking spaces in the limited space on the roadside.

As a result, a kind of "humiliation" anger made them involuntarily have thoughts of revenge.

For this reason, they all ran to the back kitchen and called their chef out.

Then, special "care" and special "instructions" were used to add some "happy seasoning" to the restaurant's good days.

This led to a turmoil in the back kitchen of "Tan Palace" today.

But even so, the two big managers did not take it easy and regained their composure.

In fact, when the celebration officially started and they entered the second floor of the restaurant, their negative emotions became more serious.

Because whether it was the layout, furnishings, colors, decoration grade, or the various unconventional enjoyments and performances of the "Altar Palace", their eyes became as red as rabbits, and they felt envy, jealousy, and hatred from the bottom of their hearts. .

They believe that "Tan Gong" is not only a nouveau riche who relies on his wealth to impress the public, but also is not worthy of these decorations and furnishings.

How do you look and how do you get angry?

It's just a newly opened restaurant, but it's actually more generous than the two "big brothers" who supported you!

See what you can do! So cool!

What is this called? Trespass!

But to be honest, this is still not what makes the two managers the most angry.

What makes them most angry is actually their dissatisfaction with the seating arrangement.

You know, they claim to be seniors in the catering industry, and they are also the "benefactors" who provide technical and human support to "Tan Palace".

So they felt that since they had helped "Tan Palace" so much, they should be taken seriously.

Even if you can't sit at the same table as the bureau-level leaders, you still have to sit with their hotel managers and travel agency managers at the same level, right?

At least someone from the service bureau has to come out and keep me company, right?

But Qiao Wanlin didn't take them seriously at all.

The section chief of the service bureau just took a look at them at the gate and said hello casually.

Zhang Shihui was assigned to bring these two people into the banquet, and they were actually arranged together with many service providers from the "Tan Palace".

There was a table full of people, but they couldn't see anyone they knew, so that was all.

The key is to directly cut off their ability to show their faces in front of leaders and communicate with peers.

How to make people not annoyed?

That is to say, they were obedient and knew that the people at the table who were exchanging greetings and being polite were of high rank, and were all directors and secretaries of handicraft manufacturers.

Otherwise, they would be so angry that their bullae would explode!

All in all, these two big managers were not satisfied with the reception given by "Tan Palace", so how could they still look good when they sat down?

Especially when listening to the guests at the same table chatting with each other, all aspects involving the "Tan Palace" are full of flattery and compliments, and their expressions are so gloomy that they can almost make you cry.

So in this case, the two of them are united together.

It’s not surprising that you and others are going against each other in public, and you and I are talking about each other.

Yan Hong from Beihai Fangshan Restaurant was the first to speak.

"Hey, this 'Tan Palace' is really wealthy. It's a pity that this new store is just a new store. As the saying goes, 'The new painting of the tree house is not ancient, this person must be the Ministry of Internal Affairs'. The really important antiques here are too If there is less, I will rely on Xibei goods to fill the scene, haha..."

Chi Guowei from the Oriole Pavilion in the Summer Palace also echoed.

"No, taking into account the entire restaurant, there are only a handful of porcelains that can surpass the Kangxi, Yongzheng and Qianlong periods. There are only forty or fifty pieces, and the color and style are single, either yellow or blue. Not to mention calligraphy and painting. They are all modern gadgets. The floor coverings and furniture are quite high-quality products regulated by the palace, but it is a pity that the wood is not of high quality. In my opinion, this 'Tan Palace' restaurant is just a showpiece, inside and out. , this money is a bit unfair..."

As soon as they said this, the other people who were trying to make fun of "Tan Gong" by saying nice things were all stunned.

There was obvious confusion on everyone's face, and they all meant the same thing - on this big day, how can you say these things that are not listened to? Where did these two people come from?

Some people even looked unhappy, and their expressions were undoubtedly—what are these two grandsons doing? Why are you so disrespectful? I sincerely want to trouble everyone!

For example, Zhang Jisheng, the director of Jimo Winery, couldn't help but speak up for "Tan Gong" just because Ning Weimin was the big financier of his products.

"You two, you can't say that, can you? 'Tan Palace' is a new restaurant. It's normal to have fewer antiques. But it's not necessarily that there are no good things. Like the entrance to the restaurant on the second floor, aren't the ritual utensils for offering sacrifices to heaven enough? Are they qualified? They are all national treasures. They are treasures of the Temple of Heaven, not even the Forbidden City, and tourists can’t see them at all.”

"Besides, how can handicrafts be considered Xibei products? As far as I know, all the furnishings, palace lanterns, materials, and utensils are all made by famous artists and are not ordinary objects. The same goes for calligraphy and painting. Apart from other things, you see Looking at the murals throughout the restaurant, can you see such a spectacular scene anywhere else? They are the brainchild of many teachers and students from our top art school."

"There is also the several-meter-long "Picture of Fortune, Luxury, Longevity, Joy," which is a masterpiece by the artist Mr. Huang Zhou. With its size and effect, it is completely comparable to "So Many Beauties" by Oriental Hotel. In addition, The performance of this guzheng and pipa is both artistic and practical. In my opinion, this place is simply a food museum..."

Zhang Jisheng's words were well-founded and seemed to have won the approval and support of many people.

However, the nods and echoes of these people made Yan Hong and Chi Guowei feel even more embarrassed.

Yan Hong immediately changed his concept and launched a counterattack.

"What you are saying is just a layman's talk. How can artistry and practicality coexist? What kind of food museum is there? This is a restaurant, and a restaurant is a place to eat. The key is to look at the food. What can they do with just a new store? Good food coming? Then you are just a junior in the catering industry. As the saying goes, no matter how big the water is, it can't cover the mountain. Without the guidance of a real palace cuisine chef, this restaurant is nothing."

Chi Guowei also deliberately raised eyebrows.

"That is, the people regard food as their heaven, and the mountains and stones as their immortals. Although as a restaurant that sells palace cuisine, it is indeed related to 'culture'. But how can the palace have modern gadgets? The culture of the palace must of course be genuine antiques, and Guanggu is not enough, it must be something used by the royal family. The things in this restaurant are not up to par, right? To put it bluntly, this place is just pretending to be a palace..."

"Yes, it's just selling dog meat on sheep's heads. Have you been to Yilan Tang and Daoning Zhai in Beihai Fangshan? You have to go and see the stuff there first, and then compare it with here. Why do you have so many fancy things? What’s the use? They’re all imitations and fake. Only by dining at Beihai Fangshan can you truly feel the taste of the emperor’s meal.”

"That's right, the same goes for the Tingli Pavilion in the Summer Palace. The plaque at the door is personally written by the Queen Mother of the West. What else is there? Is it just the 'authentic imperial meal' written by Fu Jie? This is not a big joke. Well. Even Fangshan Restaurant and Tingli Restaurant only dare to call themselves 'Fangshan', but this newly opened 'Tan Palace' is 'authentic'. How dare you brag! How dare you brag..."

Listen, the words of this chorus are getting worse and worse as they speak.

Everyone present could not help but look at each other, becoming more and more confused.

Everyone really couldn't understand why such a charming host appeared at today's banquet.

Especially Zhang Jisheng from Jimo Winery couldn't help but talk about it.

But fortunately, someone spoke first and stopped him in time, preventing him from further verbal conflict with these two people.

"Hey, you are Manager Yan of Fangshan Restaurant, right? I'm sorry, I didn't recognize you when I came here to talk just now. I'm Xu Pingzhi, the head of the red light in Beijing Art... This is Tingliu The museum's... Shi... No, Manager Chi? We've seen him too. Because of the palace lantern maintenance, it was only last month."

The person speaking was Xu Pingzhi, the director of the Art Red Light Factory.

As soon as he recognized the two big managers, he stood up immediately and couldn't wait to go around others to shake hands with the two men.

Nothing else but business needs.

You know, who does a small palace lantern factory rely on to make a living? Besides, their business is so special.

There are only three palace cuisine restaurants in the whole capital, and he can't afford to offend any of them.

Although "Tan Palace" is the one who can spend the most money and is the most happy, it is enough to rival the other two.

But we have to consider that "Tan Palace" has just opened, so the demand is so high.

What's more, the future of "Tan Palace" is not very clear, and it might just be a one-time deal.

Therefore, he could not offend the other two families in order to maintain the reputation of "Tan Palace".

In short, it is best not to offend anyone, so of course you have to take pictures when you need to, and you have to coax when you need to.

We must admit that as long as someone can manage a factory, there is no fool.

Just like Xu Pingzhi, other people immediately understood the attitude they should hold, and it was time to take a firm stance.

Although everyone has almost understood that these two people criticized and expressed their disdain for "Tan Palace" on such an occasion out of jealousy and narrow-mindedness.

However, out of interest considerations, they still became enthusiastic, took the initiative to greet Yan Hong and Chi Guowei, and started self-introduction mode one after another.

There is only one purpose, that is, each of them hopes to establish business relationships with Fangshan Restaurant and Tingli Restaurant so as to find more outlets for their products.

This was the same even for Zhang Jisheng, who secretly lamented his bad luck.

Although he was the first person to express his objections, he knew that he had offended the two managers.

And he could also see that these two people probably didn't have much room for people.

It is basically impossible to forget the disagreement just now and purchase goods from his winery.

But the problem is "I would rather offend a gentleman than a villain."

After all, these two big managers are also masters with some status and connections in the catering industry in Beijing.

He didn't want to leave any hidden dangers for himself.

It would be a bad deal if he turned around and agreed to Jing'er's business, and when he opened up the Beijing market to do other business, he was inexplicably unlucky.

So it’s better to take a step back and try to ease the relationship.

In this way, Zhang Jisheng also apologized by saying, "Shandong people have a straightforward temperament and never take offense."

In short, under the unanimous compliments and long-term admiration, Yan Hong and Chi Guowei's spirits immediately perked up.

They do not think that it is their special status that causes others to give in. This kind of verbal dispute is unwinnable.

Instead, he was full of arrogance and really thought that it was his superior eloquence that convinced everyone.

As a result, the two of them began to put on airs and pride themselves on the authority of palace cuisine.

The compliments, self-brags, and nitpicking all intensified.

In their mouths, Beihai Fangshan Restaurant’s palace snacks and stir-fried vegetables, Tingli Restaurant’s river delicacies, and the “Manchu-Han Banquet” each developed by their two restaurants, which are mainly delicacies from the mountains and seas, are the benchmarks for palace cuisine. Worth tasting for everyone.

On the other hand, "Tan Gong" is just a speculator who uses gimmicks to make money.

Yan Hong also arrogantly said, "It would be great if Tan Palace could cook 50% to 60% of our dishes under the guidance of our two restaurants. There is really no need to have high hopes and expectations for today's dishes." Although these current table dishes are quite novel and taste good, this is Little Doyle, and this is the limit of their cooking skills."

Chi Guowei also asked, "Don't you see that the time for serious hot dishes has expired? There has been no hot dish for a long time. What does this mean?"

It should be said that with the identities of Yan Hong and Chi Guowei, it is quite confusing to say such slanderous words.

In particular, they were sure that the chef of the "Tan Palace" would be on fire today, and they used time to support their remarks with ulterior motives, which undoubtedly showed their authority.

For a moment, the factory directors and secretaries sitting at the table could not help but believe them.

On the surface, they all agreed submissively, but in their hearts they were secretly worried about "Tan Gong".

But things in the world are still such coincidences.

Just when the two big managers reduced "Tan Palace" to nothing, "Zhang Dashao's" "live fish with sauce" began to be brought out from the back kitchen by the waiter in the name of serving as a dish, and made its debut. .

So when many of the tablemates saw the waiter hurriedly delivering several plates of fish to the private room inside, they all secretly breathed a sigh of relief with their hearts in their stomachs again.

On the other hand, the two big managers who just made the assertion are a bit hot-tempered and a bit sarcastic in appearance, which is very unsightly.

Yan Hong quickly made amends.

"What the hell is this! Serving dishes? That was a dregs and a confusing trick in the restaurant business in the past. Maybe you guys here don't know, the so-called serving dishes. In fact, in the past, chefs used cheap ingredients to decorate their heads. , using face to touch the guest's money bag, and asking for reward money in disguise. This 'Tan Palace' is too stupid to do this. Of course, no one of us will give reward money, so this can only mean that they The kitchen is in chaos. This is trying to delay time."

Chi Guowei also took the opportunity to criticize and boast.

"Yes, I also think they are just messing around. I have never heard of using a whole fish as a dish. Besides, this is a hot dish at the beginning. If it doesn't taste good, wouldn't it be a waste of time? I'd rather Look at what kind of fish they are cooking. Is it fish offered at the palace gate, live fish in dragon boats, five-leaf fish, or lotus fish? Besides, why are they so excited about serving food? It can be seen that they are panicking. They want to be in our unit , I have to deduct the bonuses from these waiters..."

It has to be said that people should never make judgments easily when they do not understand the situation.

No, before they finished speaking, the fish on their table was also served, and the fact blocked some people's mouths.

And this fish dish is neither a palace fish offering nor a dragon boat live fish.

But the extremely ordinary dish of live fish in sauce is extremely extraordinary.

When the fish was brought to the table, it was still moving its gills and opening its mouth. It was really amazing.

Especially when everyone used their chopsticks to taste it, they couldn't help but praise the taste.

Almost everyone praised the fish as tender and delicious. It was not like carp at all and had no earthy smell.

At this point, the most sad scene for the two managers occurred.

It was also evil. After the waiter served the plate of fish, he actually didn't leave.

What's more, I'm really angry because of the few words that this kid added emphatically later on.

"Everyone, this 'live fish in sauce' is the unique skill of our chef Zhang. Although the material is carp, it is very ordinary. But no one else in the whole capital can make it. Only we can make this fish dish famous. It will be on your table within three minutes, while still keeping your mouth and cheeks moving. Everyone is welcome to taste it and provide more comments..."

Look at this boy's face filled with pride.

Yan Hong and Chi Guowei were so furious that they wanted to strangle this kid to death, and then stomp their feet to relieve their anger.

These few words were a slap in the face to them in public.

Needless to say at this moment, even the other guests present were extremely embarrassed.

They wanted to praise it but didn't dare to praise it. They felt that the wonderfulness of this dish was an indisputable fact.

But we have to worry about the feelings of two big managers. How awkward this is!

Fortunately, Zhang Jisheng intervened and settled the matter.

"Not bad, not bad. I, Mr. Zhang, am an authentic Shandong native, but I have never seen such a magical live fish in sauce. The chefs in the capital are amazing. They can make such an ordinary home-cooked Shandong dish to perfection. It's amazing!" Our local chefs in Shandong are not at this level. It seems that it is true that the master is better than the master. Oh, by the way, I just heard the comments from the two managers, such as the palace gate fish, such a palace dish It seems even more magical. If I have the chance, I would really like to experience your Fangshan Restaurant and Tingli Restaurant in person. It’s a pity that our level is a bit lower. Can you two introduce it in detail so that everyone can enjoy it? It’s also a great experience.”

They were all presenters, and everyone immediately felt that Zhang Jisheng's smooth words were just right.

So they all expressed their approval, and then toasted together, hoping that the two managers could comply with public opinion.

To put it bluntly, wine is water from heaven. The more you drink, the more beautiful you become.

As long as you drink, any embarrassment will disappear.