Some of Meng Zhao's regular customers saw him greeting them and asked curiously, "Boss Meng, that shop copied yours, aren't you angry?"

"Why get angry? I can do this much on my own. Even if there were mountains of gold and silver in front of me, I still couldn't earn it all. We're all from the same village, there's nothing to be angry about."

"Boss Meng is generous, but I've always eaten at Boss Meng's place. I've eaten at that other place too. They're generous with the meat and the portions are generous, but the taste... tsk tsk, it's not even close to that."

Meng Zhao replied with a smile, "Thank you for your support, brother. Come and try today's braised pig's trotters with soybeans, which is also one of my specialties."

"Okay, hurry up and serve it to me."

Meng Zhao first caramelized the soybeans and then stewed the pig's trotters for almost an hour. The stewed pig's trotters were bright in color and had a rich aroma. Meng Zhao served everyone a large spoonful, which was almost overflowing, making the mouths of those around them water.

Manager Li, who runs a shop in the county, is a well-known gourmet. He knows everything about which shop in the county makes which dish well. He happened to come to Meng Zhao's stall, and after eating there once, he became so fond of it that he came almost every day.

Because even though Meng Zhao's shop is small, it has a wide variety of dishes and always has new ones, making people eager to know what the food will taste like tomorrow.

Mr. Li had privately mentioned Meng Zhao's shop to his friends, and many people from the county who came to Meng Zhao's shop did so on Mr. Li's recommendation.

Now, the wealthy Mr. Li is squatting on a large rock behind Meng Zhao, enjoying his meal with great relish, praising it endlessly.

"It smells so good! The braised pig's trotters are a beautiful reddish-brown color, glistening and translucent. They're soft, tender, and melt in your mouth. Even the soybeans are incredibly flavorful."

"That's right. Beans that we usually dislike eating at home are so delicious here. Give me a bowl of stewed beans and I can eat several bowls of rice with it."

"These pig's trotters are so satisfying to eat, and they still have tendons attached. They're stewed to perfection and they're so chewy."

Some diners mentioned the two closed shops and made sarcastic remarks about Meng Zhao's small portions. Meng Zhao didn't tolerate it and directly retorted.

"If you've ever bought groceries or cooked before, you should be able to tell that I use fresh ingredients. My dishes are all rich and flavorful, and I'm generous with the seasonings. The taste is naturally excellent. If it were bad, you wouldn't be here. My whole family is here to make money, not to do charity. If we weren't making any money, why wouldn't we just stay home?"

Several regular customers nearby chimed in.

"If you think it's not enough to eat, just buy two steamed buns for one penny like I do and eat them with it."

"That's right. I often buy groceries and cook. I can tell from the taste of Mr. Meng's food that everything is made with fresh ingredients."

“I also ate at those two places. They give a lot of portions, but the food is just awful. A few days ago, they didn’t even put any salt in it. My mouth was tasteless, and I didn’t have any energy to go to work in the afternoon.”

The person who had been criticized so harshly was ashamed and went to find a place to eat with their head down.

Meng Zhao doesn't care about others, she only cares about herself. She is upright and honest, sets reasonable prices, doesn't make money against her conscience, and has a clear conscience.

The hundred boxed meals prepared for today were sold out early again. The group was busy packing up their stall when a middle-aged man wearing a dark blue robe and sporting a small mustache walked up to Meng Zhao's stall.

Meng Zhao looked up and assumed that the customer had come to buy a boxed lunch. "I'm sorry, sir, we're sold out of boxed lunches for today. If you want to eat one, you'll have to come back tomorrow."

Hearing Meng Zhao's words, the man did not leave. Instead, he bowed to Meng Zhao and said slowly, "Miss, my surname is Chen. I am the steward of the Zhao family in the east of the city. My young master will be holding a birthday banquet in three days. I have heard that you are an excellent cook. I would like to ask if you would be willing to cook a few tables at the Zhao family mansion."

Meng Zhao was somewhat surprised and asked in confusion, "I have never cooked a banquet before, how did you find me?"

Steward Chen smiled and said, "A few days ago, my servant bought some food from your stall and brought it back to the manor. Our young master saw it by chance, and after tasting it, he liked it very much. So he instructed me to invite you to the manor to be in charge of this banquet."

Meng Zhao thought for a moment and asked the question that concerned her most, "How much are you paid?"

"Inviting a young lady to be the head chef will naturally require a lot of money. First, we will pay her a deposit of three taels, and then pay her the remaining five taels when the banquet is over."

She now earns ten taels of silver a month, but she never expected that she could earn the equivalent of half a month's hard work by preparing a banquet. She immediately asked, "Does your household provide the materials?"

"Of course, the manor already has cooks and cooks, and the ingredients are all the best. When the young lady arrives, you only need to prepare a few dishes."

After thinking it over, Meng Zhao decided to take on the task. "Okay, I'll take this job."

"Then I'll have to trouble you, Miss. This banquet is mainly for some of the young master's classmates. The master will also invite a few business associates. In total, it will not exceed five tables. Miss, you can cook a few of your signature dishes. The rest will be prepared by the chefs in the manor."

Meng Zhao patted his chest and said readily, "With so much money from you, how could I only cook a few dishes? Don't worry, I can arrange everything for you. Let's discuss the food now."

Butler Chen was surprised that Meng Zhao was so enthusiastic. He was sent by the young master to invite Meng Zhao, only saying that it was enough to get her here, without saying that she would be in full charge. Although it was not a grand banquet, it was still a major event in the manor. What if this woman messed it up?

Looking at the expression on the man's face, Meng Zhao frowned and asked, "Steward Chen, do you not trust me?"

"No, no, young lady, you misunderstand. It's just that I'm usually very busy with trivial matters, so I'm not very familiar with banquets. Why don't you come with me to the manor and discuss it with the chef?"

The young master instructed that Meng Zhao must be invited. If he messes up the task, the young master will probably lose his temper again.

“Alright, then I’ll trouble Steward Chen to wait a moment.” After saying that, Meng Zhao quickly helped Gu Shi pack up the things, and asked Gu Shi to take Shen Qingze and Shen Qingyu to buy the ingredients for tomorrow, while she went to the Zhao residence with Steward Chen.