49 049 Shut out
Tan Jing acted coquettishly. “I knew mom treats me the best!” Then she threw herself into Chen Yi’s arms happily.
Tan Jing’s lips curled up. Hmph, Tan Rou, let’s see how long more can you still be smug for? I have the Tan family backing me up. You, on the other hand, have those useless parents and older brother of the Tao family, or the Zhuang Liu who is about to die from illness? Let’s see who will have the last laugh!
Chen Yi patted Tan Jing. “Alright, don’t be angry. Mom will bring you to dinner. That private restaurant’s Cantonese cuisine is superb. It’s the most popular restaurant in the elite circle recently. I’ll bring you there to try some fresh food.”
These rich ladies also had a circle among themselves, and the barriers to entering this circle were extremely high. Everyone would often gather for afternoon tea and talk about the latest season’s luxury product launch. Most of the time, it was for the sake of bonding and exchanging the latest gossip.
The relationship between the ladies was a representation of the interaction or even alliance between the families. The power struggle was not any lesser than the competition between men in business.
Because of the relationship with the Tan family, Chen Yi could also be considered a rich lady to qualify for the circle.
After all, although the Tan family’s assets were not impressive, they still had enough to get by. Father Tan’s business was sorely average and he barely managed to maintain the status that the previous generation had fought hard for.
However, in recent years, as Father Tan and Chen Yi became more and more aggressive, revealing their snobbish and vain nature, the others in the circle started to dislike them.
Many wives were reluctant to invite Chen Yi to the party, for fear that she would say something unpleasant and ruin everyone’s mood.
Moreover, none of the really rich businessmen ever became rich overnight. They all hailed from a long lineage of successful businessmen. Their wealth was an accumulation of hard work from several generations of people. This made them respect people who had knowledge and self-restraint, and strive to work together for win-win results.
In their eyes, Father Tan was really not a figure worthy of respect. Naturally, Chen Yi’s name also went down with him. Today’s private restaurant was a piece of news that Chen Yi found out with great difficulty, she thought that she might be able to meet some acquaintances and have a common topic in the future.
The mother and daughter worked hard to doll themselves up at home. Their clothes were glittery and they were finally ready to leave. Those who did not know better would mistake them for going to some ball.
The driver sent Chen Yi and Tan Jing to a quiet suburb. A winding river blocked the path, and a quaint little antique solid wood bridge crossed over it.
They could vaguely see the green bamboo not far away, surrounding a courtyard.
The driver said awkwardly, “Madam, Miss, I don’t think the car can go any further. You can get off here. I’ll wait for you by the side.”
Tan Jing was not very happy and complained, “What kind of place is this? There are so many rules, and you have to walk there yourself.”
Chen Yi was also a little disdainful. “Those people are also full of themselves. They love to come to this kind of godforsaken place. They always stink of money, and they still want to pretend to be elegant.”
But even though they were complaining, the two of them still lifted up their dresses and got off the car, walking step by step on the small countryside road.
Tan Jing was even more unhappy. “My new shoes are dirty! Mom, let’s go back. I don’t want to come to this kind of place!”
Chen Yi chuckled. “What do you know? The important thing is not where the restaurant is, but the people who go to eat! Stop complaining. It won’t look good if others hear it!”
Tan Jing pouted and muttered in a low voice, “What kind of great people can come to this kind of shabby place? It’s not as good as a Michelin restaurant. What’s there to be afraid of hearing…”
After saying that, Tan Jing let out a weird cry. Her thin high heels were stuck in the gap of the wooden bridge and she had to pull them out in a sorry state.
The two of them walked to the front of the courtyard with an ugly expression on their faces.
The waiter, dressed in an elegant qipao, asked politely, “Hello, May I know the reservation number?”
Chen Yi put on a prideful look. “I’m the Tan family’s wife, Chen Yi. This is my daughter. I don’t think there’s a need to make an appointment.”
The waiter smiled apologetically. “I’m sorry, ladies. We have a membership system here. We only accept members, and we need to make an appointment in advance.”
Tan Jing frowned and questioned, “I’ve already said that we’re from the Tan family. If you don’t know, just call your boss out. He’ll definitely recognize us.”
Chen Yi did not speak, but her meaning was obvious. She clearly agreed with Tan Jing’s words and thought that she had enough face to make the boss welcome her politely.
The waiter was unmoved and continued to block the door. “I’m really sorry. This is the rule set by our boss, and the seats inside are already full. We really can’t entertain the two of you today.”
Chen Yi’s face instantly stiffened after being humiliated. She had spent a lot of effort to find this place, but she did not expect to be rejected and shut out!