Chef Hua
Chapter 215: Episode 131 Conch Incident_2

Chapter 215: Episode 131 Conch Incident_2

Before she could finish her words, the person had already hurriedly walked out of the pavilion with large strides, and in no time, disappeared without a trace.

Hua Xiaomai’s mind was in complete disarray, and she walked out dazedly, her mind a complete muddle.

The first time she met Qing Tao, Song Jingxi was extremely anxious about the dishes prepared by Biyue Pavilion, instructing Qing Tao repeatedly to find out everything she could; this morning, Qing Tao appeared outside the carriage again, mysteriously mentioning "Biyue Pavilion" and assuring Song Jingxi that "everything had been arranged properly"; and just now, she clearly saw Qing Tao wandering around Biyue Pavilion’s tent!

She couldn’t help but be suspicious of some things.

The old man was right, all matters were probably related to interests, and that Mr. Han had even mentioned something about a "Moon Banquet" — could it be...

All she could do was to keep pondering in her mind, wishing she could immediately grab Song Jingxi and ask for clarity, but by the time she returned to Taoyuan House’s tent, she saw that Mr. Zhao from Chunfeng Restaurant had appeared there at some point.

"Oh, has the Hua Family young lady returned?" Seeing her enter, the plump Mr. Zhao immediately came up to greet her, laughing heartily, "How did it go? I know your capabilities, once you make your move, you can definitely stun those old fellows, their mouths won’t even close! This time, the leader of the Eight Treasures Conference will undoubtedly be Taoyuan House!"

With no way out, Hua Xiaomai could only cheer herself up to exchange pleasantries with him, "I heard from Boss Song that in previous years you always attended the Eight Treasures Conference to join in the fun. I was wondering why I hadn’t seen you this year, I thought you weren’t coming."

"Ho, how could I miss such a grand event? If I missed it, I’d regret it deeply!" Mr. Zhao exaggerated a grin, then turned back to Song Jingxi and said, "How about it, with only two snacks and one soup left to go, you must be confident, right?"

...Song Jingxi still had several dishes to prepare, treating this Eight Treasures Conference with such importance, it clearly wasn’t appropriate to be blunt and confrontational about these matters now. Hua Xiaomai also had to endure, sitting woodenly in the chair, hanging her head, fiddling with her fingers, and still pondering in her mind, occasionally chatting with Mr. Zhao.

However, from then on, she could no longer focus on this culinary competition that gathered all the famous chefs from around the city, nor even knew what snacks Song Jingxi had made or what soup she had cooked, feeling wave after wave of chill in her heart. By the evening, when the day-long competition finally ended, another gong sounded in the pavilion, and the organizer announced the results.

The best vegetarian dish was the Supreme Vegetables from Shen, the chef of Cangbo Building, and the best meat dish was the Crushed Treasures by Hua Xiaomai. Considering the overall performance of each dish, Taoyuan House, which displayed the most stable and flawless performance, won the final victory.

Song Jingxi was overjoyed, not knowing what to do, tears almost appearing in her eyes, she held Hua Xiaomai’s hand and thanked her repeatedly. Hua Xiaomai couldn’t smile, just pursed her lips slightly, responding perfunctorily a few times.

If things were truly as she suspected, what significance would the result of this Eight Treasures Conference have?

...

During the whole-day competition, while eateries and restaurants had their moments of joy and sorrow, Song Jingxi undoubtedly was the most notable. After collecting the sincere or sarcastically tinged congratulations from everyone, she joyously took Hua Xiaomai’s hand, accompanying her back to Taoyuan House.

Hua Xiaomai had intended to immediately pull her aside to ask for clarification, but due to Mr. Zhao’s arrival, Song Jingxi mentioned that there would be a banquet at her home that night, and the carriage only stopped briefly at the entrance of Taoyuan House. After Hua Xiaomai and Qing He alighted and entered, it immediately left, not leaving her any chance to talk.

She felt vexed, unable to confide in Qing He, brooding alone in the room at Taoyuan House, and only managed to sleep restlessly all night.

When morning came the next day, as soon as she opened her eyes, she immediately jumped out of bed, washed up, dressed neatly, and sat in the room waiting for Song Jingxi’s arrival. Unexpectedly, just a while later, when Qing He came to deliver breakfast, she said, "Today, for the whole morning, Song Jingxi won’t be coming to the shop."

"Lady Qing He has some very important matters to attend to and can’t be delayed, so she probably won’t be back until the afternoon." Qing He placed a bowl of chicken soup dumplings in front of Hua Xiaomai, smiling amiably, "Lady Qing He asked me to tell you that you should take charge of the kitchen for today’s lunch service, it’s going to be tough on you."

Why is it that when you most want to meet someone, they seem to forever be unavailable?

Hua Xiaomai almost ground her teeth in frustration, but, left with no choice, she reluctantly went to manage the kitchen. Although her heart was filled with anger, she was still meticulous and careful as she prepared each dish, keeping busy until the afternoon was nearly over before she could finally relax.

As the guests gradually left the restaurant and it quieted down, about half an hour later, a group of women’s laughter arrived at the front door.

Hearing the noise, Hua Xiaomai knew Song Jingxi had arrived, hurriedly scurrying out of the kitchen, but the group had already entered the inner hall. She bit her lip, slowly walked over, but instead of entering the room, she impulsively stood behind a wall at the doorway.

"The Prefect always keeps his word, why should I worry?" This was Song Jingxi’s voice, filled with unmistakable satisfaction and pleasure, "He had promised that this year’s winner of the Eight Treasures Conference would host the Moon Banquet, and he certainly wouldn’t go back on his word. Now that the right to host is in my hands, all my efforts during this period were not in vain... And that girl from the Hua Family, I really should thank her indeed."

"People often say that great talents are frequently without discerning patrons, but in my view, that Hua Family young lady is a great talent. Without a connoisseur like you, Lady, even if she were capable, it would be of no use!" At this point, it was Qing Tao, who had been managing affairs outside for Song Jingxi, who spoke.

Song Jingxi seemed to have an epiphany and uttered an "ah" sound, laughing softly, "Speaking of merit, how could I forget about you? You are my right-hand man, truly a great help. I must properly reward you — Qing He, take out five taels of silver from that cabinet. Next to it is the reward money for the Hua Family young lady. Take it out as well." (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, please go to qidian.com to vote for monthly recommendation tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to read.)