Four seas return as one, eight directions come to pay respects

  Under the thunderous response of all the seniors, Zhang Jin had to stand up again and introduce: "This table of dishes has a total of sixteen courses, called 'Four Seas Return as One, Eight Directions Come to Court'!"

  "Good, this name has momentum." Zhang Jin's words had just fallen when Old Man Liu responded loudly.

  Zhang Jin smiled and nodded to Old Man Liu, continuing his explanation: "Representing the four seas are the four river fresh seafood dishes. The East Sea is a famous northern-style seafood dish, steamed shrimp with garlic; the South Sea is a southern-style seafood dish, drunken shrimp. The West Sea was known as Qinghai Lake in ancient times, and its naked carp is world-renowned. Unfortunately, I don't have any, so I had to use 'braised river carp' as a substitute; the North Sea is now Lake Baikal, which no longer belongs to us. So if you want to get your hands on some Baikal omul, I'm not capable of that either. Therefore, I used my younger brother's dried salmon from Northeast China, also known as big mahah fish, to make this 'braised big mahah' dish;

  And when it comes to the eight directions, it's even easier to explain. Everyone knows that China has eight major cuisines. My "eight directions" refers to one dish from each of these cuisines.

  Lu cuisine: Nine-turn large intestine; Sichuan cuisine: Kung Pao chicken diced; Cantonese cuisine: Oyster sauce phoenix claw; Suzhou cuisine: Lion's head; Zhejiang cuisine: Song sister fish; Hunan cuisine: Fermented bean curd winter bamboo shoots; Hui cuisine: Tiger skin tofu; Then Zhang Jin pointed to the last dish, a Qinghua porcelain pot, and continued: "And this last dish is also the most famous one. Fujian cuisine: Buddha jumps over the wall!"

  Just seeing everyone because of Zhang Jin's introduction already had a drooling meaning, Zhang Jin continued to point to the remaining four dishes that were not in 'Four Seas and Eight Sides' and said: "These four vegetarian dishes are not within the 'Four Seas and Eight Sides', they can be considered as side dishes. After all, among the twelve main courses, there are really too many meat dishes."

  When he saw everyone still being reserved, Zhang Jin hurriedly stretched out his hand to greet them and enthusiastically invited everyone to try the dishes: "Come on, seniors, taste the junior's craftsmanship, is it to your liking?"

  But just as everyone was laughing and reaching for the dishes on the table with their chopsticks, Zhang Jin suddenly spoke up again and shouted: "Wait a minute!"

  Everyone stood there holding their chopsticks, looking at Zhang Jin with confusion.

  Zhang Jin smiled and said while pointing to the dishes on the table: "Sorry, because they were prepared in advance, I don't know everyone's physical condition, so I made all the dishes. Now I just want to remind you all. This dish, Old Man Lu and Old Man Liu should eat less or not at all... this dish and this dish, Grandma Lan should not eat... this dish, Grandpa Zhang, Grandpa Zhao, and Grandpa Lan should not eat... this dish..."

  After Zhang Jin pointed it out, everyone finally stopped. Except for Lan FeiFei and Wei Feng, every person including Qi Bing was told that there were dishes they couldn't eat. So everyone asked in unison: "Why can some of us eat these dishes while others can't?"

  "Kung Pao chicken is spicy and fragrant, but the nine-turn intestines are high in fat and cholesterol. Uncle Lu's kidney disease and Uncle Liu's arteriosclerosis have taboos against these; because of Grandma Lan's diabetes, she should avoid salty and sweet foods, so it's best not to eat the nine-turn intestines or Song Niang fish; Uncle Liu..."

  Zhang Jin spoke again, and suddenly the several people were confused. The thirteen Zhangs opened their mouths at the same time and asked: "How did you know our physical condition?" They couldn't help but be surprised, after all, even if Zhang Jin could learn about the physical condition of Lan Feifei's husband and wife, as well as Lan Lao Yezi's husband and wife through Lan Feifei, however, Liu, Lu, Zhao, and Zhang these four old men's physical conditions were not very clear to each other. How did this kid know?

  To everyone's question, Zhang Jin still had a wise and prophetic look on his face, and replied naturally: "Don't be surprised, seniors. Although I studied Western medicine in school, I actually learned traditional Chinese medicine from an expert in my hometown for quite some time before college. Over the past decade or so, I've made some progress. Traditional Chinese medicine emphasizes observation, listening, questioning, and pulse-taking. Since your symptoms are obvious, that's why I dared to make this diagnosis. Is there anything incorrect about it?"

  Apart from Old Man Liu, everyone simultaneously gave a thumbs up, "Right on, it's not simple!"

  Everyone saw that only Old Man Liu did not speak, Zhang Jin curiously asked: "Old Liu, is what the kid said wrong?"

  Old Liu smiled and comforted him, saying: "You're already quite lucky to have said so much accurately. However, when it comes to me, Old Liu, you've actually made a mistake. What I got is not the lung disease you mentioned, but 'High Altitude Heart Disease'!"

  "Oh?" Zhang Jin's eyes widened in surprise as he stretched out his hand, pulled Liu Laoye's hand over, and began to use the fourth method of the Four Diagnostic Methods - "Cut". After closing his eyes for two seconds to feel the pulse, Zhang Jin reopened his eyes and said seriously: "Liu Laoye, I advise you to go to the hospital for a re-examination when you have time. It's best to consult with the Department of Critical Care Medicine, Cardiology, and Rheumatology. You definitely have 'Primary Pulmonary Hypertension', not 'High Altitude Heart Disease'!" Zhang Jin spoke with absolute certainty and confidence.

  Whether it was Zhang Jin's firm attitude that moved him or just a perfunctory remark, Old Man Liu smiled and said: "Alright, I'll listen to you. When I get back, I'll go for a check-up again. Let's not talk about this illness anymore. Come on, let's eat! The dishes smell so good, but they're not getting into my mouth. My appetite is almost whetted!"

  Because not everyone has arrived, it's impolite to raise the glass alone. Old Master Lu, who had been suppressing his urge to drink, suddenly responded loudly: "Who can eat first? According to etiquette, of course, we should all have a drink together before that!"

  Saying that, Old Master Lu stood up first, holding his cup and saying: "Let's all thank Little Zhang for arranging this sumptuous family banquet for us!"

  Zhang Jin hastily stood up and humbly said: "I, a junior, cannot accept the thanks of all of you. You are all my seniors, isn't this what I should do?"

  The wine in the cup is millet wine 'Jia Ren', although it has a different taste from Huangjiu 'Wen Xiang' and fruit wine 'Rou Yu', it also leaves a lasting aftertaste. The softness of millet wine is like the gentle whispers of a beauty; the faint sweetness of millet wine is like the fragrance of a beauty's breath; as the wine cup sways, the slightly shaking lees at the bottom of the cup are like a beauty dancing with her skirt fluttering...

  After a cup of wine, everyone closed their mouths tightly as if afraid the fragrance would dissipate. After a moment of silence, they savored the lingering aftertaste of this fine wine several times before simultaneously opening their mouths to lavish praise on this extraordinary good wine.

  After commenting on Zhang Jin's fine wine with seven mouths and eight tongues, the old men finally extended their chopsticks to the cups and plates on the table one after another.

  "Lao Lan's granddaughter wasn't wrong, this craftsmanship is indeed much stronger than Old Tao of the 'Imperial Kitchen'! In my impression, even the state banquets in the Great Hall of the People can't compare!" Although several old men aimed at different dishes with their first bite, but after taking a bite, they all thought the same way.

  Blue Feifei's parents also share the same view as these old men. This couple, who thought they had tasted all the delicacies of the world, had to admit that "their daughter was absolutely right! This young man named Zhang Jin is indeed a rare talent, just based on his unparalleled cooking skills and the three fine wines he has drunk."

  Under the delicious temptation of Zhang Jin's personal cooking, several old men and women, including Lan Ze-dong and his wife who still hold official positions, slowly put down their reserve, and the frequency of waving chopsticks and raising cups gradually increased. This is the most delicious, most enjoyable, and most satisfying meal in their impression. Not only because the dishes are exquisite, not only because the wine is excellent, but also because the environment and atmosphere make people relax and open-minded.

  Even the elderly, whose appetites have begun to decline with age, cannot help but be tempted by these delicious dishes; even Lanzhi and his wife, who are busy with official duties every day, feel a sense of relief in their hearts, as if all difficulties and troubles have vanished into thin air.

  After all, they were people who had been through big scenes, and they still had a deep understanding of their ability to hold themselves. Moreover, except for Qi Bing, Wei Feng, and Lan Feifei, everyone else was holding onto the identity of guests. So after three rounds of wine and five flavors of dishes, everyone gradually slowed down their movements and started chatting freely.