The day passed quickly, and by evening, Chairman Lu Zhenbang returned to the mansion from his business trip.
Chairman Lu was in his fifties, tall and slightly portly, but with a square-jawed face, thick eyebrows, and large eyes, hinting at his handsome younger days.
Of the two Lu brothers, the third son, Lu Jingyao, resembled his father more, leaning towards a masculine look; Lu Jingming combined the best features of both parents, a blend of strength and gentleness.
Xu Yanxia had timed things perfectly. Dinner began just as Chairman Lu had returned home and changed into comfortable clothes.
The dishes were served: a marinated platter, crystal pork terrine, sweet and sour mandarin fish, superior soup with conch, lion's head meatballs with crab roe, assorted shrimp, and matsutake chicken soup steamed in a pot.
The cleaning staff, Sister Wang and Sister Sun, helped her bring the dishes to the table one by one, and the aroma instantly filled the grand mansion.
The family of four also moved to the dining room to begin their meal.
Having been away for nearly ten days, Chairman Lu had a lot to share with his family. Chopsticks in hand, he started chatting with his eldest son first.
“Our regional layout strategy from a while back wasn't in vain. Although the recent tariff turmoil caused some losses in Latin America, Southeast Asia happened to offset that. Staying close to policy and making real-time assessments is absolutely essential.”
Lu Jingming gave an acknowledging hum. "The return of low-to-mid-end manufacturing to the U.S. is unlikely. Once this wave of waiting and seeing ends, European orders will come back. Conservatively, we're looking at a minimum five-point profit margin."
"Furthermore, our domestic AI R&D center has already been integrated into the industrial internet platform. It can serve the digital transformation of overseas factories while also qualifying for policy subsidies. The overall outlook remains quite optimistic."
Chairman Lu nodded and was about to say more when his wife, Mrs. Shen, interrupted, "Such wonderful dishes will get cold if you don't eat. Why don't you talk while you eat?"
The Lu family valued traditional etiquette. As long as the father hadn't started eating, neither Lu Jingming nor his younger brother Lu Jingyao dared to touch their chopsticks, and Mrs. Shen also didn't feel comfortable eating by herself, so the whole family had been waiting, smelling the delicious aromas.
"Alright, alright, we'll talk while we eat."
Taking the advice, Chairman Lu chuckled and began serving himself. After just a few bites, his eyes immediately lit up—
"Mmm, this dried tofu is very flavorful, the beef shank is braised wonderfully, and the crystal pork terrine is excellent too... Oh? Lao Wang's skills have improved tremendously!"
Mrs. Shen laughed at him. "You forget what I tell you as soon as I say it. Lao Wang fell ill and went back to his hometown last week. This was made by the new cook, Xiao Xu."
"Oh, right, I remember now."
Chairman Lu quickly praised his wife, "Then Xiao Xu's skills are above Lao Wang's! As always, my dear, you have an excellent eye!"
Mrs. Shen was successfully amused.
After eating for a while, Chairman Lu turned to his eldest son again, "On this trip, I happened to meet Chairman Wei from Zhongjia. His eldest daughter is the same age as you and just returned from Europe this year. Would you like to meet her?"
Huh? Was this an attempt to send the president on a blind date?
The two cleaning ladies waiting to have their own meal in the kitchen immediately pricked up their little ears for gossip.
They heard Mrs. Shen chime in, "I remember that eldest daughter of the Wei family is quite the academic achiever. She earned a double degree from Cambridge. I met her once five or six years ago; she looked very refined and gentle. I wonder if she's changed much."
The Wei family was also one of the country's top-tier wealthy families, especially prominent in recent years. Even Xu Yanxia, who didn't pay much attention to the finance industry, had heard of them.
It seemed Mr. and Mrs. Lu were quite pleased with this young lady from the Wei family.
Unexpectedly, President Lu didn't seem very interested. "I don't think I've reached the age where I need to rely on blind dates to settle my lifelong affairs. There's no need for the two of you to be in such a hurry."
Mrs. Shen spread her hands towards her husband. "See? He has no mind for marriage at all right now. We'll be lucky if we can hold a grandchild in five years."
"It's right for a man to focus on his career, but he can also balance it with marriage,"
Chairman Lu tried persuading him again, "If you have time, you might as well meet her. She's in Shencheng right now, not far at all."
Lu Jingming refused with sincere earnestness, "Let's discuss these things later. The company has many plans to implement this year. I don't have the energy for this at the moment."
It seemed this stubborn stone was hopeless. Chairman Lu had no choice but to turn his gaze to his younger son, "How have you been lately, Third? Have you made any friends at school?"
The third young master, Lu Jingyao, who had been focused on eating, immediately spread his hands with an innocent expression. "Dad, I'm focused on studying and basketball right now. There's a selection tournament in a few months. I don't have any of those messy thoughts either."
—Didn't he know his father?
In his father's mind, one should do what's appropriate for their age. Study hard during school years, no nonsense allowed. Dating was for after graduation.
Sure enough, his father couldn't find fault with him and instead asked about his daughter, Lu Jingxi. "How has the second child been lately? She hasn't video-called me in ages."
Mrs. Shen said, "She just video-called me last night. The day before, she attended a ministry gala, and today she's off to Sanya to record a variety show. She's doing well."
Chairman Lu sighed, "It's so hard for a girl to be running around everywhere all the time. It would be much nicer to stay at home."
"What's so good about staying at home all day?"
Mrs. Shen gave her husband a displeased look. "Back in the day, I gave up a promising career for you. Now that society has progressed, can't my daughter strive for her dreams? Besides, men and women are equal. Don't be so feudal!"
"Okay, okay, I was wrong."
Chairman Lu quickly apologized to his wife. "Men and women are equal, men and women are equal."
As he spoke, he hurriedly placed a piece of the sweet and sour mandarin fish into his wife's bowl. "This fish is done perfectly, just the flavor you like."
Just as he finished speaking, the main course for the night, paper-thin pan-fried buns, came out of the pan. Xu Yanxia carried them to the dining table.
The buns were plump and round. Through their thin skins, one could almost see the rich filling inside. Their golden-brown bottoms were still sizzling, releasing an enticing aroma. Chairman Lu's attention was immediately captured.
After taking a bite, he couldn't help but praise, "These pan-fried buns are very authentic, they really taste like home! Where's the cook? I'd like to meet them!"
Mrs. Shen looked helplessly at Xu Yanxia, who hadn't had time to return to the kitchen. "Here's the cook, standing right in front of you!"
Xu Yanxia quickly greeted Chairman Lu. "Hello, Chairman Lu. I'm Xiao Xu."
Chairman Lu looked surprised. "A young lady? And so young? You made all these dishes tonight?"
Xu Yanxia nodded. "Yes. I hope they suit your taste?"
"The flavors are excellent,"
Chairman Lu said with amazement. "You rarely find these paper-thin pan-fried buns locally. And these other dishes are also very authentic, old-fashioned flavors that have become hard to find in restaurants these days. Where did you learn to cook like this?"
Xu Yanxia smiled and replied, "My family runs a small restaurant. I learned to cook from my grandparents since I was little. Coincidentally, my grandmother is from Qicheng. I heard you're also from Qicheng, so I thought you might like these buns."
"No wonder! So you're a fellow townsman!"
Chairman Lu was quite moved. "You've put real heart into this! These buns are truly authentic, and they've made me very happy! Over the years, I've eaten all sorts of food out in the world, but our Chinese cuisine is still the best! Each generation brings forth its own talents, and it's our young people back home who have the most vitality!"
He then instructed his wife, "We must give Xiao Xu a bonus!"
Mrs. Lu shook her head, amused and helpless. "I know, I know. We won't treat Xiao Xu unfairly. Now hurry up and eat."
Throughout the entire meal, we had to listen to his lengthy discourse!
