Chef Hua
Chapter 321: Issue 184 Out of This World_2

Chapter 321: Issue 184 Out of This World_2

Hua Xiaomai nodded.

Both engaged in the food and beverage industry, they understood that running a shop was no easy task. Seeing Master Tan in such a state destitute, she couldn’t help but feel a twinge of sympathy.

However, upon reflection, of what use would such sympathy be to Master Tan?

Unsure of what to say, she fell silent for a long time before finally looking up and asking, "How’s business now? Is anyone causing you trouble?"

"The shop is in that area; dreaming of making a fortune is folly. It barely earns enough for a meal. As for those ruffians, they come to my place for a drink every now and then. I know they are trouble, so I don’t dare to offend them. I’m careful to appease them, and so far, there have been no slip-ups. Yet, money is hard to come by, and I still don’t know where to scrounge up next semester’s rent," Master Tan said, his eyes downcast and his mood quite low, before suddenly reacting and vigorously shaking his hands as if they were windmills, quickly adding, "Don’t get me wrong, I didn’t come here today with any intention of whining or borrowing money, it’s just that one word led to another..."

"Don’t rush; we’re not thinking anything of the sort," Meng Yuhuai interjected, comforting him with a few words. Seeing that he seemed to have more to say, Meng Yuhuai invited him to the table. Hua Xiaomai then poured him a bowl of the osmanthus tea she had made that day and set it in front of him.

Master Tan picked up the tea bowl and took a small sip, looking somewhat nervous. He rubbed his hands on his legs and licked his lips, saying, "Actually, I have another matter I wanted to discuss with you today. Your Sauce Garden is the only one in our entire Fuzhe County. I’m sure your sauces must be excellent, and I’d like to buy some, only I don’t know if you’re willing to sell..."

All this beating around the bush just to say that?

Hua Xiaomai felt somewhat perplexed, frowning slightly.

Master Tan’s question was peculiar indeed. Since she had opened Zhenwei Garden, she was naturally out to make money. On the opening day, she had customers knocking at her door, money laid out before her—why wouldn’t she take it? Where Master Tan’s tavern was located and what kind of customers it served had nothing to do with her. If he wanted to buy the sauce, she would sell it. Why act so skittish?

Meng Yuhuai was ultimately more experienced. After pondering a moment, he guessed Master Tan’s intent, smiled faintly, and said in a veiled manner, "Business coming to our doorstep is always warmly welcomed. However, the sauces produced here are primarily sold to the major restaurants in Provincial City, and are not cheap. Your small tavern need not spend too much on such endeavors. Fuzhe County may lack a proper Sauce Garden, but there are several dry-goods shops that offer a complete range of sauces for sale..."

Wasn’t that so? Hua Xiaomai suddenly understood.

Master Tan’s tavern was barely scraping by. With the rent a constant worry, how could he afford to spend on sauces? Could it be...

He couldn’t be thinking of buying on credit, could he?!

"What exactly do you mean? Better to be forthright, and then we can talk," she said, no longer wishing to beat around the bush with this man, she got straight to the point.

Master Tan glanced nervously at Meng Yuhuai beside her, as if to muster his courage, and then spoke up, "I won’t beat around the bush with you. Business at the tavern is slow, and I need to find a way to get it going quickly. You’re skilled in cooking, so the sauces you create certainly won’t be subpar. If my tavern could use your Zhenwei Garden’s sauces, it might just prosper. But I don’t have much money on hand right now, so I was wondering... could we settle the bill for the sauces every half year? Once my business picks up, I’ll definitely pay on time, not short you a single coin!"

Settling accounts every half year was basically buying on credit. Stripped of pretense, how was that any different from borrowing money? If only he were actually here to borrow money!

Hua Xiaomai genuinely felt a bit displeased.

She truly sympathized with Master Tan. If not, she wouldn’t have offered her help initially and wouldn’t have felt a pang of sorrow after hearing his plight. But Zhenwei Garden was a legitimate business, not a charitable hall!

Settling accounts every half year was not uncommon among businesspeople, but conditions must precede such an arrangement. First, one must ensure that the other party has sufficient funds and integrity, and second, the parties need to understand each other thoroughly. Neither of these conditions applied to her and Master Tan, so how could she rashly agree to such a request?

His tavern could fail at any moment, leaving her unable to recover even a copper coin. Moreover, if the tavern didn’t pick up even with Zhenwei Garden’s sauces, would she then bear some responsibility?

This was simply the act of a desperate man grasping at straws, yet utterly impractical. Who could feel happy about such a proposal on the very first day of business?

Seeing Hua Xiaomai frowning without a word, Master Tan felt even more anxious and hurriedly said, "I know this may put you in a difficult position, but if you can trust me, in the future, you could display your ready-made sauces at my tavern, and I could help sell them for you. Although you’re primarily doing business with Provincial City’s large restaurants, Fuzhe County has a significant demand for sauces as well... you wouldn’t want to miss this opportunity, right?"

The more he spoke, the more absurd it became. His tavern was located in such a chaotic place as Lujia Alley—how many townspeople would actually go there to buy sauces?

Hua Xiaomai was unwilling to invite trouble, and opened her mouth to decline. Meng Yuhuai looked at her and immediately understood her thoughts, shaking his head slightly at her before smiling and saying to Master Tan, "We’ve just opened today and haven’t even started making the sauces yet. Even if you did want to sell them, it would be next month at the earliest. I don’t think there is any need to rush this matter. Why not wait until then? Try our sauces when they’re ready, and make your decision after that, how about it?"

(To be continued. If you enjoy this work, you are welcome to come to Qidian (qidian.com) and cast your recommendation tickets and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to read.)