Chef Hua
Chapter 313: Issue 180 Red Fire_2

Chapter 313: Issue 180 Red Fire_2

The custom-made fifty bamboo food boxes were delivered three days later, approximately three inches deep, with bamboo partitions creating four separate sections inside to hold meals and dishes. At first glance, they somewhat resembled the dinner plates Hua Xiaomai used to use in her previous era.

Hua Xiaomai was someone who couldn’t contain herself when she had something on her mind, and set up her food stall immediately on the same day. She prepared three meat and three vegetarian dishes, not cutting corners just because they were for takeout, and made sure the side dishes were meticulously prepared. The eight-treasure meat was tender and rich in flavor, the stir-fried chestnut chicken was soft and savory, and the steamed duck, which had been cooked earlier and kept warm in a pot, didn’t even need to be tasted; the glistening appearance alone was enough to make one’s mouth water. As for the chicken gravy with cabbage, fried tofu balls, and other vegetarian dishes, they were all clean and refreshing.

The main dishes included buns and rice, along with various pickled vegetables and marinated cabbage as side dishes. If a customer with a big appetite came by, they only needed to add eight copper coins to get an extra fried chicken leg. All of the side dishes were prepared as semi-finished products before being displayed at the stall, to save as much time as possible when serving customers.

Hua Xiaomai knew in her heart that once she set up the takeout stall, it would definitely make money. However, on the first day of setting up the stall, she immediately felt that she had greatly miscalculated.

She truly hadn’t expected that such a small stall could make her business so incredibly successful!

She wasn’t wrong in her guess that there were many merchants on the official road who, due to their haste, often didn’t have time to sit down for a proper meal, either filling up on dry food or simply going hungry as they continued on their way. The takeout stall was set up in front of the small eatery, with two large pots that caught the eye, and the aroma of cooking dishes wafting all the way to the official road attracted even those travelers who were usually reluctant to delay their journey. They came out of curiosity, and once they saw the food, they couldn’t help but spend money.

People who were tired from traveling on the road all year long were particularly unwilling to skimp on food. They all had money on hand and would choose meat dishes, along with some pickles and marinated cabbage. After a short wait, they could joyfully carry away their food boxes and eat while on their way. By the end of the noon rush, not only had Zhou Yunyun sold out of all the prepared side dishes, but also the number of customers inside the eatery hadn’t decreased at all. Hua Xiaomai ran back and forth countless times at the door of the kitchen until she was completely soaked as if she had been fished out of water, feeling as though her arms and legs didn’t belong to her anymore. Yet, inside, she was overjoyed.

The business was even more booming in the evening.

In just one afternoon, the news of the new takeout stall at the small eatery on the east side of the village had spread throughout Fire Knife Village. The takeout offered both meat and vegetarian options for customers to choose from, with luxury for those who could afford it, and one or two vegetarian dishes as an affordable meal. The villagers might not be willing to splurge on a sit-down meal in the eatery, but buying a portion or two of takeout to share with their family was within their means. Therefore, at dusk, people came hurrying over from the village, and Hua Xiaomai and Chun Xi had to keep extremely busy.

Finally, when it was time to close up, Hua Xiaomai was so exhausted that she couldn’t even move and just sprawled over the table. Chun Xi, on the other hand, was still very excited. She went over to the stall and rummaged through it, then came back and triumphantly announced, "There are only three or four of those fifty bamboo food boxes left. In the evening, people from the village brought their own bowls and plates! Our little eatery has been open for so long, and only today have we truly tasted the sweetness of a booming business... Oh dear, I need to calm down, I don’t even know what to say anymore—Xiaomai, your idea was truly brilliant, hahaha, tomorrow I must find a carpenter to make another hundred food boxes, don’t you agree?"

She leaned against the corner of the table, laughing so hard she doubled over, but Hua Xiaomai didn’t even have the strength left to respond with a single word, just weakly nodded her head. La Mei also stood by with a joyful smile on her face, while only Zhou Yunyun seemed happy too, but there was a hint of melancholy in her eyes.

Hua Xiaomai was very troubled, she had discovered that ever since she met Zhou Yunyun, she often found herself sighing inwardly, even now under such a joyous atmosphere, she was not spared. Though she didn’t want to speak, she had to wave her hand at the girl, calling her over to her side.

"I have a task I’d like you to do, though I’m not sure if you’re willing," she still lay on the table, only slightly turning her head, hinting at a smile as she spoke.

She had contemplated this matter in her heart for a while, originally planning to tell her little apprentice in a couple of days, but upon seeing her look of dejection today, decided to move the timeline forward.

Zhou Yunyun quickly nodded her head, "Master, just tell me, whatever it is I’m willing to do."

"Hmm," Hua Xiaomai nodded and said, "You know, my Zhenwei Garden will be opening before long. At that time, in the Sauce Garden, in addition to a few workers, there will also be two master sauce makers. For lunch and dinner, I plan to provide them with some food. We already run a restaurant, so there’s no reason to hire another chef. Thus, when the time comes, I plan to have our side prepare the meals each day, and let the workers from there come to fetch them—you’ve seen, our business was good today, and if it continues to develop this way, I definitely won’t have any spare time. So, I want to hand over this task to you."

"Really... really?" Zhou Yunyun hadn’t expected her to propose this, and excited, her face flushed again, "But Master, I haven’t even worked on the stove yet, and I’ve not fully learned about seasoning and controlling the heat, I’m afraid..."

"That’s why I plan to start teaching you during our downtime, starting from tomorrow," Hua Xiaomai still smiled lazily, "There are many people in the Sauce Garden, and cooking for a large group truly tests your skills. Getting the heat control right and seasoning the dishes well is not easy, definitely harder than making smaller dishes. But once you have integrated and thoroughly understood the essence of it, cooking ordinary dishes on the stove will feel much more effortless. Counting the days, my Sauce Garden will open at the beginning of the second month, so there isn’t much time left for you... Are you willing to give it a try?"

Zhou Yunyun eagerly nodded vigorously, "Of course, I’m willing, just a little afraid... What if I don’t do it well..."

"It’s just making meals for a few workers; as long as there is enough food and it tastes passable, it will be fine. It doesn’t require the same meticulousness as running a restaurant. Of course, if you do it too poorly, I won’t serve it to them, lest it damages my reputation. If you are undecided, you can think about it some more." Hua Xiaomai said as she stood up, smiled at her, then turned around to prepare to call Chun Xi and La Mei to head home together.

"No need to think anymore, Master!" Zhou Yunyun grabbed her at once, the corners of her lips tilted upward, her eyes brimming with laughter, and her voice surprisingly grew louder, "Let me try!" (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to come to Qidian (qidian.com) to cast your recommendation tickets and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to read.)