Chapter 80 Banquet of Eminent Literati

ang Wu also felt that the pursuers behind were getting closer. She subconsciously tightened her grip on Su Can's hand as a waiter carrying a tray hurriedly moved to the side of the corridor, looking a...Chapter 80: Banquet for Esteemed Scholars

The cold wind on Sunday was even more biting. Even with his memories from two lifetimes, Su Cen was still not very familiar with the urban structure of Rong City; after all, he had spent little time here. Fortunately, Tang Wu's birthday banquet at Fourth City Garden Restaurant wasn't far away—it was right by Nanh Lake Park.

Su Cen wore a standing-collar sweater and walked down the streets of Rong City under the cold front. He passed through lawns with benches along their edges, construction sites for urban development, traffic lights at street corners, old steamed food restaurants, and ancient alleys. The colorful exterior walls of Fourth City Garden Restaurant were visible on the other side of Nanh Lake Park.

In Su Cen's memory, during her three years in junior high school, although Tang Wu wasn't as widely known as she was now at No. 27 High School, she still stood out as a notable class president in her class.

Given that he hadn't heard of Tang Wu celebrating her birthday before, it seemed likely that when she was in Xia Hai, neither of her parents were around much, and her birthdays must have been rather simple affairs. Naturally, now that she was eighteen years old, this birthday held significant meaning for her, and her parents would surely throw a grand banquet to make up for the past.

Today he could finally get a clear idea of Tang Wu's family background.

The waiters outside the restaurant were neatly lined up. Upon hearing that Su Cen was attending the birthday banquet, the floor manager personally led him to a private room.

The colorful exterior walls of the garden restaurant could be seen from a distance; three floors with thematic colors and scattered sunlit glass houses in the lawn below.

Of course, through the large glass walls, Su Cen could also see various Audi and Mercedes cars parked below, as well as Jaguar models. There was even an Aston Martin and Alfa Romeo 156—cars with distinctive styles that caught one's eye at first glance.

The grille in front of a car played a crucial role in its appearance; it was like the facial features of a person, adding distinct characteristics. Many famous brand cars dedicated themselves to showcasing unique grilles without copying others. However, these seemingly simple grilles were often the hardest for people to recognize. When admiring a car, people usually focused first on the grille.

Su Can was deeply impressed by the Alfa Romeo 156 model, particularly its striking grille design. In today's Chengdu, such a car would stand out visually to people accustomed to traditional sedan models.

The hall manager wore a ceremonial smile as he noticed Su Can's gaze on the cars parked outside the restaurant. He felt a sense of pride because in this era, a restaurant's prestige and popularity weren't passed down through word-of-mouth like they would be in later times. Instead, one could gauge these factors simply by looking at the number and quality of vehicles parked outside.

Unbeknownst to him, Su Can was calculating how many cars priced around 400,000 yuan he could afford with his current capital; the answer came up short at less than eight. If he were to match the cars lined up in front of the restaurant, he wouldn't have enough for even the third or fourth vehicle.

This realization made Su Can realize that his financial resources still seemed inadequate. By the year 2000, having tens of millions of yuan was no longer extraordinary in Chengdu; at this time, many among the second and third wave of wealthy individuals had accumulated such sums. As a latecomer, it appeared he couldn't compete with them on wealth alone but could rely on his youth.

The restaurant was bustling, its decor unique, with private rooms resembling birdcages, from which laughter and conversation occasionally spilled out.

Crossing the winding staircase adorned with flowers between the first and second floors, Su Can reached the third floor where a server knocked on the door of a large private room. Upon entering, he saw Tang Wu, who still wore her hair in a ponytail and dressed in a casual top and jeans.

The spacious private room contained three tables with an outdoor patio featuring chairs and three parasols that were folded up but had several groups sitting on them.

On one side stood a glasshouse filled with flowers, containing a round table and chairs. Had it been sunny, the view of girls in small, charming outfits giggling and chatting would have been quite appealing.

The private room also featured relaxation areas with traditional long benches and easily accessible magazines. There were many people present, indicating that Tang Wu's birthday party had invited at least forty guests.

Despite this, Su Can immediately noticed Tang Wu sitting on a bench and talking to a middle-aged man. When she saw Su Can, she seemed hesitant to greet him because she was likely listening to advice from the man beside her.

The middle-aged man suddenly spoke up, "Tang Wu, that classmate of yours, Su Cen Tell him to come over and sit down." Tang Wu was certainly taken aback but didn't understand why this man knew Su Cen. Was it because her mother mentioned it Tang Wu glanced outside the balcony where Mu Xuan was chatting with some people on the patio. She then dismissed this unlikely, even absurd, thought.

The sudden intervention of the middle-aged man made a few male students sitting on the bench and admiring Tang Wu from afar look rather bewildered. They had been trying to break the ice around Tang Wu but couldn't ignore Chu Zimiao's presence. Instead, they would occasionally interject with remarks in front of this literary figure known as an 'influential writer' within the province, hoping to attract her attention and everyone else’s.

However, it was somewhat surprising that the composed Chu Zimiao, who frequently articulated his views without giving others a chance to speak, especially younger ones, suddenly beckoned for Su Cen to come over. He would only occasionally glance at Tang Wu.

"You’re here," Tang Wu smiled when he approached her.

The men and women in the sweet-smelling glass room filled with the scent of fresh grass now focused their attention on them. When they first entered, Tang Wu hadn't personally greeted anyone; in fact, few students from her age group had a close relationship with her. Most were brought over by their parents at the invitation of Mrs. Tang.

However, these people weren’t unfamiliar to Tang Wu, and similarly, the newly arrived Su Cen was recognized by others who found him no stranger.

Sitting beside Chu Zimiao, Su Cen saw Yang Cheng directly opposite them. Yang Cheng appeared somewhat surprised but nodded in greeting at Su Cen.

Additionally, some students from his school whom he had encountered were also present here. These individuals weren’t prominent figures within the school and tended to be rather reserved; their parents sat around the outer patio looking quite authoritative—either officials or influential businesspeople.

The renowned Chu Zimiao in the provincial literary scene left everyone speechless after calling out Su Cen's name, inviting Tang Wu to lead him over to sit on a redwood bench. He didn’t make any specific remarks targeting Su Cen but left an enormous question mark for these high school students who were listening to his teachings.

He then continued with his discourse and exposition: "When Qin Shi Huang burned books, it was intended to prohibit wandering scholars and abolish private schools. Li Si's suggestion clearly embodied the most blatant form of a policy aimed at making people ignorant. The purpose was quite clear—to maintain the newly established centralized bureaucratic system. This overtly repressive policy towards education was bitterly denounced by later scholars who believed that if they had lived in Qin times, not only would their academic careers be jeopardized, but they might also face execution. Hence, they valued even more the opportunities provided by the imperial examination system under a benevolent ruler. However, the imperial examination system, especially the 'Eight-part Essay', which was a major trap, confined all scholars to the study of Confucian classics and tightly bound their thoughts with strict rules. The harm it caused surpassed that of book burning. While only 460 scholars were buried alive during Qin Shi Huang's reign, the number of people who suffered from the imperial examination system was innumerable! Furthermore, this system also exacerbated the 'rule by men' rather than rule by law within an official-centric society. Once someone became an official, they would become arrogant and domineering, yet during their studies and exams, they had to endure humiliation that could strip them of their humanity. Therefore, for students who aspire to hold office in the future, you might better understand what I'm saying."

Su Cen listened silently. Just by hearing Zhu Zimiao's speech, he could sense the grandeur of this educational official gathering. However, most people in attendance seemed indifferent and found his talk tedious; some might even be secretly cursing him for talking endlessly. In contrast, observing Su Cen or Tang Wu appeared more interesting but dared not do so openly because they were ordered by their parents to listen to Zhu Zimiao’s lecture on humanism.

The laughter of the two middle-aged men echoed throughout the room, one with a plump and ruddy face escorting another in a suit with slicked-back hair and sharp eyes.

Tang Wu raised her head. "Dad."

This word "dad" made Su Cen subconsciously straighten his back, instinctively looking at the tall man before him, only to be surprised by the plump middle-aged man with a beer belly and ruddy face who chuckled and said to Zhu Zimiao, "Professor Zhu, Yang District Chief of Qingyang has long admired your reputation. Hearing that you're attending my daughter's banquet today fills me with joy!"

He then smiled at Tang Wu, saying, "My little girl, listening to Uncle Zhu is quite beneficial for you, isn't it Your dad also attended his lectures at Rong University and found them very enlightening. Truly golden words."

"Professor Zhu, delighted to meet you! I’ve heard much about your reputation; today’s meeting is truly a stroke of luck!" The tall man Yang Chenggui extended both hands with a broad smile as he shook hands with Zhu Zimiao, though their administrative ranks were equal. He bowed slightly while shaking hands, greeting him in the manner of a junior official.

Zhu Zimiao's reputation and status on one hand, and his journey to becoming the Party Secretary of the Education Department, where he taught lectures, mentored students, and became an esteemed scholar with significant influence; these factors contributed immensely to his clout. Even as a district chief like Yang Chenggui or even the current secretary of Rong City's Communist Party Committee Wang Bo would show respect in front of him.

However, Su Cen found it difficult to imagine this plump middle-aged man with a ruddy face and round cheeks as Tang Wu’s dad. He couldn't help but glance at Mu Xuan, who still looked like the elegant middle-aged woman she was, her side profile exuding an extraordinary grace.

The people chatting on the terrace dispersed and entered the private room, heading towards them—clearly, these officials were focused on their children present there.

(To be continued)er rebutted, “Marriage is a sweet shackle. I’d like to point out that Miss Lin Luoran is a girl; women marry when they grow up. Could you ever be willing to choose this sweetness and enjoy the freedom...