In theory, the Daoxiang Garden wasn’t supposed to officially open until tomorrow, and Wang Zhanrui along with Master Tan didn’t need to co today. However, apparently concerned about Zhou Yunyun’s apprenticeship examination today, Wang Zhanrui had arrived early in the morning, leaning on the windowsill while chatting with soone and occasionally lending a hand with passing and picking up items.
Lianshun Escort Agency wouldn’t open until the eighth day, but ng Yuhuai ca to Daoxiang Garden with Hua Xiaomai anyway. Approaching the entrance, they were greeted by a bustling scene.
"You must let us know when the house’s ridgepole is being raised. I’ve already told my family, and we’ll definitely co over to help," Chun Xi urged eagerly.
"Xiaomai and I have discussed it with my mother; the house should be finished by February. We’ll let it air out for a while, and plan to move in by April. By then, if all goes well, it will be more convenient for Xiaomai,"
"Then let’s not bother her for now," Hua Xiaomai smiled, sat down at a table, poured herself a cup of warm water, and sipped slowly.
Hua Xiaomai felt a wave of joy inside her, and the corners of her mouth couldn’t help but curl upwards.
This feeling was so good that even as she stepped into the restaurant’s main hall, her face still wore a smile. As the staff saw the couple, they imdiately ca over to greet them, chattering nonstop.
Hua Xiaomai smiled at her and didn’t call the others over, just signaled Wang Zhanrui to co together and found a quiet corner to sit down, glancing into the tray.
Gradually, a fragrance wafted out from the kitchen—a mix of various ingredients that was sowhat peculiar but not unpleasant. Roughly an hour later, Zhou Yunyun finally erged after much anticipation, carefully holding a tray. She took each step with great caution and slowly moved towards Hua Xiaomai, softly saying, "Master, I’ve finished everything..."
"On the way over, I saw that your new house hasn’t started construction yet; it seems to be halfway finished. When exactly can you move in?"
Zhou Yunyun thought hard for a while, not answering directly, but sincerely said, "Master, I did my best."
Hua Xiaomai silently tasted each dish; to be honest, there weren’t any major issues with knife skills, but there was still room for improvent with the control of heat and seasoning. She didn’t ntion this to Zhou Yunyun, but glanced at Wang Zhanrui, saw him nodding slightly, then lifted the corners of her mouth in a smile and asked, "Why did you choose to make Bamboo Mushroom Chicken Waist Soup?"
"Hmm," Wang Zhanrui responded, "She got here even earlier than Qing You and the others. She locked herself in the kitchen all this ti. I wanted to check on her, but she wouldn’t even let in. I guess she should be coming out soon."
ng Yuhuai said with a smile.
ng had to engage in so further conversation with her. Hua Xiaomai let them chat, while she walked aside and peeked into the kitchen, asking Wang Zhanrui, "Is Yunyun busy inside?"
The "Blossoming Almond Grove" made with quail at, fatty pork, and Southern Almond was stead until the quail, bones and all, were finely minced, fried with the pork dices, and then mixed with fried almond pieces, bringing out a rich, oily fragrance. The quail at, already fried to dryness, still lted in the mouth, leaving a sweet, savory taste;
"Being willing to do your best is good enough." Hua Xiaomai smiled at the response, "None of the flavors of the dishes clash, and you developed the natural taste of the food quite well, without it being overpowered by the seasoning, which is very good. However, when you have so ti, you should still seek more guidance from Master Wang and Master Tan. As for , I am your master; you can co to anyti you have a problem."
She had thought that for such a significant event as becoming a master chef, Zhou Yunyun would certainly choose the most precious ingredients to showcase her best work, but unexpectedly, the girl was very down-to-earth, using nothing but ordinary ingredients, with no pretense whatsoever.
"Hmph, I didn’t say you did anything wrong, do you need to be so scared?" Hua Xiaomai half-seriously rolled her eyes at her, "According to you, how well did you do with these dishes?"
"Imperial Beloved’s Infused Lungs" was in fact just a vegetarian snack, with dough mixed with fried pancake crumbs, sesa seeds, pine nuts, walnuts, a little sugar, red rice, then after steaming, it was cut into small lung-shaped pieces and topped with a thick layer of hot oil. It tasted both sweet and spicy, refreshing and brisk;
As she spoke, she paused, "Today is the fifth day, we open our doors for business tomorrow, and next month, I’ll ask Scholar Wen to remind the Accountant to pay you an extra share of the wages."
"I..." Zhou Yunyun froze for a mont before it dawned on her, her knees went weak, "Master, can I... beco a chef now?"
Inside the restaurant, the windows shone bright and clean, and from the backyard ca intermittent sounds of voices and water splashing. Thin rays of sunlight filtered through the branches, casting mottled shadows on the ground.
Even though Daoxiang Garden had only just reopened, it presented such a vibrant scene that it brightened everyone’s spirits, suggesting an auspicious sign. The new year promised that Daoxiang Garden would reach new heights of success.
"Is it not good?" Zhou Yunyun was imdiately startled, stumbling three steps backwards to steady her heart before asking weakly, "I originally wanted to make a rich soup, but then I thought, during the New Year, every household eats so greasily, and with you being looked after by Auntie at ho, I feared it would be even more big fish and at. This soup is refreshing and cuts through the grease; I thought it might make you feel more comfortable."
Zhou Yunyun didn’t catch on at first, standing still in a daze, until Wang Zhanrui, unable to bear it, knocked on the table, "Are you dumb, not thanking your master? Isn’t this passing the test?"
The soup was Bamboo Mushroom Chicken Waist Soup, which normally tasted bland, but the bamboo mushroom absorbed the rich broth, and a light bite would release the savory sweetness between the teeth; and the most exquisite was the Frozen Trotter Jelly, with cooked pig’s feet mixed in a cup or two of lted rock sugar, then stewed until tender, hung overnight in the cold well, cut into small, one-inch cubes, soft, sticky, and chewy, like jelly, yet still with a aty aroma.
"Barely passable." Hua Xiaomai teased her, "When you get your wages next month, you’d better host a thanksgiving feast to treat , will you do that?" (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welco to vote for it with a recomndation ticket or a monthly ticket at Qidian (qidian). Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users please visit m.qidian to read.)
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