CH 9

Lin Xian pulled the suitcase, and the three of them came all the way to the underground parking lot.

Wang Lan took out her car key and pressed it once. The lights of a BMW MINI in front of them flashed a few times.

The car is small but cute and has a good performance in all aspects. The only drawback is that the space is very small.

Yan Xiaoman’s two suitcases cannot be stuffed into the trunk and they could only be dumped into the rear seat.

So the question is, where would Lin Xian sit?

Eventually, he could only sit on the suitcases…

Seeing this scene, Yan Xiaoman who was seated on the co-pilot seat couldn’t help laughing.

Wang Lan said apologetically: “I’m sorry Lin Xian. The car is too small, so I have wronged you like this.”

“It’s okay. I think it is quite interesting.” Lin Xian waved his hand. He is not a squeamish person.

Wang Lan continued to ask: “Where are we going to eat?”

Lin Xian shook his head and said: “I am not very familiar with Shanghai, so you can decide.”

“Then let us go and eat local dishes!” Yan Xiaoman suggested.

“Or let us go to Xinyuan Private Kitchen?”

“Sure!” Yan Xiaoman nodded in a hurry with anticipation in her eyes. Then she turned her head and introduced to Lin Xian: “Lin Xian, let me tell you about Xinyuan Private Kitchen’s stir-fried chicken and braised pork, they are very delicious. And there is also the Huadiao chicken. I eat it every time I go to Shanghai.” (T/N: Huadiao Chicken = Chinese Wine Chicken / Drunken Chicken)

Wang Lan nodded and said, “Let me call and ask if they still have seats. Xinyuan Private Kitchen operates on reservations. I don’t know if they still have any space at this point.”

Xinyuan private kitchen is very famous in Shanghai. It has been around for a long time, its popularity is very high and the business is always jampacked every day.

On the internet, it was selected by the netizens as one of the 100 best restaurants in the country.

Soon, Wang Lan put down her phone and said in surprise: “It seems we are in good luck. They still have a space for us.”

…

Xinyuan Private Kitchen is located on Jiashan Road, not far from the high-speed train station.

After half an hour of drive, Wang Lan parked the car steadily in front of the restaurant.

The place is not huge and the decoration is the very old Shanghai style. There is only a little space in between the tables so it was a bit crowded. In the restaurant, people come and go. Countless voices of people are mixed together which makes the place particularly noisy. But Lin Xian is not disgusted at all because he is used to this atmosphere as his family owns a restaurant.

There are no young seductive waiters, the waiters are all middle-aged aunts.

They were led by a waiter at an unoccupied table.

Wang Lan took the menu and said with a smile: “I used to reserve one day in advance just so I can eat here. I didn’t expect to find an empty table today.”

After speaking, she passed the menu in her hand. “Lin Xian, order what you want. Don’t be shy.”

“I’m only here for the first time, and I don’t know the specialties here. So, it’s okay. You should order.” Lin Xian shook his head and refused to order.

“Okay!”

Wang Lan nodded and said to the waiter: “We are having braised pork, Huadiao chicken, sweet and sour short ribs, cold celery soup, and crispy tea tree mushroom.”

After ordering, Wang Lan poured a cup of tea for Yan Xiaoman and Lin Xian, then she asked casually: “Lin Xian, have you decided where to go from here?”

Lin Xian smiled and said: “No. I came here mainly to buy some things.”

Yan Xiaoman said to herself grinning: ‘I bet he only pretends he has something to do here.’

“Is it okay to tell us what your buying?” Wang Lan continued to ask.

“Watch.” Lin Xian said calmly and then took a sip of hot tea.

Originally, Wang Lan’s image of Lin Xian is good, but at this moment, her impression of him dropped drastically.

After living in Shanghai for so many years, Wang Lan’s perception is not bad. She can tell at a glance that Lin Xian is not rich. He is just an ordinary student who just graduated from high school. Is it necessary to come to Shanghai just to buy a watch?

Therefore, Wang Lan thinks that Lin Xian is quite pretentious.

She is not the kind of person who favors the rich and dislikes the poor, but she thinks that Lin Xian is too impulsive and he has not had much money to buy expensive things. He seems not a sincere person at all.

Wang Lan felt that she had to make her cousin see Lin Xian’s true colors.

There are many diners in the restaurant, but the serving speed is commendable. After a while, the fragrant dishes were brought to the table.

The braised pork tastes sweet but basically does not contain salt.

Yan Xiaoman urged, “Lin Xian, try their braised pork. It tastes superb.”

Lin Xian nodded and picked up a piece of braised pork and stuffed the same in his mouth.

It is really delicious. The braised pork is cooked very well. It melts in the mouth. It has fat but it is not greasy. The taste is moderately salty and sweet.

“Well, it is actually good.”

Hearing Lin Xian’s praise, Yan Xiaoman said happily: “See, I told you!”

The Lin Xian tried several dishes one by one and found they tasted pretty good. No wonder the restaurant has been very popular.

Lin Guodong’s cooking skill is also very good but he only knows Sichuan cuisine, which is completely different from Shanghai’s local cuisines.

Yan Xiaoman was quiet for a moment as she was enjoying a chicken leg. Her eyes were full of joy.

It can be said that Yan Xiaoman is really a foodie, but it seems she hide that fact very well in school!

Feeling Lin Xian’s gaze, Yan Xiaoman was a little embarrassed. She put down the chicken leg, picked up a tissue, and wiped her mouth gracefully.

But soon, she couldn’t help the temptation of such delicious food, she then picked up a piece of braised pork with her chopsticks.

…

After half an hour, everyone has put down their chopsticks.

For Lin Xian who ate local dishes for the first time, the dining experience was very good.

Not to mention Yan Xiaoman who with a satisfied face is sipping the tea from the teacup.

Wang Lan then asked suddenly: “Lin Xian, where are you off to next?”

“I will go and buy a watch.”

“What is the address? I will take you there.” Wang Lan said enthusiastically.

Yan Xiaoman glanced at Wang Lan and felt that her cousin was acting a little bit weird.

‘Did my cousin notice it?’

Thinking of this, Yan Xiaoman couldn’t help but panic. She is very worried that her cousin would tell her parents about Lin Xian.

Of course, Lin Xian would not refuse a free ride. So, he took out his phone and glanced at the address, and said, ”It’s at No. 1159, Jing’an Weihai Road!”

“Okay. I am also taking Xiaoman for a stroll at Weihai Road.”

Wang Lan intends to expose Lin Xian and let her cousin see clearly what kind of person he is which is why she showed much enthusiasm.

The cost of their meal was not that expensive. The five dishes are less than 300 yuan, and Yan Xiaoman paid for all of them.

After paying, Yan Xiaoman snorted at Lin Xian proudly.