Lao Ye

Author: Wei Yi
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-02-01
Features: It is said that foreigners are afraid of the number thirteen, and sometimes when planning a meal, they accidentally end up with exactly thirteen people. This not only spoils the mood but also, for those who hold the superstition more strongly, may even lead them to leave abruptly. However, there are ways to work around this. In such cases, the restaurant owner would call in a temporary staff member, who would quickly arrive in neat attire and join the table, turning the number of people to fourteen. Thus, everyone is pleased. The host of the meal would not have to pay for the additional person's food and drink; instead, the restaurant would cover the cost. This special type of temporary worker was initially hard to find an appropriate title for, but over time, after some clever person suggested it, this miraculous task of turning a potentially unlucky situation into a happy one was humorously dubbed "Louis XIV."