Chef Hua
Chapter 378: Episode 211: Precious Mountain thorny dragon’s tooth_3

Chapter 378: Episode 211: Precious Mountain thorny dragon’s tooth_3

Thorny dragon’s tooth and fragrant mushrooms maintained almost their original colors, whereas on the other side, the shad and shrimp roe were extremely vivid, paired with golden tofu pouches and pinkish radish flowers. At first glance, the sight instantly brought to mind the phrase "green temples and ruddy complexions."

What was even more incredible was the mixture of the fresh aroma of the shad and shrimp meat with the sweet flavor of the thorny dragon’s tooth and fragrant mushrooms, forming an indescribable, strange fragrance. As soon as it was carried out from the private room, it quickly spread to every corner of the great hall, and everyone there, professionals as they were, couldn’t help but vigorously sniff the air and crane their necks around, searching for the source of the scent.

Seated in a corner, Han Fengzhi saw Hua Xiaomai come out and smelled the fragrance. His expression changed and he immediately walked over quickly, looked down at the food in her hands, and laughed: "You certainly know how to choose. This thorny dragon’s tooth can’t be bought in the market. If I remember correctly, it should be the gift someone brought from the north for Magistrate Tao a couple of days ago. I don’t know how much effort was spent to keep it fresh, and yet, you’ve taken advantage of it! I see that today, you’ve indeed exerted some real skills."

Hua Xiaomai raised her head and smiled at him: "I just moved quickly; otherwise, I wouldn’t have been able to grab it."

"Hmm, but what will you name this dish? Come on, I’ll write it down for you." Han Fengzhi rolled up his sleeve, pulled over the brush and inkstone, soaked the brush with ink, and was about to write on the red paper.

Hua Xiaomai thought for a moment and pursed her lips: "What do you think about calling it ’Mountain and Sea Pouch’?"

"Mountain and Sea Pouch?" Han Fengzhi chewed on these three words in his mouth for a while and couldn’t help but nod, "One side has the flavor of the mountains and wilds, the other side contains treasures from the waters; this name is suitable indeed. It’s impressive you thought of it. The honorary banquet might very well fall into your hands. When the time comes, you’ll have to treat me to a drink."

After saying this, he made a bold stroke and wrote the characters "Mountain and Sea Pouch" onto the paper.

The dishes from the other two chefs also came out of the kitchen one by one. After the names were written down, they were taken upstairs for Magistrate Tao, who had remained out of sight, to taste. About the time it took for a meal, that Manager Jiang appeared.

He still stood upstairs without coming down and called out: "The dishes from all three chefs have been tasted by my master, and you are all skilled cooks. My master can’t make up his mind right away and needs to carefully deliberate a little more. The results will be announced here at the entrance to this venue on April 20th, so please return then."

That’s... it?

Hua Xiaomai slightly furrowed her brow.

Claiming to be "fair," it would be proper to announce the results on the spot, yet why delay five days? Wasn’t it obvious that he wanted people to visit and strategize with him?

Besides, she was indeed very satisfied with the dish she made today and truly wanted to know as soon as possible the thoughts of Magistrate Tao after tasting it. But now like this...

She raised her head, intending to ask a question or two, but Manager Jiang glared at her with his eyes, leaving her unable to utter a word. She merely nodded to Han Fengzhi, returned to the private room to tidy up her belongings, then followed the other departing chefs, and walked out of the venue’s main door with Zhou Yunyun in tow.

...

The handling of this final selection was strange, and Hua Xiaomai couldn’t help but feel a bit unsettled. She remained silent all the way while Zhou Yunyun, following behind her, did not dare to make a sound. After a while, she remembered that she should probably go to Lianshun Escort Agency to find Meng Yuhuai, so she stopped, turned around, and said, "I’m not at ease with you returning to the village alone. Anyway, we’re not trading today. If you want to wander around, feel free to do so. When you’ve had enough fun, come find me at Lianshun Escort Agency, and we’ll go back together."

After a moment’s hesitation, Zhou Yunyun agreed, and Hua Xiaomai, fearing she might not have money on her, casually handed her a handful of copper coins. Seeing Zhou Yunyun reluctantly accept them and then slowly walk away, she then headed towards the direction of Tiansheng Street.

Upon entering the gate of the Lianshun Escort Agency and proceeding straight to the front hall, her eyes immediately caught sight of Meng Yuhuai talking with Ke Zhenwu.

This old man hadn’t been involved with the Escort Agency business for a long time, so his sudden appearance today surprised her. She put on a smile and went in to greet Ke Zhenwu.

"Oh, Little Xiaomai is back?" Ke Zhenwu seemed to be in high spirits, and upon seeing her enter, he immediately laughed heartily, "How did it go with the honorary banquet? It must have fallen into your hands, right? Come on, tell your uncle, what happened, what’s the outcome?"

"They said they’ll announce the results on April 20th." Hua Xiaomai smiled weakly at him, "I made a mistake today; it can’t be explained in just a couple of words. You should find a chance to see Old Master Zhao. With Chef Wei’s qualifications canceled, he must be furious! As for you, how come you’re free to visit the Escort Agency today?"

"There’s that issue? Then I really have to go and check on Old Zhao," Ke Zhenwu exclaimed in surprise, his eyes widening. He then waved his hand and said, "With Yuhuai handling the Escort Agency’s affairs, I’m naturally happy to be idle, but he has to go to Provincial City tomorrow, so this old man inevitably needs to be back for a bit of oversight!"

Hua Xiaomai’s thoughts weren’t really on this, but upon hearing this, she lifted her head and casually said to Meng Yuhuai: "You’re going to be an Escort Master?"

"...I’m going to take care of some business—have you ever seen anyone go to Provincial City to be an Escort Master?" Meng Yuhuai frowned slightly.

Hua Xiaomai nonchalantly nodded her head, and at that moment Ke Zhenwu laughed and said: "Right, the two of you have been married for a while, and you’ve always been busy with various matters, never having gone out together. It’s not good for a couple to be busy all the time in the long run! In my opinion, with the final selection for the honorary banquet concluded, and with Yuhuai going to Provincial City for just four or five days, it’s the perfect opportunity for Little Xiaomai to accompany him and wander around a bit. Isn’t that nice?"

"Hm?" Hua Xiaomai did not expect him to say this and was momentarily caught off guard, slightly biting her lip.

Meng Yuhuai, however, showed a hint of a smile on his face, looked down into her eyes, and said in a deep voice: "If you want to go, I’ll take you with me." (To be continued. If you like this work, welcome to Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for recommendation tickets, monthly tickets, your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to continue reading.)