Chef Hua
Chapter 207 - 127 Carrying the Burden_2

Chapter 207: Chapter 127 Carrying the Burden_2

No matter how confident she was in her culinary skills, ever since she had crossed over to this era, she had never truly faced a real test on a grand scale. Whether it was preparing the New Year’s meal for Qiao Xiong’s paper shop or organizing the Spring Wine for Ke Zhenwu’s Lianshun Escort Agency, although she might have been slightly anxious beforehand, she knew well that with her ability, handling a few banquet tables was more than manageable and there was no one competing against her.

However, the Eight Treasures Conference in front of her was entirely different from her previous experiences.

All the renowned restaurants and eateries from the whole Prefecture had gathered, among whom there were stronger ones yet, and beyond the prominent mountains there laid even higher peaks; every chef had quite the skill set, evenly matched, and until the end, it might be difficult to determine a clear winner or loser. With such intense competition, how could she not be thrilled?

After thinking it over, she looked towards Song Jingxi and spoke very seriously, "Do you trust me?"

"Heh," Song Jingxi chuckled softly, "If I didn’t trust you, why would I go to the trouble of traveling from far and wide to Fire Knife Village to specially invite you? Xiaomai, I have always said that I place boundless hopes on you. I even expect you to take charge of the kitchen at Taoyuan House someday. If I couldn’t entrust you with an event as significant as the Eight Treasures Conference, wouldn’t I be slapping my own face?"

With that said, Hua Xiaomai no longer had any reason to refuse—nor did she want to refuse. She immediately nodded, "Alright, since you trust me, I will give these two meat dishes all I’ve got. Once you decide on the other dishes, please let me know, so I avoid using the same ingredients as you. Although it is not a big issue, it’s better to avoid such mistakes."

"I love your fearlessness, as a calf that isn’t afraid of tigers!" Song Jingxi clapped and laughed heartily, seeming very satisfied. She patted Hua Xiaomai on the shoulder, "So it’s settled. During these two days you are in the Prefecture, I’ll have Qing He stay by your side. When you’re free, feel free to stroll around the city. If you see any ingredients that catch your eye, don’t worry about the cost, just buy them. But most importantly, don’t make even the slightest error with these two dishes. The culinary world in the Prefecture is filled with hidden dragons and crouching tigers. Xiaomai, don’t take this lightly!"

Feeling the weight of responsibility, Hua Xiaomai nodded earnestly in agreement. Then, Song Jingxi spent some time explaining the history of past Eight Treasures Conferences. When noon approached, she led Hua Xiaomai to the kitchen. They put their efforts together and made two dishes, winning continuous praise from the lunchtime customers.

After the afternoon passed, the patrons of Taoyuan House gradually left. Song Jingxi found an empty room to rest, and talked some more business matters with Shopkeeper Tao. Hua Xiaomai, feeling not a bit tired, decided to pull Qing He along for a walk in the city, and while at it, also planned to check out the market for potentially heartwarming ingredients.

As she had things in mind, the two didn’t take many steps out of the door before she couldn’t wait any longer and pulled Qing He aside to probe, "The girl today, is she also from Lady Song’s household?"

With a face that seemed to say "I knew you couldn’t hold back your questions," Qing He nodded with a smile, "That’s Qing Tao, like myself, who has also been with Lady for many years. My lady, don’t be fooled by her timid and reserved appearance in front of Lady; she actually has a very sharp mind and handles matters very efficiently, much better than I could! For any important tasks, Lady mostly entrusts them to her, treating her as a confidant."

Hua Xiaomai figured it must be so. Investigating competitors’ dishes, although not wrong, might not sound too good if word got out, thus it definitely had to be entrusted to someone reliable.

She pondered for a moment, then said, "I heard Lady Song mention Cangbo Building and Biyue Pavilion in her speech; these two eateries are quite famous in the Prefecture, aren’t they?"

"Isn’t that so?" Qing He nodded repeatedly without hesitation, "Cangbo Building, considered the most renowned century-old establishment in the Prefecture, is now managed by the fourth generation. What’s remarkable is that, after so many years, their dishes, both in taste and presentation, have remained exactly as they were before. Despite the restaurant’s size, the prices are kept quite reasonable. It’s very popular in Tong’an City, beloved by both dignitaries and commoners alike who, in their leisure time, enjoy going there to order a few dishes and a pot of wine, savoring a wonderful meal. Lady, as you also saw today, our Taoyuan House does indeed have quite good business, but when compared to them, it can only be considered quiet!"

Hua Xiaomai inwardly agreed.

For such a century-old establishment, although it isn’t lacking in customers, it also needs to be particularly careful in maintaining its reputation. A single careless mistake that damages the brand could harm the reputation built over generations, a burden that’s not easily borne.

"And what about Biyue Pavilion?" she turned and continued asking.

"Biyue Pavilion is a new restaurant that has emerged in the past two years. The owner, surnamed Han, is someone I haven’t seen, but I’ve heard he’s a young man in his twenties. His restaurant’s decor is quite unique, and most who have dined there praise its elegance and refined beauty. The cuisine is especially exquisite, exceptional in flavor, aroma, and appearance. Since Biyue Pavilion opened, these past two years, they have taken away quite a bit of business from our Taoyuan House. This year, they will also participate in the Eight Treasures Conference. Lady, how could my lady not be worried?"

As Qing He spoke, she even pouted, seemingly quite dissatisfied with the owner of Biyue Pavilion.

With a rough idea in her mind, Hua Xiaomai smiled without commenting. Following Qing He, she wandered around the city before heading to the eastern city market.

In the afternoon, the weather was very hot, and not many people were out shopping, leaving the market somewhat empty. The street vendors were unwilling to exert themselves shouting, merely sitting under shade covers behind their stalls, napping; even when someone passed by, they were too lazy to give more than a glance.

"Lady, look, that garden not far ahead is the Antai Garden that had a conflict with you before," Qing He pointed ahead, smiling, "My lady said that the sauce you make is indeed tastier than theirs; their way of mixing into trouble only ended up embarrassing themselves."

Hua Xiaomai glanced in the direction she pointed, not particularly interested, and withdrew her gaze, coincidentally noticing a fish stall on the right-hand side.

On the stall were three or four basins, each containing a variety of live fish, jumping vigorously, clearly very fresh.

There wasn’t anything particularly noteworthy, but what mattered was that, in one of the smaller basins, Hua Xiaomai discovered two fish about an arm’s length long, their backs and caudal fins tinged with a pale orange-red, as bright and captivating as rouge or sunset. (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, we welcome you to Qidian (qidian.com) to cast your recommendation ticket and monthly ticket. Your support is my biggest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to read.)