Chef Hua
Chapter 521: Episode 281: The Drunkard

Chapter 521: Episode 281: The Drunkard

"Herbal meals?" Hua Xiaomai raised an eyebrow, briskly walked over to Wang Zhanrui, "How did you come up with this idea? You’ve been studying cuisines with tea from a young age, could it be that you’ve also researched herbal meals? But... in the entirety of Fuzhe County, there’s not a single famous restaurant or eatery for herbal meals, so why should we..."

"Can you step out for a moment?" Wang Zhanrui clicked his tongue, "I’ll explain to you after I’m done with the work."

As he spoke, he waved his hand as if he was annoyed by Hua Xiaomai’s presence.

Hua Xiaomai: "..."

It was only yesterday that she hadn’t come, and now she, the rightful owner of Daoxiang Garden, really seemed to have been rendered completely useless!

Knowing Wang Zhanrui’s eccentric personality, she didn’t take offense, simply pursed her lips, and turned to walk out. Seeing the lobby downstairs full of customers, she joined Meng Laoniang upstairs in the private room, chatting about random topics, or bickering a bit to pass the time.

As afternoon approached and the kitchen’s preparations were all set, Wang Zhanrui, pulling Chef Tan along with him, went upstairs. Zhou Yunyun, following behind the two, also crept in quietly.

"Let’s talk." Hua Xiaomai was anxious from waiting. As soon as the two men arrived, she immediately sat up straight, tapping on the tabletop with her finger, trying to look authoritative, while Meng Laoniang immediately gave a disrespectful snort toward the window.

Chef Tan still seemed hesitant, pulling a chair to sit at a distance, but Wang Zhanrui nonchalantly sat down across from Hua Xiaomai and got straight to the point: "That idea about the herbal meals, I’ve been thinking about it for the past couple of days. I intended to discuss it with you yesterday so we could plan together, but you had gone to see the doctor, right? I believe that adding a few new dishes to the menu is always beneficial, so yesterday afternoon I had Ji Xiang bring back a few packages of warm-natured medicinal herbs. If you think it’s inappropriate, the cost of the herbs can be deducted from my salary."

If it weren’t for the respect due to his age and indeed some good culinary skills, Hua Xiaomai really felt like giving him a disdainful look just like Meng Laoniang did.

"Can you not be so confrontational?" She rubbed her forehead gently, "It’s good that you’re considering the business, which shows that you really care, and for that, I should thank you. When Daoxiang Garden just opened, I said that we can sit down and discuss anything together—so what’s with the aggressive attitude? When did I ever say you had to take on the cost of the medicinal herbs yourself? Do you really think I’m that miserly?"

Her words were equally blunt, and Wang Zhanrui was taken aback.

He didn’t have any problem or malice towards Hua Xiaomai, it was simply his nature. When he previously worked as a chef elsewhere, his unconventional ways and failure to blend in often led to him being ostracized, and now, noticing Hua Xiaomai seeming to be somewhat displeased, he felt awkward and coughed slightly.

"I was just afraid of putting you in a difficult position," he said somewhat sheepishly, "I know that in the city there are eateries that specialize in herbal meals and their business seems quite good. If we were to compete with them halfway through, we may not get the upper hand; therefore, I didn’t plan to invest too much effort into the herbal meals, but just thought that, as it’s autumn and people are prone to dryness, if we could offer a couple of nourishing dishes, soups, we might win the favor of our customers. After all, we want to do more business with city folk who are pickier about their food than villagers, catering to their preferences is always the right move."

Chef Tan, who was slightly more tactful than Wang Zhanrui, also chimed in with a smile, "That’s exactly it. I spend my days in the kitchen with Chef Wang, and during our spare time, he mentioned it to me once or twice, and I think it’s a good idea. We are not planning to specialize in herbal meals, but to prepare one or two dishes, there’s nothing wrong with that."

Hua Xiaomai "hmm"ed softly, glanced at Wang Zhanrui, and softened her tone slightly: "I have no expertise in herbal meals, to be honest, I can’t make them at all, but I think when it comes to cooking such dishes, it’s most important that the medicinal herbs are added appropriately to match the other ingredients and must not clash. Are you two chefs confident about this?"

The two men looked at each other, and Wang Zhanrui cleared his throat and said, "We have some understanding, though not experts, it shouldn’t be a problem to handle a few soups and dishes."

"Alright then," Hua Xiaomai nodded decisively, and pondered, "I think it’s a great idea. The weather is turning colder, so gathering around a fire in the garden and stewing a pot of herbal soup would be warming and comforting to drink in autumn and winter, and even if it turns out not to be beneficial for health, at least it would make people feel warm and comfortable—so here’s what we’ll do: after closing tonight, let’s stay a bit longer to decide on a few herbal dishes that you two chefs are good at to add to the menu, which will provide more choices for the customers."