Chef Hua
Chapter 312: Issue 180: Prosperous

Chapter 312: Issue 180: Prosperous

Chun Xi and La Mei, who usually got along quite well with Hua Xiaomai, were very casual with their words and jokes. But within the small eatery, they clearly distinguished between who was the assistant and who was the boss. Seeing Hua Xiaomai speak up to stop them, they did indeed cease their idle chat, sitting up straight and ready to listen to what she had to say.

Hua Xiaomai didn’t rush to speak, instead she lowered her head and pondered for a moment.

It was the anxious young peddler who came to buy food that noon who had suddenly given her the inspiration.

No matter the era, no matter the location, people’s needs for food are always more or less the same. When hosting guests, one would specifically invite a chef to prepare the feast, and slightly more well-off families, if too lazy to walk, would send their servants to bring back dishes from the restaurant, or simply have the eatery’s assistants deliver it to their door. Even in the era she had lived before, it was no different.

Her small eatery was located by the official road, conducting business with passing peddlers, but there were always some who, in a rush to continue their journey, did not have time to sit down for a proper meal. If that was the case, why couldn’t she set up a takeaway stand outside the small eatery?

"While Sauce Garden is still under renovation, I want to get this done," she explained in detail to Chun Xi, La Mei, and Zhou Yunyun, "The menu doesn’t have to be extensive—prepare three meat dishes and three vegetarian options, let them choose for themselves, even if they just want one vegetarian dish, we will still do the business. Twenty wen for a meat dish, and for vegetables, ten wen, however they want to combine them is fine. Those who frequently travel on the official road usually carry their food containers, but if they really don’t have one, I’ve also thought it over, we could find a carpenter to make a batch, just a single layer will do, they don’t have to be made from fine materials; something made of bamboo is light and practical. We won’t make a profit from these food containers, we’ll sell them for as much as we buy them, just to provide convenience for our customers."

She felt she had explained clearly enough, but Chun Xi, La Mei, and Zhou Yunyun still seemed somewhat confused, scratching their heads and saying, "You mean to set up another stall at our door? Well, the young man today was just by chance, why should we go to such lengths?"

"It’s not about going to such lengths, but there really is a necessity," Hua Xiaomai patiently said, "This official road is constantly busy with carriages and horses, every day countless people, due to being rushed, simply skip their midday meal. But if we can quickly prepare a complete set of meals in advance, saving them the time of waiting inside, they just might come to buy! If they were not really in a hurry, who would want to travel on an empty stomach? And peddlers aren’t short on money, why should they put themselves through such discomfort?"

"I sort of understand now," Zhou Yunyun said timidly, nodding her head hesitantly, "I think... we could give it a try, but, Master, our business at noontime and in the evening is already really good, and there’s only you, the main chef, working the stove, who’s barely able to keep up. If we add that stall..."

"That’s where you come in!" Hua Xiaomai turned around with a smile.

Zhou Yunyun brightened up at those words, suddenly somewhat tongue-tied, "Ma... Master, do you mean..."

"What I mean is, since we’ve decided that the takeaway stand will only have three meat dishes and three vegetable dishes each day, you could work hard to prepare all the side dishes in advance for me. When customers come to buy, I’ll just need to toss them in the pan and stir-fry, it won’t take much effort. I’m thinking, if there are more people buying takeaways, correspondingly, there will be fewer eating inside the shop, and even if it’s busy, there will be a limit."

Hua Xiaomai was keenly aware that Zhou Yunyun had misunderstood, she pursed her lips and patted her on the shoulder, "I know you’re eager to cook, but you’ve only been my apprentice for a little over two months. I won’t mention your knife skills, but controlling the heat, seasoning, and various meticulous skills, you’ve only just learned the basics. At least half a year is needed before the dishes you make can barely be presentable. Don’t be anxious, I have it all figured out."

Zhou Yunyun couldn’t hide her disappointment, but still obediently nodded without saying much else. After thinking it over for a bit, Chun Xi and La Mei felt the plan was feasible and had no objections. Seeing that they had no issues, Hua Xiaomai became even more confident, instructing Chun Xi and the others to find a carpenter and order the bamboo food containers, to get things started as soon as possible.

...

Back when she had a stall by the river, charcoal stoves and kitchen ranges were readily available, now gathering dust in the Jing Family’s small courtyard. The business at Taihe was originally calculated including Jing Taihe and his wife in the count. Hua Xiaomai didn’t bother with formalities with them, and the next morning, she went to bring all the equipment from there and set it up at the entrance of the shop.