It wasn't that Meng Zhao was being overly enthusiastic, but rather that he had no other choice. Although business at the dock was good, the profit margin was simply too low. It was still summer, so there was no need to worry about the food getting cold, but once the weather turned cooler, keeping the food warm during their journey from the village to the town would be a major problem.
And the worst part is that in winter, if the temperature is too low, the canal may freeze over. Once it freezes, business will be impossible for one or two months.
That's why she was in such a hurry—to rent a shop in the county before winter. But after two months of business, Meng Zhao had only saved less than twenty taels of silver. Adding the original owner's silver, the total was only about 25 taels. She simply couldn't afford to rent a shop with a courtyard.
Therefore, when Steward Chen asked her to prepare the banquet today, it was a timely solution to her urgent problem.
Eight taels of silver might not be enough for her to rent a shop, but Master Zhao was a businessman, and there would likely be many wealthy businessmen at the banquet. If her skills pleased them and she secured a few more orders, wouldn't her dream of renting a shop before winter be fulfilled?
Along the way, Meng Zhao kept thinking about the dishes that could be used for the banquet, and silently followed Steward Chen from the back gate of the Zhao residence to the kitchen.
Meng Zhao was truly amazed. In just the kitchen of the mansion, he saw several people busy in the courtyard. It was truly worthy of a wealthy family.
As soon as the two entered the courtyard, a round-faced, chubby man came up to them, bowing obsequiously and saying, "Steward Chen, what brings you here? If you need anything, you can just send someone over to give you instructions."
Butler Chen ignored his words and pointed at Meng Zhao, "Chef Zhou, this is Miss Meng. She was invited by the young master to be in charge of the birthday banquet in three days. You will follow Miss Meng's arrangements for the next few days."
After making arrangements for Meng Zhao, Butler Chen left immediately.
As soon as Butler Chen left, Chef Zhou, who had been bending over, straightened up and looked at Meng Zhao with a disdainful expression, as if questioning why the young master had chosen such a young girl to prepare the banquet.
His tone was quite casual as he asked, "Miss Meng, how are you going to prepare this feast?"
Seeing the change in the person's attitude, Meng Zhao didn't care. They would only be working together for a few days anyway, as long as the person didn't cause him any trouble.
Meng Zhao said calmly, "Take me to see the place first." Then she followed Chef Zhou into the kitchen.
There are several stoves in the kitchen, as well as a large steamer specifically for steaming buns, so space is not a concern.
In terms of manpower, the kitchen has two head chefs and eight kitchen helpers, which is more than enough.
Having found a suitable venue and manpower, Meng Zhao began planning the banquet three days later.
Seeing that Meng Zhao was looking left and right without saying a word, Chef Zhou went to do other things. When Meng Zhao had made up his mind, he asked Chef Zhou to get a pen and ink.
Although Chef Zhou was unwilling, he couldn't disobey Steward Chen's orders, so he had no choice but to go and get it for Meng Zhao.
Meng Zhao took a pen and paper and wrote down all the ingredients needed for the banquet, then handed them to Chef Zhou.
"Master Zhou, these are the ingredients needed for the banquet three days from now. I will come to prepare the dishes the day after tomorrow afternoon. Please prepare them in advance."
Chef Zhou was surprised that this young girl had only walked around the kitchen once, without even asking him anything, and had already decided what dishes to cook for the banquet and was even giving him instructions.
He rolled his eyes and said defiantly, "Little girl, I know you were invited by the young master, but don't blame me for being rude. Banquets in the manor are always important events, not something to be taken lightly. If something goes wrong, who will be responsible?"
Meng Zhaoxin understood. It seemed that these people wouldn't submit to her unless she showed off her skills. She looked up at Chef Zhou, then turned and went back to the kitchen.
Meng Zhao had already noted down what was in the kitchen, and now she would use the readily available ingredients to cook a meal that would satisfy them.
Meng Zhao took a piece of soft tofu, sprinkled water on the knife, held the knife in one hand and supported it with the other, and sliced the tofu into thin slices with a steady, even sound. He then wet his hand with water and sprinkled it on the sliced tofu, laid the sliced tofu flat, and continued to cut, with the same steady sound. After stopping, he gently lifted the tofu with the knife and placed it in clean water for later use.
As soon as the tofu strips hit the water, several people in the kitchen gathered around, all dumbfounded, because the tofu strips in the basin were clearly separated and as thin as hair.
Then Meng Zhao took some green vegetables, mushrooms, and winter bamboo shoots, cutting them into thin strips that could be threaded through a needle, and set them aside with the tofu.
Add water to a pot, blanch the shredded shiitake mushrooms, shredded greens, and shredded bamboo shoots, then remove them. Add the chicken broth that was already prepared in the kitchen to the pot, bring it to a boil, add the blanched shredded vegetables, and season with salt. Since I didn't have any starch on me, I could only add some flour to thicken the soup.
Finally, add the prepared shredded tofu to the pot, and gently swirl it around in the pot with the bottom of a spoon to separate the shredded tofu. Then it's ready to serve.
As soon as Meng Zhao's Wensi Tofu was cooked, everyone in the room gathered around Meng Zhao, all speechless with astonishment.
The two chefs in the kitchen had each learned their craft from a master since childhood, possessing at least a decade of experience. However, neither dared claim their knife skills surpassed Meng Zhao's, especially considering the woman before them appeared to be only sixteen or seventeen years old—a truly astonishing sight.
Meng Zhao placed the finished Wensi Tofu on the table and said confidently, "Please try it, everyone."
Actually, there was no need to taste it; Meng Zhao's knife skills were convincing enough. But everyone still took turns tasting it with a spoon.
After tasting it, everyone was even more convinced of Meng Zhao's abilities. The Wensi Tofu gravy in the bowl was clear, with the four kinds of shredded vegetables clearly separated, and a few specks of oil floating on the surface. Upon tasting it, one was greeted with the rich aroma of chicken broth and the delicate fragrance of tofu.
After Xiao showed off her skills, everyone in the kitchen was convinced of her abilities.
Chef Zhou finished the last bit of Wensi Tofu and said with admiration, "Miss Meng, don't worry, I will prepare everything you need the day after tomorrow. I will definitely not delay your business."
With the assurance in hand, Meng Zhao happily went home, leaving only a few cooks inside who picked up tofu, ready to test their knife skills.
Thinking that he would have a new source of income in a few days, Meng Zhao was in a good mood and bought two bags of pastries to take home. As soon as he entered the house, Madam Gu came to greet him.
"Zhaozhao, how did your visit to the Zhao family go today?"
Meng Zhao smiled and replied, "No problem, everything has been arranged, Mother, don't worry."
"What is there for Mother to worry about? With Zhaozhao's cooking skills, whatever she makes will be good."
Shen Qingyu rushed over and hugged Meng Zhao's leg, saying sweetly, "Yes, sister-in-law, you cook so well, you can do just as well as cook for a banquet."
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