Her Cultivation Diary-Chapter 51 - : 51. Large Courtyard Canteen_1

Chapter 51: 51. Large Courtyard Canteen_1

Secretary Wang personally carried the box of vegetables to the canteen, where the head chef eagerly greeted him:

“Secretary Wang, what is this? Why are you personally delivering it?”

Secretary Wang smiled:

“The leader tried a farmhouse dish last time and liked it, so we specially bought some for everyone to try today. You know, we don’t know the first thing about cooking, so we rely on you!”

The head chef immediately perked up to full alert!

Even though it was for everyone, he couldn’t be thoughtless as the order had come from a big leader. Now he was already pondering over the recipes in his head—

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If it were delicacies from land and sea, there wouldn’t be enough time to prepare them by noon.

If it were some other rustic local produce… how could he cook it to bring out a unique flavor that everyone would collectively praise?

It wasn’t until after bidding farewell to Secretary Wang, that the young apprentice opened the box and stared at the pile of vegetables, raising his head in confusion:

“Master, what is this?”

The head chef leaned over and was also taken aback.

He took the vegetables out and inspected them thoroughly from every angle, even breaking off a piece to taste. Finally, he confirmed—

“This is Milk Vetch, isn’t it?”

Back in the old home, wasn’t this just used as fodder for enriching the fields? Both cows and sheep ate it.

“Heh, you say…”

He couldn’t help expressing his doubt: “Now with everyone eating so much meat and fish, not only are wild greens expensive, but even Milk Vetch is worth packaging and sending over?”

Smoke was still wafting from the dry ice bag inside!

The apprentice was young and hadn’t eaten this before. In the end, he patted his stomach and chuckled naively:

“I’m different, I just love meat!”

The head chef looked at him and laughed, then scolded, “What are you standing there daydreaming for? Hurry up, take out the cured meat and pot-cooked meat, and this vegetable—”

He pointed to another person: “Clean it up properly.”

Even though it was already very clean, it had been brought by Secretary Wang, so they had to be even more diligent.

Meanwhile, in the compound.

It wasn’t yet time for the workday to end, but someone from the administrative office began sniffing around: “What’s that smell? It’s so fragrant!”

Just as they were talking, someone from the neighboring rural affairs office also poked their head in to ask, “Is the canteen serving new dishes today? Why does it smell so good?”

People from the administrative office were responsible for security and ought to know what new dish was being served in the kitchen today.

But when they thought about it, today’s food trolley—wasn’t it just the usual fare?

The canteen couldn’t possibly be doing something special, could it!

The leader did have a private kitchen, but the person in question was practical and not too particular about food, often eating together with everyone in the large canteen.

That had its benefits, as now the canteen was far from negligent in cooking, and was quite meticulous indeed.

Consequently, everyone became more enthusiastic about eating at the canteen.

Now, as people from several departments mingled, they were more convinced that there was a grand dish being served today.

Thus, as soon as it was time to leave work, anyone who wasn’t caught up with tasks rushed straight into the canteen!

Ironically, the person who provided the vegetables was still entertaining visitors from the city.

Of course, Secretary Wang had to remain at his post, smelling the tempting aroma wafting in from outside the window and glancing through his friends’ circle at everyone’s praise for the canteen (primarily for the leader)…

And then, his stomach unfortunately betrayed him with an uncontrollable growl.

Coincidentally, the leader had just walked the guests out of the office.

Now that the room was quiet, the rumbling from his stomach was all the more conspicuous.

Secretary Wang swore: never in his life had he felt so embarrassed!

But fortunately, the leader truly was a considerate boss, who now broke into laughter, dispelling the awkwardness:

“Look at us, chatting away and forgetting all about mealtime… Old Qian, would you do us the honor of trying the taste of our compound’s canteen this noon?”

The guest revealed a perfectly timed smile: “I’ve been meaning to say, earlier I caught a whiff of something delicious, our canteen really keeps its light under a bushel!”

Secretary Wang finally got smart at this moment and complained jokingly:

“Then you’re really not aware. This canteen was just average before, but today at noon the leader brought over a box of farm-fresh vegetables. Who knows what kind of magic the chef worked, stir-frying them so fragrantly? Once work was over, everybody headed there!”

That aroma was exactly the same captivating scent I smelled last time in the hospital canteen!

Meanwhile, in the canteen, the chef was also in a dilemma.

Everyone was holding their plates, crying out at the serving window’s empty counter:

“Hurry up, isn’t that a big portion there? Add some more for me…”

“Add to mine first, to mine first…”

“Brothers and sisters, you got here early and have already had seconds, I only got a taste before the dish was gone!”

“Did our chef hit the jackpot today? He’s brought out all his hundred years of skill!”

The chef couldn’t stop smiling:

“I’ve told you, it’s not my skill, it’s the leader’s doing. I don’t know where he bought these farm vegetables, how they turned out so delicious…”

At the same time, he had to dissuade the crowd:

“You’ve all had some, no more, no more, I have to save the rest just in case the leader wants to eat!”

Still, someone drooled in discontent: “It’s already this late and he hasn’t shown up; he might even go out to entertain guests at noon…”

No sooner had the words fallen than three persons were seen slowly approaching the canteen entrance.

After a moment of silence, everyone quickly changed the subject awkwardly and scattered like birds and beasts.

Seeing the guest from afar, the chef felt joyful inside—

Today, he must make a good impression!

So he hurriedly said: “Oh, leader! The vegetables you brought this morning were so fresh and tender. Once stir-fried, everyone gobbled them up, and it was with great difficulty that I managed to save this bit…”

He wasn’t lying; as the insulated lid was lifted, a fragrant aroma wafted out.

The crisp, slightly spicy scent of meat, the freshness of the greens, and the medley of flavors altogether couldn’t stop the visitor’s stomach from rumbling with a growl.

At that moment, Secretary Wang managed to keep a straight face, but inside he felt a profound relief.

The leader also seemed impatient:

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“I thought this batch of Milk Vetch wouldn’t be as tasty as the last, but it smells just fine.”

Although it seemed a bit inappropriate to entertain a guest with such a simple wild vegetable, today’s visitor was certainly no stranger. The three of them sat down cheerfully and soon each picked a refreshing dish to try.

“Hmm!”

After the short exclamation of surprise, the dining table quickly quieted down.

Then, there was the continuous sound of picking food, chewing, and swallowing.

Lucky for the chef that after finding the dish good, he made the quick decision to save so much; otherwise, the three seated there might not have had enough to eat.

The apprentice added rice while whispering, “Our leader really cares about his health, this is the first time I’ve seen him eat three bowls.”

The chef glared at him: “You talk too much.”

And in a separate small dining hall within the canteen, Secretary Wang resisted the urge to loosen his belt and surveyed the empty, chaotic plates in front of him. He thanked himself a thousand times for not impulsively leaving the boss’s random group chat.

It’s fine if shipping’s not included, I’ll buy it anyway later!

Now, as one of us, the visitor was even more casual in his speech:

“Leader, which vendor sold these vegetables? You must give me a recommendation. After this meal, I’m afraid I’ll be craving it tonight.”