The next day, Xu Yanxia woke up early as planned, taking her grandfather to buy groceries. After returning, she cooked a few of Elder Li's favorite dishes from the past in the clubhouse kitchen and delivered them to him.
Fortunately, the ninety-year-old Elder Li was still in good health and ate with great relish. He couldn't help but sigh to Xu Yanxia, "Child, it's been over fifty years, and this food still tastes exactly the same! Over the years, I've eaten at restaurants big and small all over Jingbei, and only your grandfather can make it like this."
"You and your brother must learn well from your grandfather so that this craft can be passed down."
Xu Yanxia quickly assured him, "Don't worry, Grandpa Li, we will definitely learn well from my grandfather."
Aunt Xiaohua, standing nearby, smiled and said to her elderly father, "I told you a while ago, did you forget? Xiaoxia's cooking skills are excellent. Aside from visiting you this time in Jingbei, she's going to participate in a culinary competition tomorrow!"
"Right, right, there is such a thing!"
Elder Li chuckled and cheered her on, "Work hard, get a good result, and do your grandfather proud."
"Will do!"
Xu Yanxia immediately smiled and said, "I will definitely do my best!"
Seeing that Elder Li had finished his meal, Xu Yanxia and her grandfather promptly said their goodbyes so as not to disturb his rest.
After returning to their accommodation and resting for a bit, she took her grandparents and aunt out.
Since the elders had limited stamina, she didn't dare take them to crowded tourist spots. Instead, she picked a few places near their accommodation that the elderly folks wanted to see the most. They strolled around, listening to her grandfather talk about the differences between Jingbei back then and now.
Before they knew it, the whole afternoon had passed.
For tonight's dinner, Xu Yanxia deliberately made reservations at the state-run grand restaurant where her grandfather used to work—which was now the renowned Decui Restaurant in Jingbei.
She also invited Xiaozhen and Ye Shu, who had landed that afternoon, along with her teammates Xiaoman, Xiaoxian, Suisui, and Sister Gao.
It was both to take her grandfather to revisit his old haunts and to have a team-building dinner with her friends. After all, once the recording of the show was finished in a few days, everyone would return to their respective lives, and who knew when they would gather again.
Everyone met at the entrance of Decui Restaurant. Ye Shu, the dedicated assistant, even brought a pocket camera to shoot some footage for them.
"Grandpa Xu, I heard this is where you used to work,"
Ye Shu interviewed him while filming. "Has it changed much compared to back then?"
"The change is massive!"
As Grandpa Xu walked inside with everyone, he reminisced, "It used to be very simple. Back then, there weren't even any tiles. It was all terrazzo floors, plain white walls, and fluorescent tubes hanging from the ceiling. Not like now—look at these crystal chandeliers and the floors, it's so luxurious."
The old man's excitement was palpable, and even his voice was brighter than usual.
Ye Shu thought this was excellent footage, so she encouraged Grandpa Xu, "Grandpa, tell us a bit more. The fans love seeing you on camera."
This was actually true. Because Grandpa Xu was very meticulous about the details of cooking, explained things thoroughly, and was always smiling and approachable, the fans had been extremely enthusiastic about him ever since his last appearance in Xu Yanxia's video.
When she was too busy to update her videos, it was her grandfather who stepped in to appear on camera for her.
Hearing Ye Shu say this, Grandpa Xu shared a few more words:
"The tables back then were all square wooden ones, and the customers sat on long benches. There was no calligraphy or painting on the walls like this; they only hung rules, regulations, hygiene standards, and certificates for outstanding individuals."
"Most customers ate in the main hall back then. The entire restaurant only had two or three private rooms, which were exclusively for leaders to discuss important matters. The private rooms also just had simple wooden tables and chairs—not even a sofa."
As they spoke, the group had already been led by a waiter through the Chinese palace-style main hall and arrived at a private room on the second floor.
With Grandpa Xu's explanation fresh in mind, Ye Shu quickly pointed the camera at the private room's interior.
What met their eyes was a large round table that could seat ten people, paired with ten high-backed armchairs. The tablecloth and tableware were all exceptionally exquisite.
In addition, the room featured an embroidered folding screen, complete with a mahogany sofa, a coffee table, and a tea cabinet. It had a separate food preparation area and its own private restroom.
It was practically the standard setup for a high-end Chinese restaurant's private room.
"Everyone, please have a seat. Today is just me bringing my grandparents and aunt to join our team-building dinner. Don't stand on ceremony."
Xu Yanxia smiled, ushering the elders and her friends to their seats.
Then they heard the waiter ask with a smile, "What would you like to eat? Our establishment is a decades-old restaurant specializing in Beijing and Shandong cuisine. Dishes like Scallion Braised Sea Cucumber, Nine-Turn Intestines, and Cuttlefish Roe Soup are our signature dishes, and they are marked on the menu."
Saying this, the waiter handed over the beautifully crafted menus.
Xu Yanxia took one, skimmed through it, and asked her friends, "Order whatever you'd like to eat. It's my treat today."
Unexpectedly, everyone said, "Captain, you order for us. It's our first time here, and we're not familiar with the food."
"Yeah, to be honest, we rarely eat Shandong cuisine, so we don't know what's good. Xiaoxia, you just order!"
...
That was true. The members of her team were mostly southerners. Although Sister Gao and Ye Shu were from the northwest, they hadn't eaten much Shandong cuisine before either.
She nodded and said, "Alright, I'll order for everyone then. After all, my family's culinary roots are in Shandong cuisine."
With that, she began to order from the menu.
After she finished ordering and the waiter left to place the ticket, Suisui curiously pulled the menu over and smiled, "It's my first time here, let me see how the prices at this grand restaurant look."
"Let us broaden our horizons too!"
Xiaoxian, Xiaoman, and Sister Gao leaned their heads in to look together.
However, very quickly, everyone clicked their tongues in shock. "These dishes are not cheap!!!"
"Over seven hundred for a portion of sea cucumber... over three hundred for a plate of intestines..."
"Tsk tsk, even the pork meatballs are selling for over two hundred!!!"
They were all straightforward people who got along well, and since there were no outsiders in the private room, they began to openly complain about the prices.
Hearing the younger generation say this, Grandpa Xu couldn't help but take the menu to look for himself. He frowned, "These dishes are indeed quite expensive! Back in our day, prices were set by the government, and they were required to be economical and affordable."
Her aunt couldn't help but laugh at him. "Dad, that was fifty years ago. Society is different now."
