"The Imperial Capital has many places to visit, but not many that interest you..." Sitting on the sofa in Jiang Hai's suite, Feng Yunchen looked at him seriously. She had just listed several places to visit, but Jiang Hai had rejected all of them.
As a major city in China, the Imperial Capital offers many attractions beyond the usual sights. Aside from the Forbidden City, the Great Wall, the Old Summer Palace, and the Bird's Nest, there are plenty of other places to enjoy, such as Happy Valley, Dongdan, Xidan, and Wangfujing, where you can go shopping.
The city also has many aquariums, zoos, and parks, including Houhai, Shichahai, and Xiangshan, all of which are excellent. Unfortunately, Jiang Hai was not interested in any of them.
When it comes to shopping, how could the Imperial Capital compete with New York?
Jiang Hai had no interest in visiting aquariums or zoos, especially considering the animal species in his own manor likely outnumbered those in any zoo. The coral reefs in his aquarium were enough to surpass anything in China, or even the world. After all that, it was clear that Jiang Hai wasn't keen on these typical tourist spots.
As for Sanshilitun, which Feng Yunchen had suggested, Jiang Hai had no interest in nightclubs. It was still daytime, and after a while, Feng Yunchen began to feel a little exasperated, as it seemed Jiang Hai wasn't interested in anything.
"Then what do you want to do, Jiang Hai? Where would you like to go?" Just as Feng Yunchen was at a loss, Ai Xiaoxi couldn't help but speak up. After she spoke, everyone else in the room looked at her in surprise.
This made her feel confused. Why was everyone looking at her like that? Had she said something wrong?
"You've been with him for a while—don't you know? This guy is only interested in eating!" Feng Yunchen responded, addressing Ai Xiaoxi directly, with no one else stepping in. Jiang Hai chuckled when he heard her words.
It was true. He didn't care much about other things, but food? That was his passion.
"But there's really nothing tasty in the Imperial Capital!" Ai Xiaoxi mumbled, curling her lips in frustration.
It was true. While the Imperial Capital is the nation's capital, its food scene doesn't boast many standout specialties.
Speaking of food, aside from cakes, the two most famous dishes in the Imperial Capital are Peking duck and hot pot. However, when it comes to authentic hot pot, it can only be found in Mengnei. Peking duck is too greasy and not suitable for breakfast. Besides, Jiang Hai had already eaten it enough times, and he didn't feel like having more.
As for other local dishes, Jiang Hai wasn't a fan of braised pork or bean juice, and he definitely disliked fried liver and fried dough sticks. He also avoided anything fried or spicy tofu. So, aside from pastries like donkey rolls and sachima, which were available worldwide, Jiang Hai felt the Imperial Capital wasn't exactly a haven for delicious food.
Of course, Jiang Hai knew that China was a food lover's paradise. But most of the cuisine was regional, and what tasted great to locals could be hard for outsiders to appreciate. For instance, Jiang Hai preferred Shandong, Sichuan, and Hunan cuisine. But those who couldn't tolerate salty or spicy food wouldn't be able to enjoy those regions' food.
Now, in the Imperial Capital, Jiang Hai and his friends were struggling to decide where to go for a meal. They didn't know where to eat, and after a while of awkward silence, a knock on the door interrupted their thoughts.
Jiang Hai opened the door to find Minister Qin standing there.
Seeing Minister Qin, Jiang Hai was momentarily surprised, but the minister greeted him with a smile.
"Brother Jiang, thank you so much for last night. If it weren't for you, things might have been much harder for me. I spoke to the court today, and they've sent someone to negotiate. Mr. Du Famen has agreed, and we're in talks now." Minister Qin grinned as he spoke.
Jiang Hai smiled in return. It wasn't his doing—Du Famen had wanted to sell, but needed an excuse. Jiang Hai had provided that excuse. However, Jiang Hai had also secured 600 million yuan in oil futures from Du Famen. Of course, he was hoping for even more. After this, he planned to head to South America and the Caribbean to explore sunken ships.
"Everything's going smoothly. Come in and sit down." Jiang Hai gestured for Minister Qin to enter.
As Minister Qin glanced around the room, he was surprised to see so many beautiful women.
"Is everything alright, brother? If not, I'll take my leave and we can talk later," he said, noticing the large crowd in the room.
"Oh, nothing's wrong right now. We were just talking about going out today, but we're not sure where to go. I've already seen all the attractions. As you know, I'm from Boston, USA, which is close to New York, so I'm not interested in shopping malls here. Zoos, parks, amusement parks, and nightclubs don't appeal to me either. I'm a little lost about where to go for fun," Jiang Hai explained with a smile. He was telling the truth—he really didn't know where to go for a good time.
"Is that so? Then what are you interested in, brother?" Minister Qin asked, frowning slightly.
"Uh... eating..." Jiang Hai said with some embarrassment.
"Eating? Haha, that's a good choice, but it's not time to eat yet. Let's do this: I'll treat you and your sisters-in-law. We'll go to Tan's cuisine for lunch, and for dinner, we can visit Li's cuisine. As for fun, how about we go to Panjiayuan first? In the afternoon, I know you enjoy those special ingredients, right? I have a place that will satisfy you." Minister Qin seemed to have come prepared. After hearing Jiang Hai's preferences, he hesitated for a moment before making the suggestion.
When the others heard the term "sisters-in-law," everyone but Qi Li, Ai Xiaoxi, and Feng Yunchen had strange expressions. Azarina didn't care, but Darlene and Marianne were quite intrigued. As for Penelope, she was shy and pretended not to understand.
"Tan's cuisine? Li's cuisine? Panjiayuan?" Jiang Hai was momentarily stunned. These were all important terms for a food lover, and he had forgotten about them.
Tan's cuisine and Li's cuisine were both renowned official cuisines, modeled after imperial cuisine. The three major private cuisines of China—Tan's, Li's, and Kongfu—were considered the pinnacle of culinary art. Tan's and Li's cuisine were both located in the Imperial Capital, so it would have been a shame not to try them.
As for Panjiayuan, it was once called the Antique Market, the largest antique market in the capital. While it was now full of modern imitations, it remained a good place to visit if you weren't there to shop. Jiang Hai wasn't interested in antiques, but visiting would still be worth it.
Seeing Jiang Hai's growing interest, everyone in the room shrugged. They hadn't expected him to change his mind so quickly. It was clear that men and women had very different ideas of fun, but since Jiang Hai had chosen where to go, they wouldn't stop him.
The group made plans for the day. With Jiang Hai, Minister Qin, Darlene, Marianne, Penelope, Azarina, Qi Li, Ai Xiaoxi, and Feng Yunchen, there was not enough space in one car.
Luckily, Minister Qin quickly arranged for a brand-new Coaster and driver, and within ten minutes, they were ready to go. Once inside the car, Minister Qin gave the signal, and they all set off for Panjiayuan Flea Market.
As Jiang Hai sat with a smile on his face, he couldn't help but wonder. Minister Qin must have had more reasons for inviting him today than just for a meal...
After all, Minister Qin was the deputy minister of a top department. He wasn't so free that he would casually visit Jiang Hai for a chat. According to what he had said, Du Famen's negotiations were going smoothly, so why had he come?
Jiang Hai was curious, but decided not to ask any more questions. When the time came, everything would become clear. For now, he was focused on enjoying his day—eating and having fun. What would happen next? He would wait and see.