Chef Hua
Chapter 367: Episode 207: Unexplained Anxiety

Chapter 367: Episode 207: Unexplained Anxiety

Meng Yuhuai went to the town’s milk shop early the next morning, and, surprisingly, without much effort, he managed to reserve several jars of milk, paid the deposit, and arranged with the shopkeeper to come back and pick them up on the 14th of April.

Hua Xiaomai was well aware that the final selection for the scholar’s banquet was a serious affair, practicing diligently over the stove whenever she got some free time during the day, and even after returning home at night, she would lie on her bed pondering for a long time, turning the three ingredients over and over in her mind, figuring out how to make the most of these simple items to create distinctive dishes.

If she rose early and left the Meng family compound, she would also visit the two plots of land near the threshing ground if time permitted.

Unlike the small vegetable patch behind the Jing family’s small courtyard from before, the full two acres of land were now densely planted with chili peppers. Thanks to Meng Yuhuai’s frequent care when he was free, the young plants were growing exceptionally robust, their leaves lush and tender green. After being watered and bathed in the sunlight, the droplets on the leaves sparkled like tiny diamonds, delightfully appealing to the eye.

In her heart, Hua Xiaomai had calculated that half of the chili peppers from these two acres needed to be kept for seeds, storing enough for themselves, with the rest to be sold to the villagers, which should bring in a good amount of money; the other half would be equally divided between the small eatery and the Sauce Garden, not only adding a couple of new dishes to the menu but perhaps also producing a new type of sauce later in the year, and such a sauce would definitely be unique in the current era.

Thinking of these profitable ventures was always a pleasure; after strolling around enough in the fields and then heading east of the village, her face naturally carried a slight smile.

"I don’t need to tell you how important the scholar’s banquet is; Sister-in-law Chun Xi, Sister-in-law La Mei, and Yun’er, you all should understand as well," Hua Xiaomai gathered the three of them in the hall before the lunch market rush began, and said in all seriousness, "If we manage to secure the scholar’s banquet and run it smoothly, we will have a powerful backer in the future. Even if we encounter any vexing issues, at least we can find someone to stand up for us and reason it out. So during this time, please be a little more energetic and careful not to make any mistakes."

The small eatery was very meticulous in its business dealings, never overcharging or being negligent with the food, and the kitchen was always kept clean, which meant they did not need to worry about an unexpected inspection from Magistrate Tao.

However, the problem lay in the fact that every one of the five taverns that entered the final selection was aiming for the best result, and under such extraordinary circumstances, it was possible that some would resort to dirty tricks to "welcome" their rivals. With only women running the small eatery daily, they needed to be especially alert to deal with any potential problems.

Hua Xiaomai had repeated these words every day recently, and Chun Xi, having heard them so often that her ears could have grown calluses, waved her hand in impatience: "Yes, yes, I got it. You keep repeating the same thing every day; don’t you ever get tired of it? Anyway, you’ve promised that if the eatery does well this year, you’ll give us a big bonus at year-end. Just for that, we wouldn’t dare mess up even if we wanted to!"

As she spoke, Chun Xi pulled Hua Xiaomai to sit next to her, leaning in with a conspiratorial air: "Sister, I’ve heard that you’ve had a bit of a dispute with Brother Yuhuai recently?"

"Eh?" Hua Xiaomai raised her eyebrows in surprise, "Where did you hear that from?"

Chun Xi did not try to hide anything and bluntly gestured towards Zhou Yunyun: "Look, wasn’t it Yun’er who told me and La Mei? You and Brother Yuhuai were sitting in the hall talking, she snuck into the room, not intending to eavesdrop, but your voices were getting louder and she couldn’t help overhearing!"

Hua Xiaomai immediately shot a sharp look at Zhou Yunyun and said with a stern face, "I told you to talk more when you’re free; it’s good for changing your temperament, but that doesn’t mean you should be spreading gossip about me, does it?"

"Master, I am sorry..." Zhou Yunyun immediately apologized, retreating a step in fright, but then she couldn’t help but retort softly in defiance, "I didn’t go around telling everyone; I just mentioned it to Sister-in-law Chun Xi and Sister-in-law La Mei because I was worried about you... They are not outsiders..."

"You’re still talking back?" Hua Xiaomai glared half-jokingly, half-seriously, "You little secret agent, betraying your master, do you realize how serious that is?"