Chef Hua-Chapter 560: Episode 300: Li Yunzi

The craftsmen who had previously been organized to expand Daoxiang Garden have now gone to the city to help Jing Taihe and Hua Erniang with the decoration of their blacksmith shop. At this moment, building a new house indeed requires the hiring of additional craftsmen.

Zheng Yakuai assured with pats on his chest that the craftsmen he would bring were definitely meticulous in their work and honest in character. After several considerations, Meng Yuhuai decided to entrust this matter to him, as both he and Hua Xiaomai had little spare time. He simply repeated a few more instructions, asking him to pay extra attention and not let any sly characters get away with shoddy work.

Zheng Yakuai happily agreed and left. That evening, when Meng Yuhuai returned home, he specifically asked Hua Xiaomai and Meng Lao Niang if they had any particular requirements for the new house.

What Meng Lao Niang’s response was, Hua Xiaomai did not know. After racking her brain for half a day, she wanted nothing more than a large kitchen with complete cooking facilities and a sturdy, comfortable new bathtub. Beyond that, it seemed there was nothing else she absolutely needed.

Without a doubt, life in Fire Knife Village was nowhere near as convenient as in her previous era, but... as time went on, she gradually got used to it, and it appeared that nothing was absolutely unbearable.

This authentic rural lifestyle was actually quite nice.

Meng Yuhuai took on the responsibility of building the house, freeing Meng Lao Niang and Hua Xiaomai from any worries. Around six or seven days after the land was purchased, construction on the new house officially began.

In October, after several light rains, the weather cooled down.

A layer of fertile mud was added to the fish pond in preparation for winter. Recently, customers of Daoxiang Garden gradually began to prefer eating inside, enjoying the view from the window with equal pleasure. Two days earlier, a Lady Feng, who had visited Daoxiang Garden with the Yang family, sent someone to book two tables for a banquet. Among the guest list were many dignitaries from Fuzhe County, so the staff of the restaurant got busy right away.

Hua Xiaomai sent someone specially to Provincial City to purchase many hard-to-find local ingredients. The garden was thoroughly cleaned inside and out. Whenever there was a spare moment, the three chefs got together to meticulously discuss and finalize the menu, fully preparing for the arrival of the distinguished guests.

That afternoon, when the rain stopped and the sun showed a rare glimpse through the sky, Wang Zhanrui finished up in the kitchen and told Hua Xiaomai that he had something to attend to before he stepped out of Daoxiang Garden.

He did not return until dinner was almost upon them.

The staff, following Hua Xiaomai’s orders, would not easily criticize Wang Zhanrui, and the atmosphere had always been amicable. However, today, with an exceptionally large number of customers in Daoxiang Garden, and the roads being somewhat slippery, many merchants preparing to travel at night were willing to stay longer in the restaurant to rest their feet, making it somewhat crowded. The kitchen was bustling, with the sound of oil splattering unceasingly, as if it would never stop.

Master Tan alone in the kitchen was inevitably overwhelmed, and Hua Xiaomai, even though she had recently lost her inclination to approach the stove, had no choice but to tough it out and help. Chun Xi and La Mei shuttled back and forth non-stop between the main hall and the kitchen, and when they finally had a chance to catch their breath, they immediately grabbed Hua Xiaomai and complained unhappily.

"That Master Wang is usually not so thoughtless, what’s going on today? He knows the kitchen is busy these two days, and there’s a banquet to prepare for tomorrow, yet he still hasn’t returned. What is he thinking? I told you, you shouldn’t be so indulgent with him. Now what? You’ve spoiled him so much that he’s gotten even more arrogant!"

Hua Xiaomai, who always knew Wang Zhanrui to be responsible, guessed that he must have been held up by something important and chose not to engage with Chun Xi and La Mei’s grievances. She just smiled and kept busy at the stove. After cooking a few dishes, she planned to go check on Zhou Yunyun’s situation, but just as she stepped out of the kitchen, she saw Wang Zhanrui run in, drenched, with his trousers covered in mud, clutching a similarly dirty large basket in his hands.

"I’m really sorry for the delay!" He glanced quickly at Hua Xiaomai and nodded an apology, then, unexpectedly, a smile appeared at the corner of his mouth as he presented the bamboo basket forward, "I brought back some of this stuff, take a look, do you recognize it?"

Seeing him so filthy, Hua Xiaomai shook her head inwardly, waved him to the backyard, and then said quietly with a slight frown: "Master Wang, with the shop so incredibly busy, how could you..."

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