CHAPTER 609: EPISODE 324 - TO LEARN OR NOT TO LEARN_2

Although she might have a thick skin, she definitely hadn’t reached such an extent, okay?!

This matter was really... the more she thought about it, the more irritated she became. She simply pushed Meng Yuhuai aside, took off the apron she was wearing, and dashed out the door, grabbing hold of Meng’s mother and pleading in a torrent of words, "Mom, I need to go see Old Master Wang right away. The dishes in the kitchen can talk for themselves, I just need you to watch the fire. I’ll be right back, okay?"

Without waiting for Meng’s mother’s consent, she bolted out the door as swiftly as thunder that doesn’t leave time to cover one’s ears.

She hurried along, first heading to Daoxiang Garden. After hearing from Wang Zhanrui that Wang Tonghe returned to Sauce Garden as soon as he received the invitation, she rushed to Zhenwei Garden, running so hard she was gasping for breath, her throat so dry it felt like it was on fire.

At that moment, it was the end of the workday at Zhenwei Garden. The workers, anxious to get home, were leaving in twos and threes, chatting and laughing. Suddenly, they caught sight of Hua Xiaomai and collectively stopped in their tracks, staring at her.

"I’m not here for you guys. Hurry home!" Hua Xiaomai waved at the crowd and continued running to the doorway of Wang Tonghe’s residence, gasping for air while she haphazardly knocked on the door.

The door creaked open, and Wang Tonghe poked his head out. After glancing behind her to make sure no one was following, he waved her over and whispered, "Girl, why have you run over here?"

...What is this secretive act about?

Hua Xiaomai eyed him suspiciously, her gaze inadvertently sweeping across the room, catching sight of the messy pile of clothes on the bed and a dark blue cloth bundle next to it. She couldn’t help but frown and ask, "You’re... leaving?"

"Of course, I’m leaving. What, should I stay and wait for those troublemakers to come knocking on my door?"

Wang Tonghe looked really troubled, his face wrinkled as he vigorously scratched his head, muttering, "The thing I dread most in life is dealing with people. Otherwise, why would I have gone to live in the mountains as a tea farmer? Look, the invitation has even been delivered to my door. If I don’t leave quickly, they’ll catch me for sure! You have no idea. Those chefs, as soon as they see me, they’re all about ’seeking instruction,’ ’asking for a pointer or two’—it’s unbearable! Sigh, you’re a sensible girl and have some genuine skill. I was planning to stay a few more days to have a proper talk with you about the art of cooking, but it seems I better slip away while I can!"

At this point, an idea seemed to strike him, and he gave Hua Xiaomai a solemn pat on the shoulder, "Girl, you seem quite clever, so how about you handle this matter for me? What do you say?"

Behaving like a mischievous old child, there wasn’t a trace of his usual master chef aura. Hua Xiaomai wiped the sweat from her forehead with a mix of laughter and tears and replied, "I... how can I resolve it for you? To tell you the truth, that’s exactly why I came to see you. Zhao, the master who brought you the invitation, wants me to attend the banquet with you too. They pretty much treat me as though I were your apprentice. How can this be acceptable? It’s fine when we’re joking around, and anything goes, but if they take it seriously, won’t I become a deceitful pretender?"

You know that you don’t want to deal with Master Zhao and the others, but... to just run off on your own when things come up seems a little unrighteous, doesn’t it?

"Ah, what deceitful pretending? Why are you, girl, filled with such old-fashioned thoughts?"

Wang Tonghe waved his hands impatiently, "I haven’t even taken this matter to heart; what, do you look down on me, feeling disgraced to have me as your master?"

"Where did I imply that?" Hua Xiaomai stamped her foot, "You’ve never actually taken on disciples, how could I falsely claim to be one? In fact, to me, the matter is quite simple. Master Wang is your actual son. If you don’t wish to attend the banquet, you can just have him go on your behalf..."

She hadn’t even mentioned it, but as soon as Wang Zhanrui was brought up, Wang Tonghe was fuming with anger.

"Enough of that, he’s no good!" The old man rolled his eyes and curled his lip, "That stinking brat, I don’t know what got into him. I argued with him till my mouth was sore today, and guess what he said? He insists he doesn’t want to flaunt my name around and wants to make a place for himself in the culinary world on his own merit! What’s the use of having a son? You can’t rely on him at all!"

"But... but you can’t just leave like this, what about me?" Hua Xiaomai said with a distressed expression.

Now that everyone recognized her as Wang Tonghe’s apprentice, if the old man left, she would be completely unable to clear things up even if she had mouths all over her body.

For her, this was certainly a good opportunity to elevate her status, but such an opportunity, irregular in name and words, would never make her feel comfortable, even if it brought many benefits.

"You..."

Wang Tonghe frowned and glanced at her, and his eyes suddenly lit up: "Girl, how about this? I’ll teach you a dish you’ve never seen before. On one hand, as thanks for dealing with those troublesome guys for me; on the other hand, this way, you would have truly inherited my skills, and even if people consider you my apprentice, you wouldn’t need to feel uneasy about it. How about that?"

Hua Xiaomai’s eyes suddenly widened.

Alright, she admitted that the condition Wang Tonghe offered was extremely tempting.

The skill at the stove is an endless pursuit; for a cook, even spending a lifetime cannot guarantee mastering all the dishes in the world, let alone someone young like her.

Wang Tonghe’s abilities need no mention, his knowledge and experience were something she couldn’t catch up to even if she tried; if she could really learn a thing or two from him...

It would be incredibly valuable!

"You... are going to teach me how to cook?" She bit her lip, not daring to believe it for a moment.

"Feeling tempted?" Wang Tonghe chuckled mischievously, lowering his voice even further, "Girl, stop wasting time. I’ve already informed Zhanrui; I’m leaving your Fire Knife Village first thing tomorrow morning, at the latest. Whether or not you’re willing to help me, I must go. If you refuse, you’re the one who’ll have to clean up the mess—make up your mind quickly, learn or not, just say the word!"

Do you really think I’m a fool?

Hua Xiaomai didn’t even have to think about it; she immediately nodded vigorously: "Learn, of course I’ll learn!" (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, welcome to Qidian (qidian.com) to cast your recommendation tickets, monthly tickets, your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to read.)