Chef Hua
Chapter 91: Episode 69 - Grand Opening_2

Chapter 91: Episode 69 - Grand Opening_2

Hua Xiaomai looked up and saw it was none other than Great Saint Sun.

"Brother Great Saint, I’ve just set up this stall," she hurriedly greeted him with a smile, barely suppressing the urge to call him "Lord Great Saint", and muttered to herself why on earth this man had to be surnamed Sun, "My brother-in-law mentioned that you helped with procuring the charcoal stove and chairs. I really appreciate it. Have you eaten yet? May I cook you a bowl of noodles to try?"

"I know your cooking skills; I won’t be polite," teased Great Saint Sun, turning his head to look at the wooden sign next to the stall.

Hua Xiaomai could make dozens of different noodles, but considering price and taste, today’s sign only listed five or six types, divided into large and small bowls with different prices.

Seeing the prices on the sign were slightly higher than those of ordinary food stalls, but the most expensive big bowl of fish noodle soup was only twelve wen, Great Saint Sun had an idea and chuckled, "I’m quite hungry right now, I don’t need a large bowl. Just give me a small bowl of both the clear soup noodles and the fish noodle soup!"

"Okay." Hua Xiaomai cheerfully responded, let him take a seat at the table, and immediately got busy at the stove. In no time, she brought over two small bowls of noodles and also set out a small dish of pickled sweet garlic and sweet cicely.

"Oh, pickles too?" Great Saint Sun looked up and smiled, then lowered his eyes to the bowls in front of him.

Fish noodle soup consisted of thinly sliced large fish marinated in salt, with added shredded ginger, orange peel, dill, and scallions mixed thoroughly and stored upside down in porcelain jars. Once the brine had drained, the fish noodle soup was ready.

Three or four slices of fish, each the size of half a palm, were placed on top of the noodles, drenched with a broth made from added sauce which brought out the salty and savory fragrance of the fish. The somewhat dry fish became tender after soaking in the broth, making it look delicious just by sight.

He then turned his head to look at the other bowl of clear soup noodles, and realized that even this most common dish was made differently by Hua Xiaomai.

In Fuzhe County, most noodle shops or stalls served clear soup noodles merely boiled in water with some sauce added, and it was considered conscientious if there were vegetables and mushrooms piled in the bowl. However, Hua Xiaomai’s clear soup noodles not only had fried bamboo shoots and shredded meat but also a spoonful of chicken broth was solidly scooped into it. Before serving, a pinch of mushroom powder was sprinkled on top, and just the glistening oil droplets floating in the soup bowl,...

"This makes it reasonably priced!" Great Saint Sun told himself, grabbed the chopsticks and started eating. Like a whirlwind, he devoured the bowl of fish noodle soup, then picked up the bowl of clear soup noodles.

The riverside was still quite cool in the spring evening due to the breeze, yet perhaps because he was eating so eagerly and quickly, a thin layer of sweat formed on his forehead.

Shortly after, both noodle bowls were completely empty. Wiping his mouth and then his forehead with his sleeves, Great Saint Sun called out loudly to Hua Xiaomai, "Sister Xiaomai, I’ve never tasted such delicious noodles in my life! The broth is rich, the noodles are chewy, both the spring shoots, meat shreds, and fish are tasty. How did you learn such great skills at such a young age? You’re as good as any chef in the Provincial City. If you were a boy, you should go to the Imperial City and be an Imperial Chef!"

Hua Xiaomai shook her head, chuckling, "It’s not that amazing, Brother Great Saint, you’re just teasing me!"

Great Saint Sun earnestly said, "I never lie, it really is delicious," while glancing at the wooden sign again and counting out thirteen copper coins, handing them to Hua Xiaomai.

"No need!" Hua Xiaomai quickly waved her hand and stepped back, "My stall could be set up all thanks to your help, Brother Great Saint, how could I take your money? This is on me..."

"Business is business, and favor is favor, they shouldn’t be mixed! These noodles are delicious, and my money is well spent; how can you not accept it?" bellowed Great Saint Sun, shooting Hua Xiaomai a meaningful look and lowering his voice, "Everyone is watching; you really must take this money. Moreover, it’s bad luck not to accept money for your first transaction, so take it quickly!"

Hua Xiaomai turned to look at Hua Erniang, who nodded slightly at her. With no other choice, she accepted the coins and smiled, "Next time you come, Brother Great Saint, I’ll treat you to a different type of noodles, and let’s agree, it will really be my treat!"

With all his might, Great Saint Sun shouted, "With such delicious noodles, I’ll certainly come regularly," then laughed heartily, bid farewell to Hua Erniang, and left.

His dramatic antics might have been a bit extravagant, but they somewhat served their purpose. There were already two rings of onlookers along the riverside. Ultimately, three or four people hesitantly sat down at the table and asked Hua Xiaomai, "Little Sister of the Hua Family, is your noodle stall going to operate only for a short period like Grandma Sun’s, or will you continue indefinitely?"

Hua Xiaomai stood at the table, smiling warmly, "As long as the weather isn’t too bad to step out, I’m here every day selling noodles—what would you gentlemen like to have?"

The men looked at the wooden sign, some designed clear soup noodles, others the spicy mixed sauce noodles, chatting amongst themselves. Hua Xiaomai memorized each request quickly, and in no time, she had prepared the dishes, again serving them with pickles, right in front of the men.

The men slurped up their respective bowls of noodles until not a drop remained, turned to the crowd, and said, "Truly delicious," while happily paying up. With their lead, the others who had been standing by and watching began to stir, pushing and shoving each other playfully, and soon two more people happily ran to the stall front.

It was only then that Hua Erniang finally breathed a sigh of relief, turned sideways to glance at Hua Xiaomai, rolled her eyes, yet couldn’t help but let a smiling expression emerge on her face. (To be continued. If you like this novel, welcome to Qidian (qidian.com) to cast your recommendation ticket and monthly ticket. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users please visit m.qidian.com to read.)