CHAPTER 622: EPISODE 331: NOT DIRECTED AT YOU

The tomatoes Song Jingxi brought could at most make just one dish, but if Hua Xiaomai could resist the temptation to eat them and sowed them all in the field, by the next year she would have a rare and unique vegetable in her hands, a new source of income clearly dropping into her pocket.

She knew that Song Jingxi had brought these tomatoes especially for her. Not wanting to feel indebted, she had the tomatoes cooked that very night at Daoxiang Garden, making an extra three or five delicate dishes to accompany Song Jingxi as they chatted idly by the fish pond.

It might seem a bit of a waste; however, she wasn’t bragging when she said that, with her current finances, getting a couple of tomatoes wasn’t a big deal at all. There were plenty of Escort Masters in the Lianshun Escort Agency who traveled all over the place all year round, able to go to any corner of the land. Whatever she wanted, she just had to mention it to Meng Yuhuai, and it would surely be found for her.

So why should she owe Song Jingxi a favor just for a few tomatoes?

The tomatoes of that era didn’t actually look very good; they weren’t the bright red color but slightly tinged with green and not very large in size. Hua Xiaomai peeled them, cut them into small pieces, and stir-fried them quickly with peeled shrimps, just adding a bit of salt for flavor and scattering a bunch of green onion on top before serving it up to Song Jingxi.

"This thing, I originally didn’t know how it should be cooked."

She said to Song Jingxi, smiling, "It was only after peeling it did I discover that it really, as you said, had a sour and sweet aroma, seeming very appetizing, so I boldly tried stir-frying it with shrimp. I just don’t know if it suits your taste."

Song Jingxi was a bit surprised, looking again and again at the dish with its fresh red and green colors, and in the end couldn’t resist, saying with a restrained smile, "I was thinking that since you live in the village, you must have some fields, and if you could plant these tomatoes, you would have another harvest next year..."

Hua Xiaomai looked somewhat embarrassed, lowering her head and pursing her lips, "To be honest with you, this is the first time I’ve seen this fruit. I asked everyone in the kitchen earlier, and none of them have heard of it either. No one in the village has ever grown it, and if something goes wrong, I wouldn’t know who to ask for help. Wouldn’t that just be a waste? It’s better to just make it into a dish and try something new—don’t laugh at me for not being worldly."

Song Jingxi understood in her heart, but it wasn’t appropriate to point it out. She picked up a shrimp and tasted it, immediately praising, "I always say, Xiaomai, you have the greatest talent in cooking, and now it seems I was right! The flavors of the tomato and shrimp complement each other perfectly. Now that the weather is getting warmer, eating a mouthful of this dish is truly refreshing. You had never seen tomatoes before; it must have been tough. How did you come up with this idea?"

Hua Xiaomai unnoticeably prepared to modestly deflect the praise, but before she could speak, she saw Song Jingxi pointing her chopsticks at another dish, "And this one, with the aroma of tea and tender fish meat, is also indescribably delicious. This was your work as well, right?"

The tea-flavored fish fillet, however, was the handiwork of Wang Zhanrui, who had been preparing it in the kitchen when Hua Xiaomai saw him and had him make an extra portion.

"How could I make that one?"

Hua Xiaomai laughed, shaking her head repeatedly, "That’s the signature dish of a head chef in our Daoxiang Garden, who has some insight into using tea in cooking. I can’t hope to catch up with him."

"That’s wonderful."

Song Jingxi clapped her hands with slight exaggeration, eyes seemingly filled with envy, "You yourself are so skilled in cooking, and now with such a master to help, no wonder you’ve quickly made a name for yourself—You don’t know, but even in Tong’an City, Daoxiang Garden is known to everyone. If it weren’t for the long journey, many more people would probably come rushing to your place! Haha, lucky for me we’re old friends. It was quite a trip to come here this time, and I must put aside those trivial matters to thoroughly enjoy myself for a couple of days, so I can fully savor your delicious dishes!"

Thoroughly... enjoy herself for a couple of days?

Hua Xiaomai secretly raised an eyebrow, naturally following her lead, politely urging her to make sure she had a great time.

That was the end of their conversation related to cooking. Afterward, Song Jingxi just spoke to her about matters of no importance, as if with deep concern, informing her about how a child the age of little walnut should be taken care of, inevitably rambling on a bit about child rearing.

Because she was worried about getting home to feed little walnut, Hua Xiaomai didn’t want to delay too long. Seeing that it was almost the end of the evening, when the meals were nearly finished, she said with a smile, "The village cannot compare to the city, and there isn’t even a guest house. For tonight, you will have to put up with staying at my humble home. Fortunately, we have just built a new house, and we moved in only a few days ago. There is plenty of room to accommodate you, but I’m afraid the care won’t be as good as you’re used to. I hope you won’t mind."