Chef Hua
Chapter 294: Episode 171: Let’s Start

Chapter 294: Episode 171: Let’s Start

Hua Xiaomai hadn’t expected Wu Wenhong to make this proposal and for a moment, she didn’t know how to react, yet her mind quickly took several twists and turns, becoming animated at once.

If that was the case, was there still room for deliberation?

For her, whether it was making sauce or selling preserved fruits, or even the stall she had set up by the river before, there was only one objective: to make money to open a restaurant. At one point, this had been her ultimate goal. Now that the restaurant had started, the human heart was never satisfied; she anticipated, secretly fantasizing in her heart that perhaps one day, she could rise another level in the food industry.

The sauces she made had already made a name for themselves within the Prefecture. If the Sauce Garden project could really take off, with a high-class name, she wouldn’t worry about finding buyers. Besides building a reputation, she could earn even more silver. Then, opening restaurants in the County or even the Provincial City would no longer be just a daydream!

Once this thought emerged, it couldn’t be suppressed. Hua Xiaomai admitted to herself that she was easily influenced, and feeling excited, sweat began to form on her palms.

Meng Yuhuai sat beside her steadily, feeling that as an outsider in business, he did not wish to interfere with her decisions, so he had kept silent the entire time, letting Hua Xiaomai deal with Wu Wenhong. Now, turning his head and seeing her face slightly flush, he knew ripples were stirring in her heart and could not help but smile slightly, shaking his head.

She was still young and didn’t know how to hide what she was thinking, revealing her intentions so easily.

However... his own wife, and a newly-wed at that, was pleasing to the eye no matter how one looked.

"What, are you afraid to even speak because you think taking twenty percent of the profits is too much?" Wu Wenhong, having been shrewd in business for many years, saw slight clues on Hua Xiaomai’s face. Seeing that she wasn’t responding and wanting to tease her, he said in a slightly reluctant tone, "Never mind, I’ll take a loss and only take ten percent, does that work?"

"That’s not what I meant!" Hua Xiaomai quickly raised her head and waved her hands, then chuckled, "Don’t choke me with words; you clearly know that’s not what I’m thinking about."

"Whatever you’re thinking, you really need to think it through clearly," Wu Wenhong made up his mind to advance by seeming to retreat, laughed heartily and said, "Don’t say I didn’t remind you. On the surface, it seems like I’m losing by putting in two hundred taels of silver at once, but from now on, as long as your Sauce Garden is open, I’ll be earning silver every day without lifting a finger. If one day, that Sauce Garden becomes a renowned century-old store, you bet my three children, along with my grandchildren, might benefit from it. If you look at it this way, I’m getting a huge bargain!"

Hua Xiaomai pursed her lips: "Yes, you’re right, but without your initial two hundred taels of silver, the Sauce Garden would never get off the ground."

Everyone invested with a view to making a profit, which in her previous life had been trivial; how could she not understand this?

"Hmm, sister has a transparent view of things," Wu Wenhong was very satisfied and nodded repeatedly, "With that, I’m reassured—so, are you opening the Sauce Garden or not?"

Hua Xiaomai lowered her head and pondered thoughtfully again.

Wu Wenhong was not offering help for the Sauce Garden without expecting something in return, which made her feel less burdened. Moreover, the myriad benefits that would follow were self-evident. Did she really need to refuse outright, as she initially thought?

She unconsciously turned to look at Meng Yuhuai, who immediately began to laugh: "Why look at me? I know nothing about the culinary business. Just make the decision according to your own heart; I won’t interfere."

"There, your man has spoken, what reservations could you possibly have?" Wu Wenhong saw an opportunity and added another sentence.

"Alright!" Overthinking it was useless; better to be decisive. Hua Xiaomai steeled her heart and looked straight into Wu Wenhong’s eyes, "Since you trust me, I’ll give it a try, let’s do it! But if the business fails in the future, you mustn’t blame me."

"That’s exactly right!" Wu Wenhong burst into laughter, "If the two hundred taels of silver are lost, just assume I made a misjudgment. I definitely won’t demand it back from you, but if we make a profit, I’ll share a part of it, so don’t worry. Since you’ve agreed, I’ll make another trip to Fire Knife Village in a couple of days. We’ll find a mediator and draft an agreement, detailing everything clearly to safeguard the interests of both of us and finalize buying the garden and hiring staff as well."