Chapter 99: The Culinary Tycoon

Spend Your Monthly Allowance as You Wish

The next day, the Cai residence held a banquet. As soon as Yu Qingze, Brother Chang, and the others arrived, they immediately went to the Cai residence. Today, they not only had to prepare some dim sum but also eight tables of dishes.

Upon arriving at the Cai residence, Yu Qingze and the others went straight to the kitchen. Jiabao also helped out for a while before being taken by Mi Ge’er to freshen up and change clothes after noon.

This banquet was much grander than when Cai Chenxi was awarded as a successful candidate. Last time, they only hosted a tea gathering and invited the madams of various prestigious families. This time, it was a formal dinner banquet, inviting the heads of the prominent families and social elites in Tongshan City.

Initially, Old Madam Cai didn’t plan on having Yu Qingze cook because Yu Qingze was Jiabao’s sworn brother, not their personal chef. It had been troublesome enough for them when they hosted a small gathering at their own home. Now, with such a large banquet and multiple tables, it would be even more troublesome. Old Madam Cai intended to let Uncle Fu and the others handle it directly.

However, considering that Yu Qingze had always been taken care of by the Cai residence, he wanted to take this opportunity to show his gratitude. Moreover, with the imminent opening of his restaurant, he could also use this chance for promotion, so he took the initiative to propose the idea.

Old Madam Cai was naturally pleased when Yu Qingze offered to cook. Taking good care of the guests would bring honor to the Cai family, so he agreed.

Preparing dishes and snacks for eight tables was not a small task. Fortunately, Brother Chang could also cook some dishes now, and with the assistance of Uncle Fu and the others, who had worked with Yu Qingze multiple times and were familiar with his requirements, the cooperation went smoothly.

In the front courtyard, guests started to arrive one after another. Besides the heads of each family, most of them brought their children along. These children were mostly young boys aspiring for official positions. Their parents brought them to bask in the joyous atmosphere of the top scholar’s family, hoping that the next top scholar in Tongshan City would be from their own family.

Old Master Cai and his wife, along with Cai Yunwei and Jiabao, received the guests in the main hall.

“Oh, Nephew Hu, you’ve arrived!” Old Master Cai exclaimed with joy when he saw the servant at the door bringing in the guests.

“Congratulations, Old Master Cai and Old Madam Cai! Such great joy!” A couple with their child entered, and the head of the household congratulated as he entered.

Old Master Cai stroked his beard and laughed, “Hahaha, thank you, thank you. Nephew Hu, you’ve finally arrived. Come in and have a seat. Nephew Liao was just asking about you, saying he wants to have a good drink with you!”

“Oh? He’s here? Then I’ll go find him. He owes me a drink from last time. He holds grudges, haha…” Master Hu, chuckled.

Upon hearing this, Old Master Cai also burst into laughter, “Hahaha, then you can enjoy a good drink today. Don’t come back until you’re drunk!”

Meanwhile, Master Hu, also expressed his happiness and asked the young man beside him to fetch someone.

Old Master Cai saw the young man and smiled, “Oh, it’s been a few months, and Ming’er has grown taller again! Such a handsome young man!”

Master Hu, patted his son’s head and laughed, “He’s been eating a lot recently, and after the New Year, he suddenly shot up in height.”

“Now that he’s at the age of growing taller, you can relax. You used to worry that he wouldn’t grow taller,” Old Master Cai replied with a smile.

Master Hu, was clearly very happy and said, “Yes, indeed. He used to be shorter than children his age, so I worried a lot.”

“That’s because it’s not time yet. Ming’er will continue to grow in the future!” Old Master Cai said with a smile. Then he introduced them to the couple, saying, “Come, Wei’er, Yu’er, meet Uncle Hu and his wife. And this is Hu Ming.”

Upon hearing this, Cai Yunwei and Jiabao took a step forward, bowed, and greeted, “Hello, Uncles. Hello, little brother Ming’er.”

“Very good, Yunwei is in good health. That’s wonderful!” Master Hu, said happily. Then he looked at Jiabao standing next to Cai Yunwei and asked, “And who is this?”

Cai family didn’t publicize the fact that they had taken Jiabao as their adopted son. Only a few well-informed noble families knew that Cai family had a new adopted son. Old Master Cai had Jiabao accompany them today partly to introduce him to the people from various noble families.

Old Master Cai pulled Jiabao to his side and smiled, “This is our newly adopted son, Fu Jiayu.”

Jiabao then bowed and greeted, “Nice to meet you, Uncles.”

“Very well.” Master Hu responded and patted himself, realizing that he didn’t bring anything valuable with him. He said, “I didn’t bring anything with me today, but I’ll prepare a small gift tomorrow to make up for it.”

Jiabao smiled and replied, “Uncle Hu, there’s no need to be polite.”

Old Master Cai continued the conversation and said, “No need to be so polite. We just wanted him to get to know people and not be at a loss when addressing them in the future.”

Master Hu looked at Jiabao and exclaimed, “I see, Jiayu looks like the young accountant from Yu’s Delicious Delights?”

Old Master Cai nodded and said, “That’s him. The owner of Yu’s Delicious Delights is his adopted brother, and he’s currently learning about business from him.”

Master Hu suddenly realized and said, “I see now. That explains the resemblance.”

Meanwhile, at the entrance, the steward of the Cai family personally escorted two elegantly dressed individuals inside.

The steward approached and informed everyone, “Old Master Cai, Old Madam Cai, the County Magistrate and his wife have arrived.”

Upon hearing this, everyone immediately bowed and said, “Greetings, County Magistrate.”

Luo Mingda, with his left hand resting behind his back and a folding fan in his right hand, appeared as a charming and talented scholar. He laughed heartily and said, “Well, this is not the county government office. Today, there is no County Magistrate, only me, Luo Mingda. Please don’t be formal, enjoy the food and drinks.”

Upon hearing this, the crowd exchanged glances.

Old Master Cai chuckled and said, “Then let’s follow Young Master Luo’s lead. With the presence of Young Master Luo, our humble house shines brightly. Haha, please come in.”

Luo Mingda, upon hearing this, smiled and saluted Old Master Cai, saying, “Old Master Cai, Old Madam Cai, congratulations to both of you.” Luo Mingda timely conveyed his congratulations to the two.

Translated on ho lo lo novels dot com.

Old Master Cai said, “Thank you for your kind words. Come, both of you, please enter.”

They escorted the two individuals into the main hall. The news had already spread among the people inside, and they had prepared a proper greeting. Finally, everyone took their seats.

After sitting down, Madam Luo took a sip of tea and noticed several plates of unfamiliar pastries on the coffee table. He was immediately drawn to them.

He picked up a pastry that was half golden and half white, resembling a flower, and took a bite. It was sweet but not overly so, with a refreshing aroma filling his mouth.

“These pastries taste delicious. I haven’t seen them before,” he remarked.

Old Master Cai smiled and replied, “These are sweet potato and yam cakes.”

Madam Luo heard this and took out a handkerchief to wipe his hands. Then he picked up a piece, tasted it with his hand covering his mouth, nodded lightly, and said, “The flavor is indeed excellent, comparable to the pastries in the capital.”

Upon hearing this, Old Master Cai chuckled and said, “They can’t compare to the ones in the capital, but they are still enjoyable. The other pastries have decent flavors as well. You both should give them a try.”

“What is this pastry? It seems to have meat filling and tastes quite delicious,” Madam Luo said as he took another small piece of Scholar Cake while Old Master Cai and Luo Mingda were talking.

Old Master Cai paused for a moment and then chuckled, saying, “Ah, this one is called Scholar Cake. Our family made it for celebration and fun.”

“Oh? Scholar Cake?” Luo Mingda heard this and looked at the pastry in Madam Luo’s hand, laughing, “What a fitting name! I should eat more of these! Who knows, maybe I’ll become a scholar myself? Hahaha! What do you think?” He then took a bite of the cake.

Upon hearing his words, everyone chuckled awkwardly and glanced at each other. No one was quite sure what meaning was behind Luo Mingda’s words.

Madam Luo glanced at Luo Mingda and said calmly, “Alright, your stomach isn’t great, so don’t eat too many sweets.”

Old Master Cai quickly interjected, “Why, does Master Luo have stomach troubles? Then you should eat less sweets. I’ll have a pot of stomach-soothing tea brewed for you.”

Saying that, Old Master Cai beckoned a servant and instructed them to prepare the tea.

With Luo Mingda’s arrival, the atmosphere in the hall became less lively. The members of other prominent families were cautious in opening their mouths, still trying to figure out the temperament and style of the new county magistrate. They engaged in hushed conversations with each other.

For the time being, only Old Master Cai and Old Madam Cai accompanied the two men in casual conversation with Old Master Zhao occasionally joining in with a comment or two.

It wasn’t until shortly before the banquet that some people who wanted to establish a relationship with the county magistrate took the initiative to strike up a conversation, after observing for a while.

Fortunately, it didn’t take long for the steward to come and announce that they could start the meal.

Old Master Cai and his wife greeted the guests to take their seats, and they invited Luo Mingda to the main table.

In the specially prepared hall, the tables and chairs were already set, and the servants had served the main dishes.

There were four cold dishes, eight hot dishes, and a hot pot, filling the table with a variety of colors, aromas, and flavors. The guests were immediately drawn in by the enticing aroma. Seeing these dishes that were different from what they usually ate, they were somewhat surprised.

Once all the guests were seated, Old Master Cai made a few opening remarks symbolically, expressing his gratitude to the various prominent families. Then, he invited Luo Mingda to say a few words.

Luo Mingda was immediately captivated by the large plate of roasted duck placed in front of him, glistening with oil and looking delicious. When he heard Old Master Cai calling him to speak, he stood up, laughed, and said, “You’ve called upon me to speak, but I don’t have much to say. I wish the young master of the Cai family continued success, and I wish Old Master Cai and his wife good health! Enjoy the feast, everyone!”

After finishing his words, when Old Master Cai announced the start of the banquet, Luo Mingda took the initiative to pick up a piece of roasted duck and began to eat.

The duck meat was soaked in rich broth, unlike the greasy feeling of other meat dishes. It had a slightly sweet and slightly sour taste, which was very appetizing.

Luo Mingda had never tasted roasted duck prepared in this way before, so he immediately asked, “Old Master, what is this dish called? I’ve never seen this method of preparation before.”

Old Master Cai replied, “This is called ‘Wu Bei Duck.’ Do you like it, young master Luo?”

Luo Mingda nodded and smiled, “It tastes great. Your household’s chefs are talented. Can I borrow them for a couple of days? I’ve just arrived, and my own cook hasn’t even found the market yet.”

Upon hearing this, Old Master Cai laughed and said, “It wasn’t prepared by the chefs in our household. It was made by my grandson’s brother.”

Luo Mingda was surprised and exclaimed, “Really? Old Master, your grandson’s brother is skilled in cooking. Could you introduce him to me?”

Old Master Cai paused for a moment and asked, “What do you mean by that, young master Luo?”

Luo Mingda smiled and said, “Since his cooking skills are impressive, I’d like to invite him to the county yamen to cook.”

Upon hearing this, Old Master Cai’s smile faded slightly, and he replied, “I’m sorry, young master Luo, but I can’t agree to that.”

The others at the table subtly glanced at each other and silently continued eating, refraining from commenting.

Luo Mingda grinned and said, “Then I’ll ask him personally. How about inviting him here?”

Old Master Cai glanced at his spouse, and Old Madam Cai nodded in agreement.

Old Master Cai stood up and walked through a few tables to where Yu Qingze and the others were seated. He leaned in and whispered to Yu Qingze, “Xiao Yu, Luo Mingda enjoyed the Wu Bei Duck and wants to invite you to be his personal cook. He has expressed his interest, but don’t agree to it later. We will handle the situation.”

Chang Le also overheard the conversation and looked at Yu Qingze with concern.

Yu Qingze raised an eyebrow, nodded, and straightened his clothes. He patted Chang Le’s shoulder to reassure him before following Old Master Cai.

“Master Luo, this is Yu Qingze, the one who prepared today’s dishes,” Old Master Cai introduced.

“Greetings, Lord Luo,” Yu Qingze greeted with a bow.

Luo Mingda, upon seeing him, put down his chopsticks, turned around, and asked, “Did you cook all these dishes?”

Yu Qingze nodded and replied, “Yes.”

Luo Mingda glanced at him, picked up a napkin to wipe his hands, and casually said, “The taste is quite good. My household currently lacks a cook. How about you come and work for me? You can name your monthly salary.”

Yu Qingze: …

🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸

Thandar: See I told you. I knew this dude would bring trouble. Rude ass mf.