Siheyuan: Returning to 61 to collect waste

When he first entered the room, the big boss seemed to ignore Ye Chuan on purpose, observing his response. If he seemed restless or impatient, perhaps this meal was just a temporary gesture and there would be no further contact in the future.

During the conversation between the five people, Ye Chuan listened attentively with a blank expression on his face and remained extremely calm. He even did not change the side of the sofa where he sat.

The superior official introduced: "This is Director Sun of the Second Electronics Factory in Jingcheng City, and this is Director Lu of the Jingcheng Bowen Printing Factory!"

Ye Chuan politely shook hands with both of them. Although his movements were humble, his attitude was steady and confident, which surprised others a little.

His calmness and composure seemed unaffected by his title of factory director.

Afterwards, the superior introduced Director Yang. When Ye Chuan shook hands with him, he smiled and said, "Director Yang, I am a member of the steel plant. My father works in the factory. He is a loader." This seemed to be beyond Director Yang's expectations.

"Your father works in a steel mill?" Director Yang was a little surprised. When others heard this, they also wondered how the son of an ordinary worker could have such a temperament.

"His name is Ye Yongshun, and he is responsible for loading and unloading in the factory." Ye Chuan explained in detail. Everyone was a little disappointed with Ye Yongshun's identity because they mistakenly thought he would be a senior manager. After all, it would be difficult for a family of loader and unloader workers to raise such an outstanding child.

At this time, Director Yang suddenly recalled: "Ye Yongshun... I seem to have an impression of this name, but I can't remember where I heard it. But he is just a worker..."

When they heard that Ye Chuan's father was just an ordinary porter, everyone laughed secretly.

As a factory director of a large factory, how could he be so familiar with ordinary workers? After all, a steel rolling mill is a large enterprise with tens of thousands of employees.

However, the ensuing conversation revealed an unexpected message.

"Director Yang, my father was reported a few days ago for a bicycle of unknown origin, but it turned out to be innocent," Ye Chuan added.

This made Director Yang suddenly realize, and he nodded and said, "No wonder it's so familiar! When the head of the security department reported this matter, I praised him for admitting his mistakes and correcting them, which is very important."

After hearing what Director Yang said, Ye Chuan expressed his deep gratitude: "Thank you for upholding justice and restoring my father's reputation!"

The senior official interrupted with a smile: "Now that you two have met, shouldn't you prepare a gift for each other?" This was a reminder for everyone to give gifts to express goodwill.

As a senior subordinate following his superior, Director Yang understood the meaning of the instruction: "Ye Chuan, in this case, I will give you some business resources."

This suggestion made Ye Chuan's eyes light up.

The factory waste in the hands of the four factory managers was just waste in his eyes, but it was a valuable opportunity for him to expand his business.

"Thank you so much, Director Yang. I don't know how to thank you." Ye Chuan expressed his sincere gratitude.

The other three factory managers also responded positively to this proposal. After all, since their superiors had spoken, they were all willing to express their support.

These waste materials are usually processed and sold, no matter who buys them.

However, Ye Chuan's branch is not large, and the profits he can gain from it are enough to keep him comfortable for a while.

At this moment, Ye Chuan was filled with excitement. Not only did he gain recognition today, but he also attracted many customers.

But he knew very well that he had to act with caution and wait until the situation became clear before deciding on a purchase. After all, the goal was not just to simply expand the business, but also to maximize profits.

Secretary Chen came over and said, "Chief, the food is ready."

The leader stood up and said, "Let's go and try the cooking skills of the chef from my hometown."

Only after everyone stood up did Ye Chuan follow everyone to the restaurant.

Four hot dishes had already been prepared on the table, namely, fish-flavored shredded pork, mapo tofu, kung pao chicken and boiled cabbage.

Ye Chuan then asked: "Leader, is your hometown Sichuan?" to confirm his guess.

"That's right. When I came to the north, I wanted to revisit my hometown cuisine, so I invited a chef from my hometown. He just arrived yesterday. How about you guys try his cooking?" Secretary Chen turned into a waiter. It happened that no one was pouring wine at that time, so Ye Chuan volunteered to fill everyone's glasses with wine.

Under the guidance of the big leader, everyone picked up their chopsticks and took a bite. Although they were not sure whether it was authentic or not, the dish still tasted delicious.

"Commander, this is really great!"

"Yes, this is the first time I have eaten such authentic Sichuan cuisine!" Everyone praised.

Ye Chuan was somewhat unmoved by such enthusiastic response.

He imagined that if Sha Zhu did it, the results might not be bad.

But thinking about the description in the TV series, he was sure that his judgment was at least 10% correct.

"Leader, the next dish must be twice-cooked pork, right?" At this time, Ye Chuan made a bold guess.

The big boss was stunned for a moment, staring at him in surprise, and said with a smile: "You are quite good! If you can guess what the sixth dish is, I have a big surprise for you.

"

Ye Chuan smiled and looked at the dishes on the table: "Your preference is obvious. Only one of the six most famous Sichuan dishes is left - twice-cooked pork.

I guess the next dish must be Dongpo pork elbow, which is the sixth must-order dish." He said with certainty.

The leader neither confirmed nor denied it. He raised his glass and said with a smile: "Cheers!"

Everyone around was filled with confusion. After all, the leader was the only one who hadn't spoken, so no one dared to ask questions rashly.

After finishing a drink, the restaurant door opened and Secretary Chen came out with the dishes.

When everyone saw it, they were so surprised that their mouths formed an "O" shape. It was indeed twice-cooked pork!

“It’s really twice-cooked pork!”

"Too strong! You can see through this!"

The big boss tasted a bite of the twice-cooked pork and said with a smile: "I didn't expect you to have such a deep understanding of food?" His attitude towards Ye Chuan changed.

Ye Chuan smiled modestly and said, "Thank you for the compliment. I just happened to read the introduction of the six authentic Sichuan dishes in a book. I can see that you have a deep understanding of Sichuan cuisine, so I know that the last dish must be Dongpo pork elbow.

As for in-depth understanding, I dare not claim that it is just theory.

"

His answer cleverly demonstrated his knowledge and also gave a compliment. The leader immediately had a comfortable smile on his face and felt very comfortable.

"Well done! It's rare to see young people today loving learning!" The senior leader gave unprecedented praise to the young Ye Chuan.

There was a change in the way everyone looked at Ye Chuan. They had never heard a leader praise a young person like this.

When Secretary Chen came in again to speak, the plate in his hand made everyone look like they had seen a ghost.

Among the six dishes, just as Ye Chuan predicted, the last one was Dongpo Pork Elbow, and the arrangement was absolutely perfect!

"Xiao Ye, it's good that you guessed the dishes correctly, and even the order was correct. Is there anything special about it?" Manager Lu from the glass factory asked in confusion.

Ye Chuan glanced at the big boss and said confidently: "Of course.

China's table manners are derived from profound cultural heritage, and the placement of each dish is a manifestation of order and etiquette.

"The big boss listened with great interest. He wanted to find out how profound Ye Chuan's knowledge was.

Next, Ye Chuan explained the seating arrangements, the hierarchy between hosts and guests, and dining habits in various occasions. These were common knowledge that his ex-girlfriend, a catering manager at a five-star hotel, had heard in casual conversations, and over time, they gradually became his own unique style of dining table conversation.

Then he said: "As for the dishes, the most praised in our country are the eight major cuisines, I think all leaders should be familiar with these.

The state banquet is based on Huaiyang cuisine, which has a lighter flavor and can cater to the tastes of everyone.

The serving process usually starts with a cold dish, followed by a clear soup, such as bird's nest soup, truffle soup, etc., and then the seafood main course, such as fish maw, etc.

After most of the guests have eaten, the main course, dessert and fruit plate are served last.”

Everybody listened attentively, forgetting that the food was on the table. They were all factory managers and had rich worldly experience.

Although they often had big meals, this was the first time they had heard of such detailed dining etiquette.

“The main course and fruit plate should be served at the right time. If served too early, it will be considered as ‘driving away’ the guests, while if served too late, it will be a failure of hospitality.” Everyone suddenly realized that dining involves such a great deal of knowledge, and felt that their previous luxurious diet was just frivolous and useless.

There was a hint of surprise in the eyes of the senior leaders. Ye Chuan's vivid and detailed explanation was obviously not just as simple as the knowledge in the book, but he himself had obviously never attended a state banquet.

"Xiao Ye, your description has made me very interested in the state banquet you mentioned!"

"Our country's food culture is so profound and extensive!" Several factory managers exclaimed in unison.

Director Yang, who was the largest factory owner, had never been to a state banquet. In the past, he mostly ate in the factory cafeteria, which of course was not very particular.

"Chief, is what Xiaoye said true?" someone couldn't help but ask.

The senior executive nodded in affirmation, "Yes, it's all true. The rules are indeed very strict."

Ye Chuan took the opportunity to agree: "Yes, what the chief said is right, the rules are indeed strict, and the dining atmosphere here is much warmer."

Hearing this, the superior smiled bitterly and said, "You're so good at talking. Even I want to grab the opportunity to speak!"

After that, everyone raised their glasses and talked about other topics.

Seeing that everyone was talking, Ye Chuan listened carefully while eating, and deliberately ignored the mention of the valuable gifts given by the leader.

After a few rounds of drinks, a middle-aged woman with a kind face came over.

Seeing the people eating, she nodded to several people at the table.

When she saw Ye Chuan, she was a little surprised.

Ye Chuan recognized that this was the leader's wife and immediately stood up to greet her.

The leader's cheeks were slightly red, and he was in a good mood. He said to his wife: "It's just right that you are here. Bring me the paper press on the table. I said I would give Xiaoye a generous gift."

The lady agreed and left the restaurant. Not long after, she came back with a piece of white porcelain, about the size of a palm.

The superior put it in front of Ye Chuan and said, "Xiao Ye, I said before that I would give you a gift. This is your square paperweight, which means you should read more and read good books.

Unfortunately, this is the only one left, the others were lost along the way!"

Hearing this, Ye Chuan's eyes lit up and he blurted out, "A pastel landscape paperweight from the Republic of China period!"

He immediately took back the paperweight, shook his hands and said, "Leader, please take it back. It is too rare and you love it. I dare not compete with others for it."

Hearing this, the superior was extremely surprised. This young man gave too many surprises.

He could actually recognize the origin of the paperweight at a glance, which was enough to show that he had a lot of knowledge about antiques.

"Are you also interested in antiques?"

Ye Chuan responded: "I have dabbled in it for a short period of time, but not in depth!" His identification skills are only entry-level, and he really can't say that he has done in-depth research.

The leader heard the difference in Ye Chuan's words - he knew a little about food, but he was not in-depth in antiques.

In other words, his research on antiques far exceeds his knowledge of food.

Don't be afraid of being laughed at. When it comes to antique collecting, I am at best just a dilettante.

As for this ruler, I can only speculate that it may be from the Republic of China period, but I dare not conclude it." The leader said.

Ye Chuan picked up the ruler again and said, "Leader, this is a work from the early Republic of China. It uses pastels to paint the landscape. It has an ancient charm and is pleasing to the eye.

Its painting style is not like that of the imperial kilns in the late Qing Dynasty, and it is not as bright and eye-catching as that of folk kilns. It has both the tradition of folk kilns in the Qing Dynasty and its own unique style. "

Most of the factory managers were not familiar with this, and they seemed to understand what Ye Chuan said, but they felt that his description was quite professional and full of charm.

Although as a senior executive, the leader was well-versed in antiques, Ye Chuan's reminder did allow him to see the characteristics of the ruler that were different from the previous Qing-style ruler.

"Xiao Ye, I'm really surprised that you have such an in-depth analysis of this knowledge and can tell the age at a glance!"

The previous recognition of Ye Chuan's car repair skills and the topic of "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" sparked the leader's interest in Ye Chuan. Now, the humility and propriety he showed when he first entered the factory made the leader admire him even more. Ye Chuan's insights into the appreciation of the ruler undoubtedly made the leader overjoyed.

In addition to delicious food, leaders are particularly fond of Chinese antiques and collect one or two. However, due to insufficient understanding, it is a bit difficult to talk about the specific details.

Ye Chuan's profound comments on Zhen Chi made the leader feel like he had met a soulmate. If it were not for his daily self-cultivation, he would have been unable to conceal his inner excitement.

Ye Chuan continued, "Leader, it is a pity that this single ruler was lost. If there is a complete set, its value will increase a lot.

But for those who love collecting, talking about money seems a bit superficial! "

The leader laughed and pushed the ruler towards Ye Chuan again: "Since it is a gift for you, it is inappropriate to mention that it is expensive.

You should keep it and let someone who knows the business own it, so that its value will not be wasted."

Seeing the leader's sincere eyes, Ye Chuan confirmed that he was sincere and not just being polite, so he replied: "Thank you for your kindness, elder. I would rather obey your order than be respectful. Please accept this!"

After getting a satisfactory answer, the leader nodded and said: "Don't call me so politely in the future, you can call me Old Man Xu or Mr. Xu.

I am also very happy to have made a friend like you who is even more different in age than me! "

"Thank you, Mr. Xu, for your kindness!"

In his spare time, the leader is also very fond of elegant objects, but he admitted that it was just a hobby and said, "Come to my study later and we will talk about it in detail."

Ye Chuan said modestly: "My level is low, please give me more guidance!" When the four factory managers heard this, they looked at each other in shock and had a different kind of respect for Ye Chuan.

The four factory managers knew very well about the leader's strength: even the slightest exertion from him would cause China to tremble. It was really unexpected that he was willing to establish a friendship with such a guy.

Factory Director Yang wiped his cold sweat privately, feeling very pleased with the choice he made on the Yongshun issue. Once Ye Yongshun's affairs affected his father-in-law, he might be belittled in the eyes of Mr. Xu.

This changed their thinking and they decided not to take the waste issue lightly anymore and obviously considered it seriously.

After dinner, Mr. Xu took Ye Chuan's hand and said to the others, "You go back first. I have some questions about antiques that I want to ask Comrade Ye."

Everyone responded hurriedly, and before leaving, they told Ye Chuan their office phone numbers and told him to leave the scrapped materials from their respective factories to Ye Chuan alone to deal with.

Under Mrs. Xu's surprised gaze, Ye Chuan followed Mr. Xu up to the second floor. This was Mr. Xu's private bedroom and study. Normally, no one except Mrs. Xu could set foot there, not even Secretary Chen.

The furnishings in the study are quite simple, with only a desk, two large rows of tall bookshelves, a set of fabric sofas and a square display cabinet. On the table are a black and a red telephone, adding a bit of mystery.

The bookshelves are filled with books, each of which is practical rather than just for display. It can be seen that each book has been studied frequently.

"Mr. Xu's study is filled with a strong atmosphere of knowledge. He maintains the habit of reading even in his spare time at work. It is really awe-inspiring!" Ye Chuan started by flattering him.

Although he knew that this was a compliment, Old Xu deeply resonated with it. When he was young, he regarded himself as a refined general, and his love for literature did not diminish with age.

Ye Chuan walked closer to the bookshelf, staring at the rich books filling the shelf, and his pursuit of knowledge surged in his heart.

The entertainment life in reality seemed too monotonous, and there was nothing on the radio that interested him. In his previous life, he was obsessed with the world of books, as could be seen from his eagerness after receiving the four great classics.

Lao Xu's bookshelf is divided into two columns. One is filled with books about machinery, which is in line with Lao Xu's work field; the other bookshelf is mostly literary books, including the Four Great Classics and numerous historical and poetry works.

“Xiaoye, if you need any, you can borrow these books and read them at home anytime.

"Old Xu smiled kindly.

Ye Chuan nodded and replied: "Thank you very much, Lao Xu.

There are definitely some that I’m eager to read.

"

He had already read most of these books. Although the recycling company had limited supplies, it had collected a lot of used books and periodicals.

The actual purpose of borrowing the books was to prepare for the next visit. After finally getting the opportunity to make the connection, how could he let go of such a valuable contact resource?