The hustle at the small tavern dwindled as the crowd gradually dispersed. Two workers approached and gathered the stove, long table, and the remaining vegetables and ats from the front of the shop. What was a lively scene monts ago swiftly beca deserted.
Hua Xiaomai turned her head and saw Master Tan standing about five or six steps away, with his hands gently clasped as if slightly uneasy. She gave him a smile and said, "What is it, do you have sothing else on your mind?"
"It’s nothing urgent, but I wanted to express my gratitude for your help today," Master Tan responded with a hesitant smile. "You are skilled in cooking, yet I had never heard of you before in the city. Do you run your own shop, or are you the chief cook in a big restaurant?"
"I’m not from Fuzhe County," Hua Xiaomai shook her head. "I live in a nearby village and just ca to the city to handle so business. I just happened to pass by here and joined in the fun."
At this, an idea suddenly struck her, and she glanced at Master Tan’s face with a smile, "Why do you ask? Are you thinking of hiring as your chef?"
"No, no..." Master Tan quickly waved his hands and chuckled self-deprecatingly. "I’m well aware of my small tavern’s situation. Although you are young, your fundantal cooking skills are very solid—knife skills, seasoning, plating, and control of the heat, all perfect. How could I afford to hire you? I’m just... grateful you were here to help retain my little shop for the ti being, yet I don’t know how to thank you."
"You are too kind," Hua Xiaomai shook her head. "Didn’t I say? I just happened to pass by and joined in the fun. If you really feel like expressing gratitude, you should thank this young man here. If it weren’t for his constant chatter by my ear, like a buzzing fly, I would have probably returned to my village by now."
With that, she pushed Wen Huaren, who was beside her, forward.
Upon hearing this, Master Tan bowed to Wen Huaren gratefully, then turned to Hua Xiaomai and said, "Earlier, I vaguely heard you ntion planning to buy wine. There’s ’Sun’s Wine Workshop’ to the east of the city. The owner and I have been acquainted since childhood, and the wine they sell is rich in flavor and always undiluted. If you ntion my na there, they can give you a discount. Although it might not save much, every penny counts for us common folk!"
Discounts on good wine? Hearing this, Hua Xiaomai imdiately perked up, her smile widening as she nodded vigorously, "I was just worrying about where to find a wine shop that offers both good prices and flavors. You’ve really helped out a lot, so I won’t stand on ceremony—thank you!"
Master Tan responded with "It’s nothing worth ntioning," paused, and then looked at Hua Xiaomai curiously: "Don’t think too nosy, but may I ask one more question? Are you buying this wine for personal consumption, or... for business purposes?"
Impatient by nature, Hua Erniang felt annoyed by his continued inquiries and waved her hand dismissively, rolling her eyes, "Why all these questions? It’s not like we aren’t paying for the wine. How we use it is none of your concern."
Hua Xiaomai quickly tugged at her to speak more politely but was also sowhat puzzled herself.
This man seed very eager to know whether she was cooking for soone else or was also involved in the food business. Although it was a bit odd, after all, it wasn’t a secret she couldn’t share. She nodded and said cheerfully, "Normally, I set up a small stall in the village selling simple and cheap food to help with household expenses. Now that it’s sumr, people like to have a drink when they sit at my stall, so I thought I’d buy so wine to use in cooking and also to offer convenience to my patrons, so they don’t have to go and buy it themselves. I’m not planning to make money from the wine."
At this, Master Tan’s eyes lit up, and he took a step forward. "I was just thinking, with your outstanding cooking skills, it would be a pity if you weren’t in the food business! But setting up an outdoor stall works in the spring, sumr, and autumn—don’t you find it too hard in the cold, harsh winter?"
"When you’re keen on making money, where do you find the ti to worry about hardships?" Hua Xiaomai raised her eyebrows, perplexed by his point. "We can’t compare with those born with silver spoons in their mouths; we just have to work a bit harder, what other choice do we have?"
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