Chef Hua
Chapter 466: Episode 255: Recruiting a Chef (Part 1)

Chapter 466: Episode 255: Recruiting a Chef (Part 1)

Hua Xiaomai lowered her head in thought for a moment and did not immediately respond.

The "Master Tan" mentioned by Meng Yuhuai was undoubtedly the man who had opened a small wine shop in the Lv Family Alley of Fuzhe County and had once tried to buy sauce on credit from Zhenwei Garden.

When it came to this man, Hua Xiaomai actually had quite complex feelings.

In terms of culinary skills, she had tasted the dishes made by Master Tan. Although they were not top-notch, they were at least passable. If he could adjust some bad habits and improve, working as a chef in a small restaurant would certainly be adequate.

But with his heart set on running his own business, having failed with one shop and still undeterred to open a second one, would such a person be willing to give up being his own boss to work for someone else?

Seeing her silent, Meng Yuhuai patiently said, "I guess you might have a poor impression of him because he wanted to buy sauce on credit from the Sauce Garden last time. To be honest, I also thought he was quite out of line then. But these past few days, as I’ve seen you worrying about hiring a chef, I’ve been thinking about it when I had nothing to do, and now come to think of it, he might have been so anxious about his failing business that he got a bit muddled, which doesn’t necessarily mean there’s a problem with his character. You..."

"I know." Hua Xiaomai smiled and nodded, "I work in the food industry myself, and I’ve somewhat experienced what it’s like to have an open shop with no customers from morning until night, completely desolate. I know what it tastes like, and it boils down to four words: extremely uncomfortable. When people get anxious, their minds become unclear, and it’s normal for them to get tangled up in all sorts of ideas. You cannot judge someone’s character based on that."

"You are quite understanding." She spoke so seriously that Meng Yuhuai found it a bit amusing and couldn’t help but reach out and mess up her hair playfully.

Hua Xiaomai quickly dodged backward and looked up at him glaringly, "Be serious, will you? Ever since I married you, I’ve been tempted several times, really wanting to drag you in front of the brothers at the Escort Agency and let them see what you’re really like at home!"

Meng Yuhuai simply pulled her towards him and held her on his lap, not forgetting to jest, "You seem to have gained weight," and when he saw she was about to get angry, he hastily said with a serious tone, "Alright, go on, I’m listening, I promise not to interrupt."

"The first time I met Master Tan, I saw him in a cooking competition, wagering his small restaurant’s shopfront. Until this day, I still remember how nervous he was, unable to hold a spatula steady, with sweat dripping down from his forehead. He was so frightened, concerned about his own shopfront, yet he didn’t think to cheat. The person he was competing against, Boss Huang, was clearly playing tricks, although not very clever ones, and yet he failed to see through them. At that moment, I thought he must be a sincere man."

Hua Xiaomai wrapped herself around Meng Yuhuai’s neck, sitting securely on his lap, and earnestly said, "The last time he came to our Sauce Garden wanting to buy on credit, I was indeed a bit angry, but afterwards, he never came back, did he? I figure, he must have realized his mistake, knowing that what he did was impossible and quite ridiculous. If that’s the case, why should I hold onto it? I’m just worried that he may not want to come—his small wine shop was also not doing well, and if he has given up on it, I don’t even know where to find him."

"What’s so difficult about that?" Meng Yuhuai held her a bit tighter, "Tomorrow I’ll send someone to Lv Family Alley. If he’s still there, I’ll just leave him a message. If he has closed the shop or doesn’t want to come, then we’ll think of another way, no need to be so worried. I’ll just bring the person over, and how to test and see if he’s suitable is something you’ll have to figure out yourself."

"Hmm." Hua Xiaomai nodded slightly, looked at him, and said a bit embarrassingly, "I had sworn to myself that I wouldn’t bother you with this, but in the end, I still need your help..."

"Isn’t there one in your belly now?"

With great care, Meng Yuhuai gently touched her stomach, "It’s just running some errands. Since I can take care of it, I’ll let you save some energy. Normally, I definitely wouldn’t deal with it, leaving you to manage on your own."

His words instantly caused Hua Xiaomai’s eyebrows to rise high in annoyance. Pushing away his hand, she said with a frown, "Hey, the way you talk, it seems I’m getting the better end of the deal because of him?"

She pointed at her stomach and relentlessly interrogated, "I’m asking you, who is bigger, me or him? Answer me, who is bigger, me or him?"