Chapter 7

The mansion was dimly lit, and because Yu Wan was focused on her own thoughts, she couldn't clearly see the layout and scenery, so it wasn't as grand as she had imagined.

On second thought, this is just a small county town on the border; how can it compare to those bustling cities?

"Young Master Jin, please don't take it to heart. I am already very grateful for your patronage of our humble eatery. May I ask what the magistrate and his wife's preferences and dietary restrictions are?"

That day, she waited for several hours on the mountain, hoping for the best, with no idea whether she would catch any pheasants. What did it matter if she endured the cold while guarding the entrance to earn money? She saw hope.

She felt a little nervous; no matter how delicious her skewers were, it would all be for nothing if she offended someone's dietary restrictions.

Jin Yifei laughed heartily, "You don't need to worry about that. My aunt and uncle are both easy-going people. They live a simple life and never spend money extravagantly. If I hadn't come from Jiangnan to visit, this New Year's Eve dinner would probably only have six dishes and a soup. They are both from the Southwest and like spicy food. Although I am also from the Southwest, I am far inferior to them."

Having made her inquiries, Yu Wan felt more confident.

"Please rest assured, young master, I will make sure they are satisfied with their meal."

She followed them all the way to the kitchen, where the head chef was cooking with great enthusiasm, and several kitchen helpers were washing and chopping vegetables, tending the fire, and working busily.

Jin Yifei pointed to a secluded spot, "How about this place?"

Yu Wan observed her surroundings; all thirty dishes were exquisitely crafted and beautifully presented works of art.

"Barbecuing inevitably produces smoke, so to avoid affecting these delicious dishes, I'd better grill them outside."

Jin Yifei pondered for a moment, then said, "Alright, tell me if you need anything."

Yu Wan shook her head: "I brought everything I needed. According to the materials you ordered, it should be enough."

It's Chinese New Year, and the table is full of delicious food and wine. There are only four of them, so each person will probably only eat a few skewers.

Jin Yifei's eyes revealed admiration, "I really didn't expect you to be so composed at your age. I have traveled for many years and met people from all walks of life, but it is rare to see someone your age. Some people who are older than you are not as good as you."

Yu Wan smiled faintly, "Can I begin now?"

Jin Yifei nodded and said, "All the dishes are about to be served. You can start now. I'll go and give an answer."

Yu Wan quickly set up the barbecue grill and lit the charcoal.

Just then, the middle-aged man I had just seen at the door came over, covering his nose and shouting.

"Where's that smell of smoke coming from?!"

A person ran out from the kitchen not far away, "Boss, you're here. The dishes are almost ready, just waiting for you to check and serve them."

This man was none other than Qian Jindai, the owner of Fumanju. He responded and curiously observed Yu Wan's actions, guessing what had happened.

"Young lady, are you going to make a barbecue? How did you meet Young Master Jin? He actually came out of his house to personally invite you in."

Yu Wan didn't want to deal with this kind of person, but she didn't want to cause trouble for herself, so she could only say a few perfunctory words.

"I've met him a few times. May I ask who you are?"

Qian Jindai's expression changed, and he wanted to ask a few more questions, but his own servant interrupted him.

"Boss, let's hurry up, the time to serve the food is fast approaching. We can't keep the magistrate waiting, or we'll be in big trouble if he blames us."

Qian Jindai slapped the waiter across the face, making him spin around like a top several times.

"You unlucky thing! If you can't speak properly, just shut up! What are you saying during the New Year? All you do is spout such unlucky things!"

The waiter covered his face, realizing he had said the wrong thing, and lowered his head, not daring to speak again.

Qian Jindai lost interest in investigating the young girl in front of him, flicked his sleeves, and walked into the kitchen.

Soon, people filed out of the kitchen, each carrying a plate covered with a lid to prevent steam from escaping.

Qian Jindai walked triumphantly at the front, scolding his men all the way.

"You all better be alert! This is the magistrate's family banquet; we must make sure they are satisfied with their meal!"

Yu Wan withdrew her gaze and continued with her work.

A short while later, Jin Yifei arrived. "How is it? Is it done?"

Yu Wan smiled and said, "The timing is perfect."

Jin Yifei looked at the skewers on the grill and his eyes lit up. "What are these? I've never seen some of these ingredients in your shop before!"

Yu Wan picked up the skewers, wrapped them in two sheets of oil paper, and handed them to him.

"Here are four skewers of each: gluten, chives, tiger-skin green peppers, lamb skewers, beef skewers, enoki mushrooms, chicken drumsticks, pork belly, pork tenderloin, and fish tofu. I have some leftover ingredients; if it's not enough, I can grill some more. There are two packs here, one extra spicy and one mild."

Some of the ingredients were newly provided by the system, so of course he had never seen them before.

Jin Yifei's throat bobbed, and his index finger twitched. "Just sign up, and I'm already drooling."

Yu Wan smiled and said, "Please take it quickly, young master, it's cold and it'll get chilly."

Jin Yifei left quickly.

With nothing to do and no one around, Yu Wan had the opportunity to observe her surroundings.

The mansion has a small population, and we haven't seen any maids or servants since we entered. It seems that, as Jin Yifei said, the magistrate and his wife are indeed frugal, or at least not ostentatious.

The sound of firecrackers rose and fell, and dazzling fireworks bloomed in every direction in the night sky.

She thought to herself that she should save the money to run the restaurant now, and then she would take her family to set off fireworks next year for the New Year.

The large group that had emerged from the kitchen returned, accompanied by a cacophony of voices.

"What's going on? There were thirty dishes, and they only tasted one bite. Some dishes they didn't even touch."

"That's right, those are all Fu Man Ju's signature dishes. Who wouldn't give them a thumbs up after eating them?"

The staff whispered among themselves, which only made the chef angrier.

"Shut up, all of you!"

Yu Wan was overjoyed; it seemed her kebabs had won.

The guys looked at each other, no longer daring to discuss it, when suddenly they saw a little girl with a barbecue grill in front of her.

"Huh? The skewers that the magistrate is eating, could they have been grilled by this girl?"

"You know what, before we served the dishes, I actually saw that Mr. Jin personally lead her into the kitchen."

"Did she really bake that? Whose daughter could have such an honor?"

Chef Chen scoffed, "It's just a cheap trick. It's nothing more than roasting the ingredients and adding some seasonings. The magistrate and his family eat too refined a diet every day. They're just having a temporary taste of coarse food."

Yu Wan had heard this kind of talk too many times, so she didn't care. Seeing so many people gathered around, she just smiled politely, mainly because she didn't want to offend anyone.

She knew that her restaurant would face some difficulties in establishing itself, but she was not afraid and would not back down.

"Hey, what did you grill for the magistrate just now? Is there any left? Could you grill some for us to try?"

"I saw that Mr. Jin was highly recommending the barbecue skewers, and the whole family was eating with great relish, praising them endlessly. I'm really curious, just how delicious are they?"

"Yeah, yeah, it's really broadened our horizons. It's even more popular than the chef's cooking at Fu Man Ju."

Some people even gave Chef Chen a disdainful look as they spoke.

Yu Wan is currently in the initial stage and doesn't want to attract hatred. "It's nothing rare. As everyone says, the magistrate is just trying something new."

"You bake some for us to try first. It's Chinese New Year, and we've been busy all night without having a hot meal."

"How much is a skewer? Young Master Jin said you're from Modan Town and just opened a restaurant?"

Yu Wan smiled and agreed, "There's not much left, so I'll give it to everyone to try. I wish you all the best in the new year and that your wealth will increase."

Sooner or later, her restaurant will spread beyond that small town, becoming famous and known throughout the world.

Since the county magistrate's family probably wouldn't order any more skewers, they put all the ingredients on the barbecue grill.

Everyone laughed at her words and stared curiously at the grill.

"You've got a sweet tongue, girl. If it's delicious, I'll come to your restaurant to eat sometime."

Yu Wan said, "Welcome, welcome! Our restaurant has just opened, everyone is welcome to come and support us."

Before we knew it, it was done baking, and the aroma filled the entire yard.

"When the food was being served, I vaguely smelled something delicious coming from the yard. I thought it was just my imagination, I was so hungry I was dizzy. Turns out it's the smell of your grilled skewers!"

Give me a skewer!

"I want one too!"

"Give me!"

Everyone rushed to get their hands on the skewers, and the dozen or so were quickly distributed.

A few people who didn't get a turn ended up grabbing a bite from someone else.

"It's so delicious! I've been going hunting in the mountains with my dad since I was three years old, and we often roast things to eat. This is the first time I've ever seen that such ordinary ingredients can be roasted to be so flavorful."

"Yes! My family sells spices, so I can taste that there are a lot of seasonings in this. The flavor is layered with each chew, the texture is rich, and it has a strong aftertaste!"

Everyone gave it rave reviews and seemed to want more.

Chef Chen's face was gloomy; he was already depressed, and now he was even more furious.

He looked down on this unremarkable thing, so he didn't join the queue. But now, smelling the aroma, he's become a little curious.

But the guys' effusive praise only made him lose face.

At this moment, Qian Jindai strode over and launched into a tirade against Chef Chen.

"Old Chen, what's wrong with you? Huh? Our Fumanju restaurant has thirty signature dishes, and they can't even compare to those few skewers of barbecue? You've made me lose face big time today! Can't you even keep your job?"

Chef Chen also felt embarrassed. "Boss Qian, it's not my fault. You've inspected everything I made, and there's nothing wrong with the food. It's just that the magistrate wanted something different today."

Qian Jindai sneered, "Anyway, you ruined my plans. Just wait and see how I deal with you when we get back!"

He instantly put on a smiling face and approached Yu Wan, "Little girl, can I try some of your grilled skewers?"

Yu Wan was packing up her things. "I'm sorry, Mr. Qian, we've already used up all the ingredients."

Qian Jindai then asked, "You said your family runs a restaurant? What's your name, where do you live, and who is your father?"

Yu Wan smiled and replied, "My name is Yu Wan."

Jin Yifei suddenly ran over, excitedly shouting, "Madam Yu, come with me quickly, my aunt and uncle want to see you."

Yu Wan's face lit up with joy, and she quickly agreed, "Coming right away." She picked up her basket and followed after him.

Qian Jindai squinted at the departing thin figure, snatched a half-eaten gluten from the person next to him, took a bite, and his eyes immediately lit up.