Chapter Twelve Western Food at Seiya

  Young people have one advantage, that is, they don't have to think about things that are impossible every day. Chen Xiaoqi is not a philosopher or a thinker, he's just a student who is somewhat intelligent but has never really put it into practice. Although his brain is full of information and knowledge, that doesn't mean he can do whatever he wants in this era. In any case, living on is the top priority. This point cannot be denied by anyone.

  So, after realizing that there was no temporary result, Chen Xiaoqi put aside the things he couldn't think of for the time being and considered them again after a while. This makes sense! How long has he been in this era? How much does he know about the real situation? Is it too early to think about those things?

  When he finally cracked a smile, Chen and Lu Jiaju let out a sigh of relief, having been worried that he might do something reckless. On an afternoon when they had finished all their work and could take a temporary break, Lu suggested the two go to a Western restaurant for dinner to unwind and relax.

  For this kind of activity, Mr. Chen was extremely repelled, he couldn't understand why these foreigners and people who came back from abroad liked this bitter and astringent coffee that tasted like medicine, as well as those half-cooked steaks with blood on them! Wouldn't eating that stuff give you diarrhea? Could it even be digested?

  So he resolutely refused to go! He would rather eat steamed buns with the workers and have a big plate of cabbage, this is the real filling and energizing meal!

  For this point, Lu Jiaju was already familiar with it. Chen Xiaoqi was used to it, and later generations had been searching for so-called "romance" with their girlfriends over coffee and Western food countless times. They were all too familiar with the whole thing, not to mention that they would not lose face in various social situations when they started working in the future. These students all took the initiative to learn various social etiquette on their own. To say that these students from relatively well-off families had actually tried and experienced many things ahead of time, and it was much easier for them to get into their roles at work. Otherwise, why did people from the 70s, 80s, and 90s not get along with each other? People from the 70s lamented that those born in the 80s had taken away their job opportunities, while those born in the 90s complained that those born in the 80s had taken away their women. And those born in the 80s complained that those born in the 70s were taking up space and not letting go! The 90s generation grew up too early! Everything was because society was developing, and everything that each generation used to face had changed beyond recognition!

  Qingdao was built with huge investment by Germans. At that time, the goal of the German Emperor was to build a permanent forward base in the Far East and establish the largest and most stable colony outside the motherland. Therefore, they spared no effort in supporting large-scale projects such as urban planning and construction, port development, and railway transportation. This enabled Qingdao to become an important foreign port in Shandong and northern China within just ten years, earning it the nickname "Switzerland of the East".

  Apart from the infrastructure, some of the Germans' living habits and culture were also brought here. Although it has been occupied by Japanese for several years, the good life pattern that was tidy, clean and orderly when the Germans were here quickly collapsed, but some things that had already stabilized remained the same. For example, the Western restaurants here.

  Lu Jiaju took Chen Xiaoqi to the place that is now famous as Zhongshan Road in Qingdao. This road was originally divided into two sections, the southern section from Gangzhan Bridge to Dezhou Road, named Feideli Street, belonging to German and other European expatriates, known as "Qingdao District" or "European District". The northern section from Dezhou Road to Daguangou belonged to the "Bao Island District", also called "Chinese District", commonly known as the "Big Horse Road". Starting in 1914, Japan replaced Germany and ruled Qingdao for 8 years, renaming this road Shizukacho. However, the people here were deeply influenced by German rule and found it difficult to change their habitual way of referring to the street, so the vast majority still called it by its old name.

  Two people sat in a rickshaw and arrived at the "European District" in the southern part of town, where there was a famous Western restaurant called "De Yi". In the deep autumn, it got dark early, and at this time, the "European District" had already lit up its lights, with neon signs outside the doors of restaurants and bars, outlining their signboards to remind passing customers.

  If it were Germans at the time, it would not be easy for Chinese people to come here with this identity, because in the eyes of those Westerners, the uncivilized and barbaric Chinese are not worthy of enjoying their "advanced civilization". But the Japanese don't care about that, because no matter what, although the Japanese think they have already "left Asia and entered Europe", essentially they belong to the same Asian people as the Chinese, so for their own long-term interests, they cannot openly discriminate against them in their own sphere of influence, even though discrimination still exists.

  So when Lu Jiaju and Chen Xiaoqi, two well-dressed Chinese men, entered the Western restaurant, the Indian doorman and the Western waiters all showed displeasure on their faces. Firstly, they looked down on Orientals, secondly, they could tell that these two were Chinese, because they had never seen a Japanese person who was 1.8 meters tall, such giants are common in Shandong but among Japanese people, this is simply the equivalent of Yao Ming or Tyson in later generations.

  Lu Jiaju was already used to such gazes, whether it was during his studies in Germany or after returning to Qingdao to start a factory. These people, who were both envious and resentful of Chinese like him who were familiar with Western culture, were themselves at the bottom rung of their own nation's social ladder, subject to discrimination by their own kind. However, due to the collective strength of their nation, they had the opportunity to look down on Easterners, but because the Easterners they encountered were often people they couldn't afford to offend, they felt both indignant and helpless. They found serving these people to be a shameful task, one that they never spoke of to others.

  Chen Xiaoqi didn't show any signs of being discriminated against, and after sitting down, he naturally took off his suit jacket and hung it on the back of the chair. He then arranged his napkin and utensils with ease, blending in seamlessly with the waiters. This surprised a few foreigners who had been waiting to see the new guy make a fool of himself. They didn't know that in later generations, almost all high-end hotels in China would have dining halls and table settings that closely resemble those of the West, and Western-style restaurants would even open in county towns. As a 21st-century university student with economic means, it's rare for someone to not have experienced these situations!

  Don't look at Chen Xiaoqi's abrupt and unclear identity, the words he made up seem to be seamless, but don't forget that in this era, no one who does business is a fool. Lu Jiaju has been observing his actions and words from various angles and occasions since the beginning, in order to explore the truth or falsehood of what he said. This is not a matter of being dishonest, it's just the necessary wisdom for life.

  Chen Xiaoqi really didn't know that he would be studied in this way, his thoughts were still a bit simple, so unintentionally, he would reveal many habits and imprints of later generations. But it was precisely because of this that the background he fabricated seemed more and more real. Because in this era, in China, it is impossible to cultivate such "talent" as him, the knowledge, quality, attitude, and behavior he showed were all inconsistent with the times. He wouldn't recite the Four Books and Five Classics, but he understood what they said more deeply and broadly than most scholars of this era. He wasn't clear about the current situation and many complicated worldly affairs, but he could often stand at a higher level to discuss and evaluate. He knew much about Western culture that people in this era couldn't touch or knew little about, while his understanding of his own country's and nation's culture was only superficial, yet he spoke with great reason.

  In addition to these seemingly unintentional actions, Chen Xiaoqi's background and origin are quite reliable. Of course, it's not absolute. For example, he himself said that his family was from a lower-middle-class overseas Chinese background, which is unreliable. In Lu Jiaju's view, the education of this kind of problem is the exclusive privilege of aristocratic families, scholarly families, and official families. Ordinary people can't even recognize a word, let alone cultivate such children. That's absolutely impossible. What's the situation in America now?

  The book returned to its rightful owner, Chen Xiaoqi's display of nonchalance and slight intimidation stunned the Western waiters who had just shown a hint of "disdain" and "arrogance". They reluctantly walked over, took out their notepads, and asked for orders. The fancy English on the menu might fool ordinary people, but Chen Xiaoqi was no stranger to it - after all, he had passed the English proficiency test with flying colors! He wasn't unfamiliar with this kind of setup; at a famous coffee shop franchise on a certain island, he could even guess the meaning behind the awkwardly translated Chinese-English menu names. How much more so for authentic Western cuisine? Without even looking at the menu, he responded in fluent American English: "I'll have a 70% cooked 'FILLET', a glass of 10-year-old Chateau Latour red wine, and whatever else you recommend. That's all."

  To impress his girlfriend, Chen Xiaoqi had memorized more than one set of Western restaurant brands. Although he couldn't afford most high-end red wines, this didn't mean he couldn't spout a few lines to fool people. As someone who suddenly appeared in this era, it was impossible for him not to be sensitive, especially after seeing the eyes and expressions of people from different countries, ethnicities, and classes. Every time he entered a new setting, he would pay close attention to the appearance of the people around him. The facial expressions of doormen and waiters were already familiar to him. In fact, it was similar to how five-star hotel staff in later eras treated their compatriots who dressed poorly and couldn't speak foreign languages - because these people often didn't know to give tips or gave too little, usually requiring reminders.

  The waiter was startled again, and the other Westerners who were dining were very dissatisfied with his loud and rude behavior, which showed no regard for the occasion. They finally caught on to this new face's weakness and whispered complaints to their companions about this "uncouth Chinese" being too crude, too barbaric, and too uncultured! He shouldn't be in such a high-end setting!

  Chen Xiaoqi understood the English gossip because those people deliberately made gestures, lengthened and emphasized their voices, even straightened their necks with their hands, and showed exaggerated expressions of anger or surprise on their faces, as if Chen Xiaoqi had just killed their entire family.

  But Chen Xiaoqi didn't care, in fact he had been holding back a belly full of fire. The frustration from the past few days almost made him collapse, although he temporarily put it down and didn't think about it anymore, but that doesn't mean he could forget it, the kind of dissatisfaction and frustration accumulated over time can't be easily released, if not for his daily meditation and hard work which seemed to alleviate some of it, but that doesn't mean he could break free from it. The best way to release fire is to find a breakthrough and let it out! (Of course not that kind of thing, just sitting in silence and reflecting on oneself).

  The waiter, who looked a bit worn out, apparently heard the discussion and seemed to have gained some spiritual support. He straightened his waist, which had been bent in an unwilling manner, and said expressionlessly: "Sorry sir, the two things you ordered are not available now! They usually need to be booked in advance!"