Chef Hua
Chapter 52: Episode 44: Distinguishing

Chapter 52: Episode 44: Distinguishing

It seems that everyone is like this, fully aware of the truth yet still harboring a sliver of hope that things might not be as bad as they seem—at this moment, the distinguished owner of Chunfeng Restaurant, Master Zhao, was immersed in just such a mood.

After all, isn’t it just because he cannot accept it?

Hua Xiaomai bit her lips and turned her head to glance at Ke Zhenwu who was standing by her side with an equally grave expression, hesitant for a moment, "Master Zhao, as I have already said, I am indeed familiar with many spices, and if you need my help, I would naturally not shirk my duty. It’s just that with the fish maw, it would be better for you to find an expert to carefully discern, so as to avoid..."

"Hmph, there’s no need for such trouble!" Master Zhao snorted coldly through his nose and narrowed his eyes as he said darkly, "If that shady establishment really sold me counterfeit spices, just that alone would be enough for me to sue them to the point where they won’t have pants to wear! Miss, in just a few words, I could tell that you are knowledgeable. Please, you must help me out no matter what today."

His tone and attitude were very sincere, and with Ke Zhenwu also pleading on the side, Hua Xiaomai stopped her pointless refusals and nodded crisply, "Alright, I’ll go with you to have a look."

"Excellent!" Master Zhao clenched his fists with vigorous spirit, "The shopkeepers from that black-hearted establishment in Lingxiu Prefecture are still staying at the inn. I will send for them right away so we can confront them face to face! Old Ke, could I trouble you to bring this lady directly to my house in a while?"

Before his words had finished, he had already rushed out, his footsteps booming on the stone pavement.

Ke Zhenwu let out a sigh and smiled at Hua Xiaomai, "Xiaomai girl, that old Zhao is my friend, so I ask you to do your best."

"Uncle Ke, you can rest assured. Something that goes into the belly cannot be taken lightly. I will certainly be thorough," Hua Xiaomai’s lips curved slightly as she turned back to Meng Yuhuai, "Big brother of the Meng Family, for my second sister... I’ll have to trouble you to take care of her..."

"No, no, no, Yuhuai will come with us too," Ke Zhenwu hurriedly waved his hand, "Old Zhao is like a piece of burning charcoal in temperament, and now he’s even sent for the shopkeepers from that establishment in Lingxiu Prefecture. In case something goes wrong in the confrontation, with Old Zhao’s clumsy and hefty frame, he is bound to get the short end of the stick! The Zhao Family’s servants are all useless too. Yuhuai is skilled, so his presence will at least ensure Old Zhao’s safety—if a chance arises to give us an advantage, that would be even better, hahaha!"

Hua Xiaomai laughed along and saw that Ke Zhenwu turned to her with a genial face, "As for your second sister, let her rest assuredly at my Escort Agency. With Sister-in-law Zuo’s company, nothing will go wrong. If we’re delayed at the Zhao residence and it gets too late, I will have someone escort you back to Fire Knife Village. Don’t worry about it."

With everything so well arranged, Hua Xiaomai had nothing more to say. She smiled, agreed, and the three immediately left the building.

Exiting the gate of Lianshun Escort Agency, crossing Tian Sheng Street, then taking a few turns, they came to a quiet alley amidst the bustle, where Master Zhao’s grand mansion was situated.

Whether it was characteristic of merchants of this era to favor grand decorations or not, the courtyard they approached was indeed to the utmost magnificence, with rockery, flowing springs, and pavilions—nothing was lacking; the thin sunlight cast upon the rooftops’ eaves, glimmering with a blurry golden light.

Hua Xiaomai had no time to take a closer look, as she, along with Ke Zhenwu and Meng Yuhuai, followed the butler who came to meet them, walking straight to the kitchen’s exterior, where they stopped by the back door.

The scene before me was a horse-drawn carriage stacked with dozens of half-human-high cloth sacks, which were crowded against each other. Drawing closer, one could smell a mixture of various spices mingled together, along with a faint, fishy odor. Lord Zhao stood red-faced at the front of the carriage, accompanied by two young men dressed like out-of-towners, presumably the clerks sent by the "dishonest shop" from Lingxiu Prefecture to deliver the goods.

"One must say, Lord Zhao, you’re openly bullying us!" bellowed one young man, his face a dark shade of crimson. "When the goods arrived yesterday, you were full of praise. How come overnight, you accuse us of selling fakes? Our ’Hundred Flavors Pavilion’ has a great reputation in Lingxiu Prefecture. Don’t think you can just slander us because you’re the local bigwig!"

"Cut the crap!" retorted Lord Zhao, unwilling to back down and just as flushed and loud. "It’s precisely because of your reputation that I trusted you, but I never expected you to be engaged in this deceptive practice of ’sheep’s head for dog’s meat.’ Don’t you start jumping around; the truth will out once we verify it!"

Meanwhile, Hua Xiaomai paid no attention to their quarrel. She found a stone table, sat down, and ordered Lord Zhao’s servant in a deep voice, "First, take all the items down from the carriage. Open all the bags of spices and scoop out a little of each for me to see."

Seeing her confidence, the servant didn’t dare to dally and quickly nodded in agreement. Summoning two more people, they did as Hua Xiaomai instructed, picking out some spices from each sack and placing them before her.

Spices had been Hua Xiaomai’s daily affair in the kitchen, requiring prolonged interaction with various kinds. The assortment before her, differing in form and fragrance, was all too familiar. However, discerning the authentic from the fake necessitated scrutinizing their shapes and scents. Some fake spices differed from the real ones only slightly—a careless observer might easily mistake them, so she had to focus all her attention there. Before long, the view before her seemed to blur, her nose overwhelmed by a plethora of scents causing her head to reel slightly.

Through the entire process, Lord Zhao sustained vigorous energy, engaging in incessant arguments with the clerk from Lingxiu Prefecture. Fortunately, their dispute was limited to verbal sparring, with neither apparently intending to resort to violence.

Meng Yuhuai had been observing for a while beside Ke Zhenwu when he turned around unintentionally, saw Hua Xiaomai frowning slightly while gently massaging her temples, and approached to suggest softly, "Perhaps you should rest for a moment."

"It’s okay, I’m almost done." Without lifting her head, Hua Xiaomai responded and pushed the last handful of spices away. She then stood up, nodded toward Lord Zhao—who had stopped arguing and was eagerly awaiting her verdict—and said, "There are genuine articles, but by my estimation, they make up at most one-tenth of the lot. Moreover, they are not the high-quality goods as claimed but rather low-grade. The rest are all counterfeit."

Lord Zhao became dumbfounded, speechless even as the young clerk, who had been arguing with him, rolled up his sleeves and charged toward Hua Xiaomai, as if intending to devour her alive. Pointing at her nose, he barked, "What do you know? Don’t falsely accuse others, or else, see if I don’t..."

"Don’t resort to violence." Before he could finish, Meng Yuhuai had already grasped his wrist and with a light, deft shove, the clerk staggered three large steps backward.

With Meng Yuhuai by her side, Hua Xiaomai was naturally fearless. Unhurried, she picked a seven-pointed "star anise" from a pile of spices on the table and extended it toward the clerk, her lips curling into a smile as she said, "Fake star anise gives a numbing sensation on the tip of the tongue when chewed. Worse, it can poison a person, potentially resulting in death... Fancy a taste?"

**********

Down with a heavy cold and a limp leg, really feels like writing a big "tragic" T^T. Please save, please recommend~~