Chef Hua
Chapter 467: Episode 255: Recruiting a Chef (Part 1)_2

Chapter 467: Episode 255: Recruiting a Chef (Part 1)_2

However, no matter how much she asked, Meng refused to say anything more, only smiled and gently placed her on the ground, then rolled himself into bed, wrapped under the covers, and fell asleep without another word.

...

The next day, Meng Yuhuai went to Lianshun Escort Agency early in the morning and indeed sent a swift-legged young errand boy to search in the Lu Family Alley for a certain Tan-surnamed tavern, to explain the situation about recruiting a chef to Master Tan and ask him to go directly to Zhenwei Garden in Fire Knife Village if he was interested.

Hua Xiaomai wasn’t sure whether this would work out or not, so she still lazed at home that day, enduring the incessant chatter of Mrs. Ding and Tang Dongyan in turns; she clearly felt annoyed but had no choice but to tolerate them with patience, ensuring her demeanor appeared compliant.

Just before noon, as Mrs. Meng’s dishes were already laid out on the table, a little runner from Zhenwei Garden suddenly came running, barging in without regard to anything else and hurriedly calling Hua Xiaomai outside, mentioning that someone had come to apply for the chef’s position.

Hua Xiaomai guessed that it was probably that Master Tan and hastily bade her elder goodbye, not without being scolded a few words, then followed the little runner out the door. Once they entered the gate of Sauce Garden, indeed, she saw the man sitting awkwardly on a long bench, hurriedly standing up and rubbing his hands on his clothes as he heard their footsteps.

She had expected him to come but hadn’t imagined he’d come this quickly, almost as if he couldn’t wait another moment, could it be that his little tavern in Lu Family Alley had still not seen any improvement in business?

"Master Tan, please have a seat, don’t be shy," Hua Xiaomai greeted him with a smile, gesturing for him to relax.

"Did I arrive at a bad time?" Master Tan, having walked all this way, looked as if he had been pulled out of water, squeezed out a nervous smile, "Upon hearing your message, I hurried over, didn’t even bother to check the time properly, arriving right at mealtime, you..."

"No worries," Hua Xiaomai shook her head soothingly, letting him sit back down on the bench, and said with pursed lips, "Since you are here, you must know what for, so let’s cut to the chase, do you wish to be the chef at my little restaurant?"

Master Tan didn’t answer immediately, merely lowered his head with a bitter smile, staying quiet for a long while.

What did that mean? If you are willing, just say so— besides, if you don’t wish to work under someone and get paid for it, why even bother coming?

It had been many days since someone had applied to be a chef at the small restaurant, and the staff at Sauce Garden had all treated this as quite the spectacle. It happened to be during the lunch break, so they crowded around. Among them, Great Saint always had a lot to say, seeing that Master Tan wasn’t speaking, he jokingly yelled,

"Look at you, why are you so hesitant? You’re already here, why act like a reluctant bride? From Fire Knife Village to the County, it’s neither near nor far, but walking here must have been tiring, especially with the heat being so intense, isn’t this just pointless suffering?"

With that shout, Master Tan seemed even more unsure of where to place his hands, glanced in Great Saint’s direction, then turned and smiled at Hua Xiaomai: "It’s not that I’m unwilling, it’s just... earlier, I foolishly thought about running a tab in your Sauce Garden, and after I went home, the more I thought about it, the worse it tasted, feeling like I had done something stupid, and I’ve been too ashamed to come back since, let alone face you. Actually, your little restaurant now has quite a reputation in the city, I had heard about the job opening for a chef long ago, and was quite tempted, but..."

So it was for that reason, just as Meng Yuhuai had said, this man had indeed thought everything through?

Hua Xiaomai smiled upon hearing this: "That’s all water under the bridge, why keep remembering it? I know Master Tan, you are not the type to take advantage of others, probably just a momentary lapse, and I guessed you would realize soon after going back. Since you are interested in applying for the chef position, why keep hesitating? I’ve been quite worried about this matter recently."

After pondering, she probed further: "Is your tavern still difficult to manage nowadays?"

"Ah," Master Tan laughed with a sigh, "These past few days, I was about to return the shop back to the owner. Even if you hadn’t sent someone to find me, I couldn’t have continued with the business. I have thought it through, rather than struggling to keep going, making my wife and kids suffer, drinking boiled water for meals, better to honestly find a job and at least have a stable income every month, enough to support them. I know you are an excellent chef, and for the other chefs in your little restaurant, naturally, I presume your demands are not low, and I am still wondering if you could be satisfied with my cooking skills."

Hua Xiaomai smiled, curving the corners of her mouth, and turned to look towards Lei An’s wife: "Is Yun’er still busy in the kitchen?"

Before she could finish speaking, they heard Zhou Yunyun’s voice coming from the direction of the kitchen: "All set, Master, I’ve got the meals ready!"

The little runner, always quick-witted, roughly guessed what Hua Xiaomai intended to do, and realizing there might be an amusing scene to witness, didn’t wait for her instructions; he dashed to the kitchen to clear the stove space for Zhou Yunyun.

Meanwhile, Hua Xiaomai amiably said to Master Tan: "I don’t mean to boast, but in the area of culinary skills, I believe I am somewhat better than you. Although I want to hire you as a chef, and you also have the desire, we still need to seriously test your skills before it can be settled. I’ll say the unpleasant part upfront. If after the trial I feel that your cooking does not fit the needs, I will not reluctantly keep you, so you should be prepared."

Master Tan, who had just begun to calm down a little, felt his palms sweat upon hearing this, opened his mouth slightly, nodded: "How will the trial be conducted?"

"Very simple, I will give you the topics, and you make three dishes right now." (To be continued. If you like this story, please vote for it with a monthly ticket or recommendation ticket at Qidian (qidian.com). Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users please visit m.qidian.com to read.)