Chapter 373: Poking the Sore Spot to Death

“You’re right, Aunt Pan.”

“The spread you and Uncle Shen ordered isn’t exactly a feast, is it.”

Luo Xiwen gave Pan Xiaomei a radiant smile, then deliberately opened the menu. “There are nine of us, but you only ordered one Boston Lobster? And just a two-pounder, at that. I’m afraid once it’s on the table, there won’t even be enough for everyone to have a single bite.”

“Boston Lobsters are nothing special. Let’s switch it to an Australian Lobster.”

“What sizes of Australian Lobster do you have?”

Luo Xiwen didn’t look at the waiter. Instead, her gaze fell directly on the deputy general manager, Zhou Shun’an. He had been listening from the service pantry for a while, and when he saw the look Luo Xiwen gave him, he instantly understood her intentions.

“For the New Year, our Zhenshui Banquet has an especially rich stock of all kinds of seafood. Right now, our restaurant has Australian Lobsters ranging from the smallest at two pounds to the largest at eight pounds.”

Zhou Shun’an dismissed the waiter, stepped forward, and replied in a clear voice.

“Then…”

“How about we switch to a three-pound Australian Lobster?”

“That should be enough for everyone to get a bite, right?”

At this point, Luo Xiwen looked at Shen Zhengsheng and Pan Xiaomei, her expression hesitant once more. “Uncle Shen, Aunt Pan, maybe we shouldn’t order lobster after all. A small one isn’t enough to go around, but if we get a big one, I’m afraid it’ll be too expensive for you.”

“After all, this place is really expensive. If you ask me, we should just cancel all the seafood. We’ve all eaten plenty of rich food over the New Year. Why don’t we just switch to all vegetarian dishes?”

Luo Xiwen’s expression was a mix of hesitation and a hint of embarrassment.

Anyone with eyes could see from her expression that it wasn’t that Luo Xiwen didn’t want seafood, but rather that she was afraid Shen Zhengsheng and Pan Xiaomei couldn’t afford it.

Meanwhile, though the deputy general manager, Zhou Shun’an, standing beside Luo Xiwen, said nothing, he chose that exact moment to cast a look of disdain—somewhere between subtle and obvious—at Shen Zhengsheng and Pan Xiaomei.

Shen Zhengsheng and Pan Xiaomei saw the expressions on both Luo Xiwen’s and Zhou Shun’an’s faces and immediately felt they were losing face.

“Xiaoluo, Zhenshui Banquet is a place for seafood. If you cancel all the seafood and switch to vegetarian dishes, what would that look like? Just order whatever you like. If you think the Australian Lobster sounds good, then order it. If two pounds isn’t enough, then order a bigger one.”

Shen Zhengsheng said, waving his hand with a great show of magnanimity.

“Sigh…”

“Oh, Xiaoluo, it’s not that I’m trying to criticize you, but you really need to change that petty attitude of yours.”

Pan Xiaomei continued to lecture Luo Xiwen in that same condescending, superior tone. “I did just say that one should be frugal, but being frugal doesn’t mean being a penny-pincher. Your Uncle Shen is a man of some standing in Beichun. If word got out that he invited guests to the Zhenshui Banquet only to serve them vegetarian dishes, he’d be a laughingstock.”

“Really…?”

“I can really order whatever I want?”

Luo Xiwen asked timidly.

“Order whatever you want.”

In Shen Zhengsheng’s eyes, Luo Xiwen was just a wet-behind-the-ears little girl. Even if he let her order whatever she wanted, how much could she possibly run up? He doubted she could even understand the Zhenshui Banquet’s menu.

“Alright.”

The moment Shen Zhengsheng finished speaking, Luo Xiwen’s demeanor suddenly became calm.

“One eight-pound Australian Lobster.”

“Wild giant conch, pick the largest one, prepared two ways.”

“Wild yellow croaker, pick the largest one, steamed will be fine.”

“Braised fish maw in abalone sauce, one serving per person.”

“Crispy sea cucumber and wild mushroom soup, one serving per person.”

“And two bottles of Domaine Leroy Chambertin Grand Cru.”

“Hmm…”

“That should be all.”

Luo Xiwen reeled off the order at a rapid pace, without even glancing at the menu.

From a short distance away, Shen Zhengsheng and Pan Xiaomei only had a vague concept of what an eight-pound Australian Lobster meant. As for the other dishes Luo Xiwen mentioned, especially that string of what sounded like English at the end, they had no idea whatsoever.

“A four-pound lobster is enough. Anything bigger and we won’t be able to finish it; it’ll be a waste.”

In Pan Xiaomei’s mind, the Australian Lobster was already the most expensive seafood imaginable. As for the fish, conch, fish maw, and sea cucumber Luo Xiwen mentioned afterward, she figured they couldn’t possibly cost that much more. So her attention was fixated on the lobster from the start, and she hadn’t paid much mind to the other dishes.

“Whatever Aunt Pan says.”

“Let’s make it four pounds, then.”

Luo Xiwen’s smile grew even brighter.

“Very good.”

“I’ll put the order in right away.”

Zhou Shun’an immediately bowed and replied.

At this moment, Father Luo and Luo’s Mother, sitting beside Luo Xiwen along with her third aunt and third uncle, were all completely baffled as they watched the radiantly smiling Luo Xiwen. But since Luo Xiwen herself hadn’t said anything, it wasn’t their place to speak up.

“So, Xiaoluo.”

“Seeing as we’ve finished ordering…”

Pan Xiaomei, putting on airs, asked Luo Xiwen directly, “I was wondering, what is your impression of my son?”

“He seems very nice.”

“But if I may be so bold as to ask…”

Luo Xiwen asked tentatively, “Does your son have some kind of speech impediment? I don’t think I’ve heard him say a single word since we entered the private room.”

Hearing this, Ye Ziming, who was sitting next to Ye Hongtai, pressed his lips together, the corners of his mouth twitching uncontrollably to keep from smiling.

‘Those words from his cousin… she might as well have just asked, ‘Is your son a mute?”

“How could Haochen possibly have an impediment? There’s nothing wrong with Haochen! He’s just naturally quiet, and on top of that, he’s been engrossed in his academic research for years, so he might seem a bit taciturn.”

Hearing Luo Xiwen dare to suggest her precious son had a defect, Pan Xiaomei’s face instantly soured. She turned, gently patted Shen Haichen, and said in a soft voice, “Haochen, at home, when you looked at Xiaoluo’s photo, didn’t you say you liked her a lot? Now that you’ve met her in person, say hello.”