Donglaishun was mainly known for its hotpot.
Though they could prepare grilled whole lamb, most people went there for lamb skewers. Grilled whole lamb wasn’t cheap – ordinary folks didn’t go to Donglaishun for that. Wasn’t a lamb hotpot enough to satisfy one’s appetite?
After Xia Xiaolan and Kang Wei enjoyed their hotpot meal with its rich broths, she still wanted to send some grilled whole lamb to Zhou Cheng.
“How many colleagues does Zhou Cheng have?” she asked.
Kang Wei was a bit confused – what counted as Brother Cheng’s colleagues? Those at his level, or the subordinates under his management?
“About two to three hundred people,” Kang Wei replied, estimating the number of Zhou Cheng’s subordinates, unsure of what Xia Xiaolan had in mind.
One lamb weighed sixty to seventy jin. For two to three hundred people, they’d need at least three lambs. Better make it four lambs, since there wouldn’t be as much meat after cooking.
“Then I’ll order four lambs here. Can we have them delivered to his workplace tomorrow? Are they allowed to bring a lamb into the compound? Can the chef who grills the lamb enter?”
Kang Wei, who had just put some sauce-dipped lamb in his mouth, immediately choked upon hearing Xia Xiaolan’s words.
He felt like crying – not from emotion, but from the chive flower sauce burning his throat.
His sister-in-law’s thinking was truly extraordinary. This was why those female colleagues who racked their brains trying to pursue Brother Cheng couldn’t compete with her – they only dared to think but not act, their vision too limited. Sending four lambs to Zhou Cheng was a masterstroke that Kang Wei had never even imagined!
The more Xia Xiaolan thought about it, the more feasible it seemed.
“What’s the big deal about someone who got rich first sending some lamb to Zhou Cheng and his colleagues?”
She intended to send it for Zhou Cheng to eat, and sending more would prevent people from calling him stingy for eating alone.
Kang Wei quickly stopped his sister-in-law’s wild imagination: “The lamb can go in, but Donglaishun’s chefs definitely can’t enter. Sister-in-law, you can go in because you’re Brother Cheng’s family member. When I want to see Brother Cheng, I can only stand at the gate for a moment and count that as having met him.”
Well then, having Donglaishun prepare the lamb and deliver it to the compound entrance should work.
Xia Xiaolan figured there must be someone among the compound staff from all over the country who knew how to grill whole lamb.
“I’ll pay for this myself, and tonight’s hotpot is my treat too.”
Xia Xiaolan had recently made some quick money. After running a promotion, her clothing store’s business was doing very well. Though she hadn’t yet divided the New Year’s business profits before leaving, just estimating the daily turnover showed significant earnings. She was generous with her spending.
Kang Wei went to negotiate.
He talked big, almost suggesting that Xia Xiaolan and Zhou Cheng were getting married tomorrow over grilled lamb. After adding extra compensation, he convinced them to deliver the lamb to the compound entrance tomorrow. Even so, Donglaishun’s master chef wasn’t happy – grilling the whole lamb depended on who did it, and the heat control was crucial. The master chef felt uneasy about the lamb going out under Donglaishun’s name.
Following Xia Xiaolan’s requirements, they ordered all large lambs.
Donglaishun used the Inner Mongolian lamb. While the large lamb was better for making lamb spine hotpot, the younger lamb was more tender for grilling whole.
Xia Xiaolan worried smaller lambs wouldn’t be enough to eat, so she opted for large ones.
She left a 200 yuan deposit, with the remainder to be paid upon delivery. Until the lambs were butchered, they wouldn’t know the exact weight. Fresh lamb meat without bones cost 1.80 yuan per jin outside, but Donglaishun wasn’t a butcher’s stall – they were a restaurant and had to factor in operating costs. The lambs would need to be slaughtered overnight and marinated with seasonings.
Xia Xiaolan also bought some snacks like sunflower seeds, peanuts, and broad beans.
If she could afford four lambs, these snacks were hardly worth mentioning.
After stuffing everything into the trunk of the borrowed Jeep, she waved goodbye to Kang Wei.
“Be careful on your way home.”
Kang Wei drove while smiling the whole way, finding Xia Xiaolan highly amusing. Brother Cheng had good taste and acted decisively. Though his future sister-in-law’s family background wasn’t as prestigious as those high-ranking officials’ daughters chasing after Zhou Cheng when it came to easy and fun company, Kang Wei would choose Xia Xiaolan too.
What good was a distinguished family background if he wasn’t looking to live off someone else?
Those officials’ daughters had their noses in the air, like Tong Lili whom Zhou Yi had introduced to Zhou Cheng. Relying on her decent looks, she was quite popular in their circle, always looking down her nose at others. Kang Wei hadn’t noticed before, but compared to Xia Xiaolan, Tong Lili’s features seemed coarse and unrefined.
Just as he was thinking about Tong Lili, he spotted her – speak of the devil! Shao Guangrong was frantically honking his horn on a dump truck motorcycle, with Tong Lili sitting in the truck bed, and Zhou Yi was there too! Shao Guangrong was already a notorious playboy, and now he was carrying two young women – he must be over the moon.
Kang Wei reluctantly stopped his car, mentally cursing Shao Guangrong as an idiot.
He must have been manipulated into revealing information by Zhou Yi and Tong Lili again.
Shao Guangrong was bewildered by Kang Wei’s stare.
“Sister Zhou Yi, long time no see!”
For Zhou Cheng’s sake, Kang Wei had to say hello.
Tong Lili stepped down from the truck bed in her leather boots. “Tsk tsk, Young Master Kang must have struck it rich lately. You don’t hang out with us anymore – do we even deserve a greeting on the street?”
Tong Lili was indeed quite beautiful, and she knew how to dress herself up. While most women went bare-faced, she wore glossy lip color and carefully groomed eyebrows. Her eyes were long and narrow, quite alluring when she looked at people half-lidded. She probably knew her charm points well, with a deliberately practiced smile and calculated eye expressions.
But Kang Wei wasn’t impressed by her act.
He wasn’t close to Tong Lili and had no interest in being matched with her, so why be overly polite?
“Brother Guang, where are you taking them?”
Shao Guangrong was older than Kang Wei, and since they often hung out together, Kang Wei sometimes called him “Little Guang” and “Brother Guang,” depending on his mood and the occasion.
“Taking these two beauties ice skating. Kang, you smell like a lamb – heading back after eating?”
While Kang Wei and Shao Guangrong chatted, they completely ignored Tong Lili. As she started to get angry, Zhou Yi patted her hand.
“Kang Wei, we were just asking Guangrong about something, and since we ran into you, I might as well ask you. You know about Zhou Cheng’s relationship status, right? You’ve met his girlfriend – what does she look like? Tell us about her.”
Kang Wei was more tight-lipped than Shao Guangrong – he could resist even when Guan E’e asked him.
Who did Zhou Yi think she was? Just Zhou Cheng’s cousin? Xia Xiaolan was right here in Beijing, and they’d just parted less than ten minutes ago. Everyone knew Tong Lili was pursuing Zhou Cheng, so Kang Wei was especially reluctant to say anything, fearing these two women might cause trouble for Xia Xiaolan.
“I don’t know anything. Sister Zhou Yi, why don’t you ask Brother Cheng himself? Sorry, but I need to return this car to the unit. Let’s chat another time!”
Shao Guangrong shouted about having dinner together tomorrow, but Kang Wei just waved him off:
“I’m busy renovating my house these days. Let’s meet up another time!”
Kang Wei couldn’t trust Shao Guangrong’s big mouth anymore, so he hadn’t told him about Xia Xiaolan coming to Beijing. There was no need to tell him anyway – she was Zhou Cheng’s woman, not Shao Guangrong’s girlfriend.
Tong Lili stood there thinking for a moment, her angry expression turning into a smile as she turned to Zhou Yi:
“Kang Wei left in quite a hurry. What’s he feeling guilty about?”
Zhou Yi wanted to know too.
Both women stared at Shao Guangrong, who raised his hands in surrender: “I don’t know anything.”