Chapter 81: The An Family Banquet (Part One)

In the end, they drove over in two cars. Mo Lan had been to An Feng’s home before, so she was familiar with the route. The group strolled leisurely through An Feng’s residence, and it truly rivaled the Mo family’s estate in every respect.

Qian Yin observed with utmost care, scrutinizing every blade of grass, every flower, each table and chair. She even knew what everything was made of, the names of the plants and flowers, and their origins.

People who live in such places are either aloof or exceedingly amiable. After all, families that cultivate gardens often value self-cultivation and harmony. The atmosphere in An Feng’s home seemed peaceful; there were no servants in sight, suggesting that the family managed everything themselves.

Inside, the uncle was busy washing and chopping vegetables, personally blending the ingredients for the hotpot base, bustling about with no time to spare.

“Come on, everyone get started. I’ll go inside to brew some tea, since my family is poor and has no servants,” An Feng said, smiling as he walked toward the kitchen.

“That’s what you call poor?” Mr. Jin replied, half amused and half exasperated. It seemed that the wealthy were now so modest. The house was filled with antiques, and even if one had money, it would be hard to acquire such treasures.

An Feng didn’t pay any attention to Mr. Jin’s remark. He busied himself searching for tea leaves, boiling water, and preparing a cup of tea to bring out.

If this is poverty, what are truly poor people supposed to think of you wealthy folks?

Qian Yin and Coldblood paid it no mind. After all, people like them, with assets in the hundreds of millions, were always discreet, never flaunting their wealth. However, they noted that An Feng was no longer as aloof as before; he wasn’t so handsome anymore, and had even started to tease others.

Upon entering the kitchen, An Feng was startled by the sheer quantity of food. Could their group possibly consume so much?

“Uncle, why did you buy so many groceries?” An Feng asked, swallowing nervously. Though his uncle was an excellent cook, he wasn’t sure if everyone could eat so much.

Vegetables kept in the fridge for too long lose their freshness, so An Feng always insisted on eating fresh produce. He believed that anything stored overnight in the fridge was unfit for consumption the next day.

“How many people did you bring?” The uncle was a bit puzzled. Were there not many in the Mo family? From what he had heard, there were several people with the surname Mo, and some friends as well; shouldn’t there be at least a dozen or twenty?

“There are only seven. Master Mo, Old Master Mo, Immortal, and the Four Directions—none of them are coming,” An Feng replied helplessly. How could so many people possibly show up? Even a herd of pigs couldn’t eat this much.

Mo Lan and Qian Yin, noticing that An Feng hadn’t come out for quite some time, decided to go in and check on the kitchen, curious to see what it was like. Mo Lan hadn’t been in the kitchen during her previous visit.

Coldblood sat quietly outside, occasionally admiring the antiques. Mr. Jin stepped forward to touch some of them, confirming their authenticity. It was clear An Feng’s family was indeed wealthy; these items had been auctioned even before Mr. Jin became the owner of his jade shop, and their prices had been far from modest.

When the two women entered, they were greeted by heaps of vegetables and all kinds of meats. The place was cluttered, but organized in its own way.

“Why are you two in here? Go sit outside,” the uncle said awkwardly, unsure where to place the knife in his hand, especially with two pretty young ladies standing before him.

An Feng finished brewing the tea and glanced at them, then said with resignation, “Let’s go, time for tea outside.”

“You entertain the guests; we’ll stay and help,” Qian Yin and Mo Lan offered, seeing the mountain of food that one man alone could not possibly handle.

An Feng was surprised, but nodded and went outside. After all, with guests waiting, it wouldn’t be proper for the whole family to hide in the kitchen.

“Hello,” Qian Yin waved to the uncle, not having met him before and unsure how to address him.

“Hello, I’m An Feng’s uncle,” he replied, returning the greeting before resuming his work.

Qian Yin and Mo Lan exchanged a glance and then set to work. Qian Yin sliced the meats, arranging them neatly on plates and placing them on the counter. Mo Lan washed the vegetables—there was an abundance of greens, lettuce and more. Clearly, the uncle not only cooked but was also a connoisseur, with a deep knowledge of cuisine.

The two girls worked diligently, their seriousness evident. The uncle felt embarrassed; he should have prepared everything in advance, and now the guests were helping, which was hardly proper.

With helpers, the uncle turned to mixing the hotpot base, carefully adding various ingredients to the pot. He then carried it out, mindful not to spill.

When the fragrant broth emerged, the men in the living room, idle until then, were drawn in by the aroma and gathered around. Mr. Jin’s impression of the uncle was based on their first meeting; he seemed about the same age as himself, yet appeared to be a very capable man.

Everyone watched attentively; there was still much food yet to be brought out. The uncle plugged in the pot and began simmering the broth, then retreated inside again without exchanging a word with the men. The men simply took their seats at the table, ready for the meal, looking utterly relaxed.

The two bodyguards stood nearby. Mr. Jin glanced at them, considering whether there would be enough food to invite them to the table as well.

The two women worked inside for over an hour, organizing everything. When they looked back, there were countless dishes, nearly a hundred, and all generously portioned.

How many guests did the uncle expect? Mo Lan and Qian Yin were astonished to see the cabinet overflowing with plates.

The uncle returned, embarrassed, and without a word, picked up a tray and carried out five or six dishes at once. Qian Yin and Mo Lan each carried two plates in their hands, bringing them out as well.

The men, who had been sitting, saw the two girls serving the food and promptly stood up, heading to the kitchen. Each carried two plates, shuttling back and forth until all the dishes were brought out.

Finally, the uncle brought out exquisite bowls and chopsticks, setting the table for everyone. They all sat down, marveling at the abundance—the large table was filled to the brim, with even the adjacent tables piled with dishes.

Each person looked at the uncle in surprise. Why had he bought so much food? Wasn’t it exhausting to purchase all this by himself?

“We truly apologize for intruding today,” Mr. Jin was the first to express his regret. With so much food, he invited the two bodyguards to join at the table.

“It’s nothing. You should visit often and try my specially blended hotpot base—it’s delicious, I guarantee you’ll want more,” the uncle replied cheerfully, gesturing for everyone to start by adding the chicken to the pot.

The group simply smiled, agreeing with Mr. Jin’s sentiment. They were indeed imposing on their host, especially seeing that there were no servants and the uncle had bought and prepared all this food himself—it must have been exhausting.