Chapter 211: Who Is This Distinguished Guest!
The Auspicious Ingot at the bottom of Qisan Reservoir won’t be discovered for a while.
Jiang Tao wasn’t in a hurry to retrieve it.
After finishing his phone call with Bai Yulan, he directly changed direction and drove towards where Jiang Family Village was located.
By the time he returned to his own doorstep, it was 11:41 AM.
Seeing the main door of their home shut, Jiang Tao knew Xu Li and Jiang Xue must have gone to his parents’ home.
After parking the car, he walked to the door of his parents’ home.
Before Jiang Tao even entered, he heard bursts of laughter from the courtyard, very lively.
Seeing the Passat parked at the entrance, he realized his father-in-law’s family had arrived.
After his father-in-law’s family had stayed in the Capital City for over a week, their interactions with Jiang Tao’s family were becoming more frequent.
The relationship between the two families was also growing closer.
“Xiao Tao’s back~”
“Jiang Tao’s back.”
“Husband~”
“Brother-in-law.”
Upon seeing Jiang Tao enter, everyone enthusiastically greeted him.
The reason everyone was able to unite, work together harmoniously, and get along today was all because of Jiang Tao.
Inadvertently, Jiang Tao had already become the indispensable “central figure” uniting everyone.
Jiang Tao looked at everyone and said with a smile:
“Mom and Dad, everyone, stop what you’re doing. Someone’s treating us to lunch today.”
“Someone’s treating us to lunch? Who is it, husband? Zhiyuan or Yufei?”
Upon hearing they were being treated to lunch, Xu Li asked Jiang Tao curiously, as she thought those two guys were the most likely candidates.
Jiang Tao smiled and said, “Neither. It’s another friend, one you don’t know. I’ll introduce you all today.”
Xu Sha also asked curiously, “Where are we eating, Brother-in-law?”
Jiang Tao said, “At the White Magnolia Hotel.”
“White Magnolia Hotel! That’s great!”
Hearing they were going to eat at the White Magnolia Hotel, Xu Sha’s eyebrows danced with joy.
Although Bai Yulan was not well-known throughout the country, in Ping County, it was undoubtedly the most high-class hotel.
Being able to dine at the White Magnolia Hotel was definitely an honorable thing for a native of Ping County.
Jiang Tao smiled and said, “When we get there, don’t be polite with my friend. Order whatever you want to eat.”
“Okay!”
“Second Brother, what kind of friend is this? Male or female?”
“Female.”
“Female? When did you get a girlfriend? How come I didn’t know? How old is she? Is she pretty?”
Upon hearing that Jiang Tao’s friend was a woman, Xu Li became a little jealous.
Her sour tone made everyone laugh heartily.
Xu Li was also blinded by her own emotions.
Since Jiang Tao dared to bring everyone to meet this friend, there must be no problem between them.
Otherwise, he would be trying to hide it.
“She’s the daughter of a close friend of my Master. She’s about ten years older than me, and definitely not as pretty as my wife.”
Jiang Tao smiled, took a step forward, put his arm around Xu Li’s waist, and praised her subtly.
Indeed, the phrase “definitely not as pretty as my wife” made Xu Li’s heart bloom with happiness.
As for the identity of Bai Yulan as the “daughter of Master’s friend,” it was a fabricated story that Jiang Tao and she had discussed.
Jiang Tao’s nominal Master, Sun Xiao Bao, had already passed away, and with no one to contradict him, he could say whatever he pleased.
After a brief idle chat, everyone went out laughing and talking, getting into three cars and driving towards Ping County town.
Around 12:30 PM.
A Mercedes-Benz G-Class, a Mercedes-Benz GLS, and a similarly black Passat drove into the spacious open-air parking lot in front of the White Magnolia Hotel.
The hotels in Ping County might not compare to some high-end five-star hotels in big cities in terms of class.
However, this vast parking lot was something those hotels outside couldn’t match.
The open-air parking lot outside the White Magnolia Hotel covered twenty to thirty mu, and the landscaping was also quite good.
No matter when you arrived, there would never be a shortage of parking spaces.
After parking, everyone walked towards the hotel’s main entrance, chatting and laughing.
“When I used to work, I often heard our manager talk about how high-class the White Magnolia Hotel was. I never imagined we’d become regular customers here.”
Xu Wencheng looked at the resplendent and magnificent decoration style on the exterior of the White Magnolia Hotel and sighed with a smile.
“Heh, yeah. We did some work around here before and could only watch those bosses driving luxury cars come and go.”
“As workers, we could only eat our flatbread and drink our boiled water on the side, envying their lives.”
“Now, we can also brag to our old buddies that we’ve dined at the White Magnolia Hotel.”
Jiang Wen looked at his son, who was smiling and talking with his daughter-in-law in front, and an overwhelming sense of pride surged in his heart.
He never would have dreamed that his family could live such a life as today.
He was wearing clothes costing hundreds of yuan and shoes costing over a thousand yuan, bought by his daughter.
He was being chauffeured in a luxury car worth over a million yuan.
It was only the second day since returning to his hometown from the Capital City.
This was already the third time they had dined at a high-class hotel like Bai Yulan.
Having gotten used to a hard life before, suddenly living such a luxurious life now felt a bit unaccustomed.
“I heard the boss of the White Magnolia Hotel has a very powerful background. Our manager had to be polite when meeting him.”
“That’s right! When I worked for a boss before, I also heard that no one in Ping County dared to offend the boss of the White Magnolia Hotel.”
“There was this guy who thought he had connections and was quite influential in Ping County. He caused a scene here and flipped over tables.”
“It’s said he paid over 300,000 yuan to settle the matter.”
“That boss is that formidable?”
“What do you think? Otherwise, how could they afford to run such a big restaurant?”
Everyone chattered, full of interest in the legendary mysterious boss of the White Magnolia Hotel.
Jiang Tao walked ahead, listening to everyone’s discussions about Bai Yulan behind him, and couldn’t help but feel a mix of amusement and helplessness.
He wondered what everyone would think when they saw Bai Yulan in person later.
“Welcome to the White Magnolia Hotel!”
As everyone reached the entrance, two greeters in alluring qipaos with high slits and attractive figures bowed deeply and greeted them.
Jiang Tao, at the very front, led the group in single file into the hotel lobby.
“Jiang Tao!”
The moment Jiang Tao and the others entered, Bai Yulan saw him. She called his name with a gentle smile and gracefully walked towards them.
Everyone’s gaze was drawn to Bai Yulan.
Her thick, smooth, long, wavy black hair was casually draped over her shoulders.
On her delicate, fair, and pretty face, her features were exquisite and three-dimensional.
Her beautiful eyes looking at everyone held a gentle smile.
She exuded a feeling of being bathed in a spring breeze.
The moment Xu Li saw Bai Yulan, she suspected her Jiang might have exaggerated!
Bai Yulan looked about the same age as Xu Li, nowhere near being over ten years older than Jiang Tao!
While speaking, Bai Yulan had already arrived in front of everyone and stopped, looking at them and smiling, saying:
“Welcome to the White Magnolia Hotel, esteemed guests. We are honored by your presence.”
Beside her, the client managers and front desk staff of the White Magnolia Hotel were all extremely surprised by Bai Yulan’s attitude towards Jiang Tao and his group.
“There are only a few customers a year who get treated to a personal reception by Sister Bai. Who are these distinguished guests!”
“That man is so handsome and has such presence. He must be a senior executive at a major corporation!”
“His wife is also so beautiful, and her figure is amazing. I wish I were half as pretty as her!”
“It looks like Sister Bai attaches great importance to these guests. We must provide excellent service later and absolutely not mess up.”
Everyone looked at Jiang Tao and his group with envy, and they all perked up.
The guests who had just entered the hotel also felt greatly surprised when they saw Bai Yulan personally receiving Jiang Tao and his group.
As regular customers of the White Magnolia Hotel, they had never received such treatment.
Let alone Bai Yulan personally receiving them, it was not easy for them to even see Bai Yulan once!
“Sister Bai, this is my wife Xu Li, this is my father Jiang Wen, my mother…”
Under the varied gazes of everyone, Jiang Tao maintained a natural expression and smiled as he introduced the people around him.
“This is my friend, Sister Bai, Bai Yulan.”
“Ah? You are, you are the owner of the White Magnolia Hotel, President Bai!”
“My goodness! President Bai! It’s actually President Bai!”
“President Bai, I’ve always admired you. Could I get a photo with you?”
When everyone heard Jiang Tao introduce Bai Yulan as the legendary mysterious owner of the White Magnolia Hotel, President Bai, they were all stunned.
Xu Sha and Jiang Shijie, the younger ones, were particularly excited and wanted to take photos with Bai Yulan.
“Of course. You are Jiang Tao’s family, which means you are my friends.”
Facing the family of her savior, Bai Yulan was very patient, maintaining a gentle smile throughout.
She readily agreed to their small request for photos.
After greetings, Xu Sha, Jiang Shijie, Jiang Shaojie, and Jiang Bing, among others, took photos with Bai Yulan.
With Bai Yulan’s permission, they eagerly posted them on their Moments to show off.
After a brief idle chat in the lobby, Bai Yulan beckoned everyone upstairs, returning to the private room where they had a dinner party the night before.
“This is the first time I’m meeting everyone today, and I don’t know everyone’s tastes. Let’s order on the spot!”
“Order whatever you want to eat. Make sure to eat and drink well today. Jiang Tao, you can start.”
“Set an example for everyone.”
After everyone sat down, Bai Yulan smiled and greeted them, then handed the menu and ordering device to Jiang Tao.
“Everyone heard Sister Bai, right? Order whatever you want and don’t be polite with Sister Bai.”
“This roast suckling pig looks good. Two of them.”
“One roast pigeon for each person.”
“One whole roast duck won’t be enough. With so many of us, we’ll need at least 5 sets.”
“I’m done. Lily, it’s your turn.”
Although Bai Yulan, the boss, was treating them today and they could order anything, Jiang Tao didn’t order anything ridiculously expensive.
After ordering, he handed the menu and ordering device to Xu Li for her to continue ordering.
Then it was Xu Li’s mother-in-law, sister-in-law, father-in-law, Jiang Dad, Jiang Mom, Elder Brother, Elder Sister-in-law…
The number of people attending this gathering today was similar to the time when Jiang Tao treated them a couple of days ago.
Apart from close friends like Liu Zhiyuan, all of Jiang Tao and Xu Li’s immediate family members were present.
Each person ordered two to three dishes, totaling several dozen dishes.
Bai Yulan finally added some specialty dishes that no one else had ordered.
Then she instructed a waiter to bring two cases of Moutai and two bottles of red wine with all English labels.
After ordering, everyone chatted idly for a while longer.
Bai Yulan, who usually had a cold demeanor, was unusually approachable today, being exceptionally warm and friendly towards Jiang Tao and his family.
Jiang Tao and she had no prior connection, only meeting by chance last night.
However, Bai Yulan made everyone feel as if she were a close friend of Jiang Tao’s for many years, able to tend to everyone’s emotions while chatting and laughing.
The initial nervousness everyone felt upon meeting Bai Yulan gradually relaxed.
By the time the ordered dishes were served, everyone had become familiar with Bai Yulan.
Jiang Bing and Xu Sha, sitting on either side of Bai Yulan, affectionately called her “Sister Bai” repeatedly.
Bai Yulan also liked their lively and straightforward personalities, and her smile never faded.
Seeing that all the dishes were served, Jiang Tao smiled, raised his glass, and proposed:
“For the first toast, I propose we all raise a glass to Sister Bai, thanking her for today’s generous hospitality.”
“Yes, it’s deserved. Thank you, Xiao Bai, for the hospitality.”
“Thank you, Sister Bai, for the hospitality.”
“Thank you, Aunt Bai, for treating us to this grand meal~”
“Thank you, Aunt Bai.”
Hearing Jiang Tao’s words, everyone rose from their seats and raised their glasses towards Bai Yulan.
“It’s a form of fate that we can all gather here today. Make sure to eat and drink well later. If there’s any lack of hospitality, please don’t hesitate to mention it.”
Bai Yulan also stood up with a smile, raised a glass of red wine, swirled it around the crowd, and downed it all in one gulp.
Seeing this, those drinking baijiu also finished their baijiu, and those drinking beverages finished their drinks.
Once the banquet officially began, Jiang Shijie and Jiang Shaojie, along with the other youngsters, didn’t forget to take photos and post them on their Moments.
They wouldn’t miss such a rare opportunity to show off.
Xu Sha even started a live stream, giving her online viewers an in-depth experience of a luxurious meal at a high-class hotel.
Bai Yulan actively initiated conversations with Jiang Tao, Xu Li, and their parents throughout the meal.
Her skills in social etiquette were clearly several levels above Jiang Tao’s.
Her ability to converse and liven up the atmosphere was also something Jiang Tao should learn from.
It was clear that everyone was meeting for the first time and wasn’t very familiar with each other.
But with Bai Yulan leading the way, the conversation never died down.
When one topic finished, they would seamlessly transition to the next.
After a lively discussion, the distance between them all had shrunk considerably.
The meal, which started around 12 PM, continued until a little after 2 PM.
After everyone had eaten and drunk their fill, Bai Yulan personally escorted them to the door.
They chatted a bit more at the entrance, and then everyone bid farewell and left.
Jiang Bing drove her father, mother, and Elder Brother’s family of four back towards Jiang Family Village.
Xu Li drove Jiang Tao and Jiang Xue, following along to the father-in-law’s home for the afternoon.
