Chef Hua
Chapter 354: Episode 201: The Cooking Battle (Part 2)

Chapter 354: Episode 201: The Cooking Battle (Part 2)

Han Fengzhi probably hadn’t expected Hua Xiaomai to accept the challenge so readily, and couldn’t help but be momentarily stunned. When he spoke again, the corners of his mouth curled up in a playful smile.

"Not only is the lady’s cooking superb, but her courage is second to none," he said. "No wonder the owner of Taoyuan House from the Provincial City traversed mountains and rivers to seek your help in Fuzhe County. Now I understand why. I am not from Fuzhe County, and you have said that you run a small restaurant. Since that’s the case, it would be convenient to borrow your kitchen. Let’s make your place the venue for our competition. As for the format of the competition, what do you think, Miss?"

Hua Xiaomai’s eyelids lifted slightly, her eyes shooting out sharp glints, yet her face remained as warm as ever. She smiled and said, "It’s Han Boss who wants to compete with me, so naturally, you should be the one to set the rules and formalities. Whatever you have in mind for the contest, I am more than willing to oblige."

She understood very well that ever since the Eight Treasures Conference from years past, Han Fengzhi must have been harboring some unresolved resentment inside, simply lacking an outlet to express it. Regardless of the circumstances today, he would certainly not let go of this opportunity to face her directly. No need for witnesses nor a public declaration; all he wanted was a fair result.

With matters having come this far, excuses and refusals were meaningless. Besides, when it came to cooking, Hua Xiaomai had never been afraid of anyone!

The smile on Han Fengzhi’s face stiffened but was quickly concealed as he laughed heartily and said, "Ha, Miss, you are indeed straightforward. If I were to hem and haw any further, it would make me look petty and undignified. We’ll settle on this then; I will be intruding upon your establishment the day after tomorrow, so there’s no need for you to incur expenses for ingredients. I’ll make sure everything is prepared—shall we meet then?"

The recent exchange between the two had captured the attention of the surrounding crowd, who had closed in. Upon hearing about the upcoming contest, a buzz of murmuring started, much like the humming of bees right by one’s ear.

"This Han Young Master, said to be the owner of a well-known tavern in the Provincial City, if he can come here to the preliminaries for the Scholar’s Banquet to help Magistrate Tao screen, then he must be quite skilled. But why would he insist on competing with that woman? A woman, and so thin at that; she probably can’t even lift a cooking shovel. What kind of good dish can she make? Even if she participated in the Eight Treasures Conference, who knows..."

Who... who is the woman? Speak clearly! Hua Xiaomai completely ignored the main point of the person’s comment, focusing all her attention on the two words that stung her the most. Her eyes suddenly widened, and just as she was about to turn around and quarrel with that person, another cook in the crowd, who seemed to recognize Meng Yuhuai, whispered, "Shh, don’t make a fuss! I just saw her being brought here by Leader Meng of the Lianshun Escort Agency. She must be his wife. Geez, Leader Meng is young, but he’s got formidable skills. Watch your words; you wouldn’t want to provoke him!"

The first speaker indeed stuck out his tongue, refusing to utter another word, and Hua Xiaomai glared at him fiercely. She then turned to Han Fengzhi with a smile and said lightly, "Good, I will eagerly await your arrival at the restaurant the day after tomorrow." She was about to leave when she suddenly remembered something and stopped in her tracks, turning back to say, "Right, since Boss Han is willing to spare me the trouble of the preliminary selection, I’ll just accept the favor. But I’m wondering about the menu..."

"The reason we ask all the chefs participating in the selection to provide a menu is to test their ability to arrange a banquet. If you ultimately win the right to cater the Scholar’s Banquet, someone from Magistrate Tao’s office will discuss the details with you. For now, you don’t need to focus on this."

"Understood," Hua Xiaomai nodded, gesturing to Zhou Yunyun with a look. She led her away as they left the scene.

As they walked out of the venue, Zhou Yunyun seemed to be still in a daze, her head bowed, not saying much along the way.

Hua Xiaomai didn’t bother with her, walking straight towards the direction of the Lianshun Escort Agency. When she happened to see a pastry stall by the roadside with appealingly fresh beechnut cakes, her pace slowed involuntarily. Before she could turn around, Zhou Yunyun, following closely behind, bumped into her, her forehead banging right against the back of Hua Xiaomai’s head, causing her to gasp in pain.

"What are you doing?!" Hua Xiaomai was both annoyed and amused. She quickly turned around and grabbed Zhou Yunyun by the wrist, half in jest yet half in earnest, she scolded, "You’re so big, you can’t even walk properly? Your forehead must be quite tough, because that hurt a lot!"