Li Huan led Tang Bohu, who followed Sister Pomegranate, into the Hua Mansion.
When Sister Pomegranate walks, she is so graceful and charming that it inspires all sorts of fantasies.
Moreover, Sister Pomegranate kept turning back every few steps, occasionally giving Li Huan a flirtatious smile, her eyes conveying an ambiguous meaning.
Arrive at the living room.
Sister Pomegranate raised her eyebrows: "You wait here, I'll go and inform Madam."
Li Huan said politely, "Thank you for your trouble, Sister Pomegranate."
Sister Pomegranate chuckled and swayed her hips as she left.
Tang Bohu looked around and said in a low voice, "This Hua Mansion is indeed magnificent, much more luxurious than my house!"
Li Huan said, "You're talking nonsense. How could the Grand Tutor's mansion not be luxurious?"
At this moment, Chunxiang came over with a cup of tea.
"Young Master Li, please have some tea."
Li Huan smiled and said, "Chunxiang, don't be so polite. From now on, we're family."
Chunxiang covered her mouth and laughed, her fair face flushing red.
"I really enjoy cooking, and I'll definitely learn from you in the future!"
Li Huan said, "No problem, I'm ready anytime."
Chunxiang glanced at Li Huan shyly again, then turned and walked away.
Tang Bohu said in a low voice, "Brother Li, Chunxiang also has feelings for you!"
Li Huan deliberately asked, "Why add an extra 'also'?"
Tang Bohu laughed and said, "Because that glamorous Sister Pomegranate kept giving you flirtatious glances, which gave me goosebumps."
Li Huan said, "Perhaps my clothes and appearance are different from others, which attracted the attention of the maids in the Hua family."
Tang Bohu said, "Not only in terms of clothing and appearance, Brother Li is also handsome, just as good-looking as I am!"
Li Huan smiled.
Tang Bohu felt good and was very confident in his appearance.
Of course, he has even more confidence in his own talent.
At this moment, Madam Hua arrived.
Behind her were Qiu Xiang and Dong Xiang.
"Greetings, Madam Hua!" Li Huan and Tang Bohu bowed.
Madam Hua took her seat and said with a smile, "Li Huan, I'm so happy that you've finally come to your senses and are willing to come to the Hua family as the head chef."
Li Huan introduced, "This guy's name is Hua An, and he's my assistant."
“Hua An?” Madam Hua looked at Tang Bohu. “What a coincidence, you also have the surname Hua.”
Tang Bohu said, "It is my honor to be able to work as a cook in the Hua family mansion under Brother Li's guidance."
Madam Hua nodded: "Usually, head chefs have assistants. It's perfectly reasonable for you to bring Hua An into the mansion."
Li Huan deliberately asked, "I wonder if my assistant has any chance of marrying a beautiful woman in Huafu?"
Madam Hua laughed loudly: "Hahaha, Li Huan, you have quite the appetite. Not only do you want to marry a beautiful wife, but you also want to consider Hua An."
Li Huan said, "Hua An has followed me all over the country over the years, and I have long regarded him as a brother. As the saying goes, we share happiness and hardship together!"
Madam Hua said, "As long as you and Hua An do your best to cook delicious meals, you two will enjoy endless wealth and honor in the future. Gold, silver and jewels and beautiful wives will be within your grasp!"
"Thank you, Madam!" Li Huan and Tang Bohu said in unison.
Madam Hua asked, "Li Huan, what are your requirements for your monthly salary?"
Li Huan said, "I sell boxed lunches at a stall, and I earn at least ten thousand taels of silver every month!"
"Ten thousand taels!" Madam Hua's eyes widened in astonishment.
Li Huan said, "Each boxed meal costs fifty taels of silver. If we sell twenty boxes a day, that's one thousand taels of silver. That's thirty thousand taels of silver a month. After deducting costs, the net profit is at least ten thousand taels of silver!"
Madam Hua asked, "Each boxed meal costs fifty taels. Can you sell twenty boxes a day?"
Li Huan laughed and said, "Today, I set up a stall near the temple and sold more than 20 boxed meals in just half an hour."
"Yesterday, I set up a stall on other streets in the city, offering discounted boxed meals for only eight taels of silver per serving. I sold more than 300 servings at noon and more than 400 servings in the evening, totaling more than 6,000 taels of silver!"
After listening, Madam Hua clicked her tongue in praise.
"Your business is indeed booming; no wonder you were unwilling to come to Washington to work as a chef before."
Li Huan said, "To be honest, if it weren't for the four beauties of the Hua family—Chunxiang, Xiaxiang, Qiuxiang, and Dongxiang—I would never have become the head chef of the Hua family!"
"Hahaha..." Madam Hua laughed loudly, "You're quite frank!"
Li Huan said, "Since my goal is to win over a beautiful wife, then I can lower my demands regarding the monthly salary!"
After a moment's thought, Madam Hua said, "How about I give you a thousand taels of silver every month?"
Li Huan said, "Madam, you're joking. I sell boxed lunches at a stall, and my net monthly income is no less than ten thousand taels of silver. But after coming to the Hua Mansion, I only earn one thousand taels of silver! Isn't that a huge difference?"
Madam Hua raised her eyebrows slightly: "You've already admitted that your goal is to win over your beautiful wife, so why bother about the amount of your monthly salary?"
Li Huan said, "That's true, but it can't be too low!"
Madam Hua asked, "How much silver do you want?"
Li Huan stretched out five fingers and shook them!
Madam Hua was shocked: "Five thousand taels!"
Li Huan said, "That's right, five thousand taels, including Hua An's monthly salary."
Madam Hua shook her head repeatedly: "Too high, too high!"
Li Huan knew that it was indeed a bit outrageous for the Grand Tutor's mansion to spend five thousand taels of silver to hire a chef.
He smiled and said, "Madam, I want five thousand taels of silver, just my monthly salary, not including the cost of the ingredients for the boxed meals!"
Madam Hua was shocked: "I...I still need to pay for ingredients?"
Li Huan said, "Let's calculate it this way: if the government spends money to buy boxed lunches, how many boxed lunches would they need to eat every day?"
Madam Hua said, "The boxed meals are expensive, and the servants of the Hua family are not qualified to enjoy them. Only my husband, my two sons, and the four fragrant ones (Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter) will enjoy them, a total of ten people."
Li Huan said, "Ten people will eat boxed meals, at least twenty servings for lunch and dinner! Each serving will cost fifty taels of silver, totaling one thousand taels of silver! That's thirty thousand taels of silver per month!"
"Madam only gave me five thousand taels of silver, yet you expect to eat a boxed meal worth thirty thousand taels of silver? You're being far too shrewd!"
Madam Hua laughed and said, "According to you, this five thousand taels of silver cannot cover the cost of the ingredients. I still need to pay extra silver to purchase various ingredients?"
Li Huan said, "We not only need to buy ingredients, but also essential materials such as oil, salt, soy sauce, vinegar, and seasonings!"
Madam Hua asked, "Based on the consumption of 600 boxed meals per month, how much silver should I give you to purchase various ingredients and necessities?"
Li Huan said, "At least ten thousand taels of silver!"
Mrs. Hua frowned deeply.
She had only intended to hire Li Huan as the head chef and hadn't considered the cost of the ingredients.
Li Huan laughed and said, "In order to provide twenty boxed meals every day, the Hua family has to spend 15,000 taels of silver every month. Madam Hua, do you find that too much to bear?"
Mrs. Hua nodded.
Li Huan said, "Fifteen thousand taels of silver seems like a lot, but it's less than half of what you spend thirty thousand taels of silver on six hundred boxed meals every month!"
Mrs. Hua remained silent.
Li Huan chuckled: "Now that this score is settled, does Madam regret hiring me as the head chef?"
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