Chapter 117: Look at the weather when you go out, and look at the face when you come in

"Boss, I have an idea." Shopkeeper Liu said after thinking for a moment.

"Please speak!" Hu Erlang encouraged.

"Let's ask a good chef to make a few dishes with this vermicelli and ask passers-by to taste them. What do you think?" asked Manager Liu.

County Magistrate Hu and his son looked at each other and thought this method was very clever!

"Excellent!" Hu Erlang praised. "Does Shopkeeper Liu know any great chefs?"

"My wife's younger brother, Huang Si, is the head chef of Fumanlou in the prefecture. If the boss doesn't mind, you can ask him to help." Shopkeeper Liu said.

"That's great!" Hu Erlang said hurriedly, "I wonder when Huang Si will be free?"

"There will be nothing to do after the city is closed. Should I send someone to call him right away?" asked Manager Liu.

"Yes!" Hu Erlang nodded in response, drinking his tea in a good mood. "Manager Liu, if Huang Si's cooking skills are good, he will have the opportunity to show his skills at the governor's residence."

Upon hearing this, Shopkeeper Liu hurriedly stood up and bowed to County Magistrate Hu, "Thank you very much for your kindness!"

"This vermicelli is mainly sold to the wealthy families in the prefecture. Once it's made, if the governor is happy with it, it will naturally sell out quickly in the prefecture!

If this method is successful, other prefectures will follow suit, and then Manager Liu will be in charge, with Old Mo assisting."

"Thank you for your appreciation, boss. I will definitely live up to your trust!" Shopkeeper Liu felt full of energy and had never felt so confident.

In Fumanlou, Huang Si was busy in the kitchen when he was found by a clerk from the grocery store, who said that Manager Liu wanted to see him urgently.

Huang Si asked what was going on, and the guy said he didn't know and didn't seem to be in a hurry, but why did he come to him when he was the busiest?

After thinking for a moment, Huang Si asked for leave from the shopkeeper and followed the clerk to the grocery store.

"Brother-in-law, what happened at home? Why are you so anxious?" Huang Si shouted loudly before entering the door.

"Nothing, nothing, don't worry, come, have some tea, have some tea!" Shopkeeper Liu came forward with a smile and led his wife's brother in.

He introduced them: "This is my master, Hu County Magistrate, and this is the second young master Hu from our host family!"

Huang Si greeted everyone one by one, feeling confused. He had nothing to do with his brother-in-law's family, so why did they come to him specifically?

"Mr. Huang, please take a seat!" Hu Erlang greeted.

Huang Si sat down anxiously, "I wonder what the boss wants to see me about?"

"I have two things here! Silang, take a look." Hu Erlang opened the gift box.

"This is..." Huang Si picked it up and identified it carefully.

Unlike noodles that break easily, they are translucent, one is dark brown and the other is light white, and they have different flavors.

"Fern root vermicelli and kudzu root vermicelli can be used in cooking or as staple food after being softened in warm water," Hu Erlang gave a brief introduction.

"No wonder!" Huang Si suddenly realized, no wonder he smelled these two smells.

"Boss, do you want me to use it to make two dishes?" Huang Si quickly understood.

"Yes!" Hu Erlang continued, "This dish doesn't need to be too complicated, just homely flavor. We'd like to invite the Governor to taste it."

Huang Si stood up quickly when he heard this and said, "I will definitely do my best!"

Without further ado, I took the vermicelli and went to the kitchen to tinker with it.

If I, a small chef, could really get praise from the governor for my excellent cooking skills, I would have an outstanding status among all the chefs in the governor's office.

Huang Si deals with food ingredients all day long. After soaking the vermicelli until soft, he picks it up and ponders it. After a little thought, he gets busy with the work, and soon an enticing aroma wafts out of the kitchen.

When served on the table, four dishes were made with two kinds of vermicelli.

Hot and sour cold fern root vermicelli, braised rabbit meat with fern root vermicelli, fried shredded pork with kudzu root vermicelli, and sauerkraut soup with kudzu root vermicelli.

Several people sat down and savored the food carefully.

This time the dish has all the necessary seasonings and is made by a professional chef. It tastes much better than Su Ying's. The horseradish used for the spiciness is purer than the pepper grass.

No one had time to talk, they all just focused on eating.

Huang Si tasted vermicelli for the first time, and although he didn’t like homemade food, he ate a lot of it.

Especially the sour and spicy cold dishes, which are very appetizing, smooth and chewy, and leave a long-lasting aftertaste.

Manager Liu's wife and children did not come to the table. A separate portion was left in the kitchen, and the children ate it all, including the soup.

"Is the boss satisfied?" Huang Si looked at the CDs and already had the answer in his mind.

"Very good! Come with me to see the governor later!" County Magistrate Hu, who rarely spoke, spoke.

"Yes, sir!" Huang Si said happily.

"Silang, go find your sister and change clothes!" Shopkeeper Liu said with a smile.

"Oh!" Huang Si hurried out.

She came in a hurry, still wearing the restaurant apron, and smelled of cooking fumes.

Shopkeeper Liu's wife found a good set of her husband's clothes for her brother to wear, and fetched some hot water for him to wash up.

When you go to the governor's house, you must not be rude and make people despise you.

When the city closing drum sounded, County Magistrate Hu took Hu Erlang and Huang Si on an ox cart to the provincial capital.

As the closing drums were about to sound, the yamen runners were surprised to see County Magistrate Hu in his official robes. "Why is Lord Hu here now? Lord Lu just left the yamen."

"Haha, please inform everyone that Mr. Hu has something important to report!" County Magistrate Hu smiled like a Maitreya Buddha.

Several yamen runners exchanged glances, and finally the squad leader spoke up, "Please wait, sir. I'll go report to Lord Lu."

Hu, the county magistrate of Wu County, is the last among all the county chiefs. Every time he comes, the governor is always unhappy. Every time he goes to the provincial government to report on his work, he is always the last one to arrive.

Today is not a festival, it's the busy farming season, why are you here? What's the important matter?

Although the yamen runners looked down on County Magistrate Hu, he was an official of the ninth rank and below, and was not someone that lowly yamen runners like them could offend.

"Thank you!" County Magistrate Hu said politely.

He didn't care about the expressions on the yamen runners' faces and knew what they were thinking.

After the closing drum sounded, the streets were filled with patrolling yamen runners, and County Magistrate Hu and his entourage stood out at the gate of the provincial government.

After a while, the squad leader came out and said, "Go in, Master Lu is waiting for you in the reception room."

"Thank you! Go and have some tea!" County Magistrate Hu stuffed a bag of money into the foreman's hand.

"Your Excellency is too polite!" The squad leader weighed his money bag, smiled sincerely, and leaned close to County Magistrate Hu and whispered, "Master Lu seems to be worried about something today!"

"Thank you!" County Magistrate Hu raised his hand and bowed, then went in with people, gifts, and plows.

The squad leader volunteered to help, "Sir, what is this? It's so heavy?"

"What a good thing!" County Magistrate Hu said with a smile. "When Lord Lu sees this, all his worries will surely vanish!"

Arriving at the reception room in the front yard, Governor Lu Zhaoshi drank tea and quietly watched County Magistrate Hu and his men carrying some strange things in.

This year his performance evaluation was again rated below average. He has been stuck in this damn place for nine years, and his performance evaluations have always been either above average or below average.

In the same year, all the officials who were sent abroad were relocated, and those who were not promoted moved to wealthy areas, but he himself remained in the same place.

Oh! When will this end? This godforsaken place!

"Greetings, sir!" County Magistrate Hu smiled brightly.

"What's the matter?" Lu Zhaoshi had a sour face.

This County Magistrate Hu could actually laugh! Lu Zhaoshi was furious.

They say you check the weather before you go out and check people's faces when you come home. Isn't it obvious that you are unhappy on your face?