Chef Hua
Chapter 318 - 183: Banquet

Chapter 318: Chapter 183: Banquet

The charcoal under the copper pot was not yet extinguished, and the room was still filled with the fresh and sweet aroma of wild mushrooms. As Meng Yuhuai swallowed the last mouthful of soup, the hot and thick flavor still lingered in his throat. He intended to inquire about the takeout stall at the entrance of Hua Xiaomai’s place, but upon hearing her mention there was something to discuss, he had to hold back his words and simply nodded, "Go ahead."

Hua Xiaomai casually picked up a chopstick to poke the wood charcoal in the stove and, lifting her head, squinted at him with a smile, "On the fourth day of the second month, isn’t the Sauce Garden set to open? I was thinking that on the day of the opening, we could set up banquet tables throughout the day, inviting not only the neighbors from the village but also the regular patrons of the small diners that frequently travel on the official road. Anyone willing to join the celebration could come and eat their fill, adding some liveliness to our Sauce Garden and making the event more festive."

Meng Yuhuai quietly gazed into her eyes and simply "Hmm"ed in a faint tone.

Setting up banquet tables effectively meant ’Whoever sees, gets a share.’ Anyone passing by the establishment could sit down and feast if they wished. While the scene would undoubtedly look magnificent and might even attract some business for the shop, the host would inevitably have to spend a substantial amount of money. It was exactly because of this reason that Hua Xiaomai had been hesitating over the past few days. Now that she finally brought it up, seeing Meng Yuhuai’s tepid response made her even more anxious.

"I’ve done the math; it actually won’t cost much," she explained to him patiently and amicably, "I’m a cook myself, and with the small diner at home, vegetables and meat are readily available. Chun Xi and La Mei, along with Yun’er, can come to help, so there’s no need to hire extra hands. Perhaps you think this is a bit too extravagant, but once the banquet is out, it’s bound to be talked about for a few days, and the news might even spread to neighboring villages and the County. It would be like publicity for our Sauce Garden!"

In this era, the reputation and fame of all shops depended on word-of-mouth among the common people. Even though her sauces had a stable customer base in the Provincial City and she had Pan Ping’an to take care of sales, there was no need to worry about distribution channels. However, setting up the Sauce Garden was not a small-time venture like before—how could they be compared? In addition to the Provincial City, she hoped to capture all the business from the surrounding villages and towns of Fuzhe County. Having experienced the desolation at the start of the small diner’s opening, she felt that she must make some noise this time around.

Without risking, there’s no reward. This banquet would serve as a chance to splash out and pay for some publicity, quite worth the expense.

Upon hearing her speech, Meng Yuhuai still appeared calm. He lowered his eyelids, pondered for a moment, and then nodded slightly, "That makes sense."

Just... like that?

His readiness surprised Hua Xiaomai, and she looked him straight in the eye, in all earnestness, "Why don’t you ask how much money it is likely to cost?"

"I trust you; why the needless talk?" Meng Yuhuai shook his head with a light chuckle, "Alright, since you really want me to ask, then I’ll ask you, are you the kind to spend money lavishly without any sense of moderation?"

Heartened by his words "I trust you," Hua Xiaomai knew he didn’t consider the matter to be a big deal. She decided to tease him, nodding solemnly, "That’s me indeed! My second sister always said that there are large gaps between my fingers when I join my palms together, a sure sign of losing money!"

Meng Yuhuai gave her a sidelong glance, a hint of a smile on his lips, "So you say, if in the future I entrust you with the whole household management, wouldn’t it be long before our entire family is reduced to eating chaff?"

"Well, that’s hard to say," Hua Xiaomai blinked and said, suppressing her laugh, "I always want to buy things when I see them, and once money comes into my hands, I can’t keep it. I have to find ways to spend it to feel at peace. If you really let me manage, I’m afraid it wouldn’t take half a year before we’d have to scrape by with meager meals!"

"Nonsense!" Finally, Meng Yuhuai couldn’t help but laugh out loud, tapping her forehead gently, then solemnly said, "You have been running the Sauce Garden alone with all sorts of matters ever since I haven’t been around. I didn’t lift a finger to help. How would I have the nerve to give orders idly? As for the banquet, if you think it’s appropriate, just go ahead and do it. There’s no need to overthink it. If you need me to do anything, just say the word. Surely we aren’t still at the point of standing on ceremony with each other?"