Chef Hua
Chapter 350: Episode 199: Lost Courage

Chapter 350: Episode 199: Lost Courage

About how to arrange that menu, Hua Xiaomai indeed felt quite indecisive.

Since learning of the news of this scholar banquet last night, she had been unable to fall asleep, while Meng Yuhuai beside her had long been breathing deeply and evenly. But she kept tossing and turning, her mind crammed with all sorts of ideas. She would consider one for a while, then feel it was no good, hastily discard it, and end up feeling more clueless the more she thought.

This banquet, with guests from the County that included various scholars, was really not an easy crowd to deal with. These people were learned and had wide-ranging knowledge but were peculiarly averse to officialdom, preferring a quiet life. Most probably had a bit of a temper, and pleasing their tastes with a single banquet was definitely no easy task.

She was just a downright commoner, after all. How could she know what these "hermits" liked or loathed?

When she had been learning to cook, she once read an ancient book that recorded a variety of wild and rustic cooking methods. Although the ingredients used were ordinary, they were uniquely light and sophisticated, full of interest. Using these dishes to cater to the picky palates of those scholars might just win widespread praise.

Yet the crux of the problem was that while these dishes might appear elegant during a modest mountain gathering, the overly common ingredients might make them seem unfit for a prestigious event, and she feared they wouldn’t pass Magistrate Tao’s scrutiny. It was indeed troublesome to achieve both exquisite, atmospheric dishes and maintain their sophistication.

"I really need to ponder over that menu, I can’t settle it for now," said Hua Xiaomai with a frown, rather troubled, to Zhou Yunyun, "Besides, there is another bothersome issue, which is the various ingredients. Since we are to undertake this scholar banquet, we must prepare a complete range of raw materials, including all kinds of delicacies from the mountains and seas. Right now, I still don’t know where to source them."

The small restaurant usually served common dishes, which didn’t require particularly expensive ingredients, but for a grand scholar banquet, it would never do to simply use the goods purchased from the likes of Xu Ershun. Abalones and bird’s nests, for instance, seemed indispensable—might she also have to make a trip to Lingxiu Prefecture?

Uncle Ke was a Martial Artist and probably did not know where the ingredients came from; Old Master Zhao’s place, on the other hand, definitely had the connections, but when it came to the scholar banquet, they were real competitors. Expecting his help was a bit too unrealistic; as for Wu Wenhong from Qingping County, she really didn’t want to bother him again...

It was only now that she suddenly realized how narrowly limited her own social network really was. She spent her days busily cooking and frying, and business seemed to be flourishing, yet she was always just playing by herself. When she actually needed help, she had no idea whom to ask!

Chun Xi and La Mei might not understand the particularities of the scholar banquet, but they at least knew that top-grade ingredients were not easy to purchase. They sighed in unison and said, "This is going to be a bit difficult..."

Zhou Yunyun glanced at them, bit her lip, and ventured to Hua Xiaomai, "Master, I can’t help with sourcing ingredients, but I’m thinking, for the matter of finalizing the menu, couldn’t we ask Scholar Wen for a suggestion? He’s a learned man, and in our village, he’s top-notch. Maybe..."

Hua Xiaomai let out a sigh, smiled helplessly, and shook her head. "That Wen Huaren, the pedantic scholar, has his heart set on pursuing an official career, while those scholars in the town are full of knowledge but disdain to walk the official path, seeking only to live freely. They aren’t cut from the same cloth at all—how could he possibly guess what they like?"

Zhou Yunyun had mustered the courage to help and think of a solution, but her suggestion was immediately rejected. Disappointment was inevitable, and she hung her head, saying no more. Hua Xiaomai felt a bit guilty upon seeing this and, looking at her, could only say, "Well, since you have this thought, it wouldn’t hurt to ask him on my behalf, just don’t hold out too much hope. This matter, I reckon, can only be resolved by myself in the end. Don’t you all worry with me, we mustn’t let it affect business at our restaurant. Go about your own tasks."

She waved them off, sending Chun Xi, La Mei, and Zhou Yunyun away, while she herself continued to rack her brains, inevitably facing a few days so vexing that they disrupted both sleep and appetite, until she gradually began to have some ideas.

In a matter of days, Meng Yuhuai indeed brought back news, reporting that the announcement for the selection for the scholar banquet had been posted, that it was going to start at the end of March, lasting for half a month, so as to allow ample preparation time for the final selected eatery.

"Uncle Ke and I have mentioned you in front of Magistrate Tao, and you know how Uncle Ke can talk—he didn’t lose out at all in describing your cooking as unmatched on earth and in heaven. I watched on with disinterest and saw that Magistrate Tao clearly became a bit interested," Meng Yuhuai said earnestly to Hua Xiaomai, "The day for each restaurant to participate in the preliminary selection is set, you’re scheduled for April 2nd, and you should brace yourself to prepare early. I can’t be of much help, only cheering you on from the sidelines, so don’t think too little of me."