Chef Hua-Chapter 577 - 308 Annoyed_2

Zhou Yunyun had been managing the takeaway stand for days on end in addition to tirelessly helping Wang Zhanrui clean up the overwhelming influx of small crabs at the shop, keeping her busy every single day. Ever since she arrived at the shop, she had been diligently diligent , never shirking her responsibilities, whether it was learning to cook or doing chores. Hua Xiaomai had seen all her hard work; once she started handling the takeaway orders, her skills had improved significantly, prompting her to consider that it was time for Zhou Yunyun to graduate from apprenticeship.

"A master leads the way, personal cultivation is up to the individual. I couldn’t possibly teach her every dish by hand; in the end, she has to figure it out herself."

Therefore, that evening, after closing time, while Wang Zhanrui, Master Tan, Chun Xi, and La Mei were still around, she beckoned Zhou Yunyun over to her side.

"Yun’er, do you remember how long you’ve been with me?"

She said, with a slight smile on her lips.

"One year and two months." Zhou Yunyun answered immediately without a stutter, followed by a shock, "Master, why are you asking this? You aren’t thinking of sending me away, are you?"

"What are you thinking about in your head?"

Hua Xiaomai couldn’t help but smile wryly: "You haven’t done anything wrong. We’re actually short on people right now. Why would I send you away when everything’s fine? I wanted to ask, how do you feel about your cooking skills lately?"

"Me?" Zhou Yunyun scratched her temples nervously, "I practice diligently every day, and I know I’m not as good as my Master, Master Tan, and Master Wang, but compared to how I used to be, I’m indeed much more proficient. I’ve gradually gotten a sense of how to cook each ingredient. You’ve said before, in cooking, experience grows with time. I will keep practicing diligently."

"Hmm." Hua Xiaomai smiled, then turned to look at Wang Zhanrui and Master Tan, "You two have been supporting Yun’er quite a bit lately. Do you think it’s appropriate for her to graduate if I let her?"

"Graduate..." Zhou Yunyun was so startled that she choked on her saliva.

Wang Zhanrui gave her a look, then nodded at Hua Xiaomai: "Speaking of skills, she’s still a bit unripe, but after graduating, she’ll have more opportunities on the stove, so it’s not unreasonable."

Master Tan chuckled twice: "You are Yun’er’s master. If you think it’s fine, then it definitely won’t be a problem."

Zhou Yunyun was completely astonished, her face rapidly changing, and she couldn’t utter a word, her hands ceaselessly twisting her clothes.

Hua Xiaomai pressed her lips together and smiled: "You don’t need to be so scared; after graduating, things won’t be much different from now. Yun’er, let me ask you, do you know what benefits you can get after you graduate?"

Zhou Yunyun hesitated for a while, then said timidly, "The garden in the back demands high culinary skills, and I’m not yet capable of managing there, but apart from the takeaway stand, I can at least help Master Tan and Master Wang take care of the small restaurant in the front... Like Master Wang said, I’ll have more opportunities at the stove, which is beneficial for improving my culinary skills. And..."

There was something else, but he couldn’t put it into words.

"How could you forget the most important thing?" Hua Xiaomai sighed as if in regret, "Once you finish your apprenticeship, you won’t be an apprentice anymore. When you work in Daoxiang Garden, you can get paid."

Zhou Yunyun’s eyes suddenly widened: "Get paid?"

"What, you don’t want it?" Hua Xiaomai burst into laughter, "Once you have money in hand, you need to know how to spend it. If all of it ends up in your father’s heart, nobody can help you — don’t get too excited, I do plan to let you finish your apprenticeship, but before that, there’s a test. I’ll give you a month to prepare. After the fifth day of the first lunar month, when we reopen, you need to present four dishes and a soup. You think about the dishes yourself, the heat, knife skills, seasoning, if I’m not satisfied with even one aspect, you’ll still be an apprentice, understood?"

"...Okay." Zhou Yunyun was still a bit shaken, just nodding continuously.

Hua Xiaomai then turned to Wen Huaren and Chun Xi La Mei: "In this period, if Yun’er needs any ingredients, please help her prepare diligently. If she needs any help, everyone lend a hand."

Wen Huaren had a good relationship with Zhou Yunyun, and Chun Xi and La Mei had always liked this girl; how could they refuse? They immediately agreed to help.

As they were speaking, Meng Yuhuai’s voice came from behind them. novelbuddy-cσ๓

"Yun’er sister is going to finish her apprenticeship? That’s great news!"

Hua Xiaomai turned her head, her face immediately fell.

Okay, she admitted, the reason she had been solely focusing on Daoxiang Garden’s matters in recent days was partly because she wanted to settle everything before giving birth, and partly because she didn’t want to argue with Meng Yuhuai over Tang Maolin’s family issues anymore.

For several days now, Meng Yuhuai had been returning to the village very late. By the time he had washed up and returned to their room, Hua Xiaomai was already asleep, showing only her back to him. In the mornings, she often claimed to be tired, stubbornly staying in bed a while longer, not getting up until he had left the house—they hadn’t been as intimately affectionate as before for a long time.

Meng Yuhuai knew that his careless words had annoyed her and intended to sincerely apologize, but he was caught up with Tang Maolin’s issues and couldn’t find the time. Today, he specifically came to the shop to pick her up, hoping to make her happy.

Unexpectedly, Hua Xiaomai just glanced back and immediately turned around again, then said to Zhou Yunyun: "No matter what ingredients you need, as long as you don’t waste anything, no matter how expensive, it’s fine. Also, don’t overextend yourself, don’t insist on dishes you’re not familiar with, just pick the ones you’re good at, understood?"

"I got it..." Zhou Yunyun quickly nodded, glanced at Meng Yuhuai, and whispered, "Master, it’s getting late. Why don’t you and Brother Yuhuai go back first? If I have any questions, I’ll ask you tomorrow?"

"Let’s call it a day then." Hua Xiaomai hummed out loud, stood up, eyes down, and followed behind Meng Yuhuai out the door. (To be continued. If you like this work, please go to Qidian (qidian.com) to cast a recommendation ticket or monthly ticket. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users please visit m.qidian.com to read.)

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