CHAPTER 631: EPISODE 335: BARBECUE IN THE GARDEN_2

"Haha."

The old man stroked his beard and laughed as if he were intimately acquainted with her, tapping Hua Xiaomai’s face with his finger, "Young lady, you sure are forgetful! Two years ago, we met at Huayin Pond in Provincial City. The ’Mashed Treasures’ dish you made had quite the flavor and even won first place in the meat dish category—do you remember now?"

With that reminder, Hua Xiaomai immediately recalled, exclaiming, "You were one of the five gourmet judges at the Eight Treasures Conference! Back then, you said that my Two Treasures Sashimi looked even prettier than the famous Golden and Jade Sashimi!"

If her memory served her right, this old man was indeed one of the judges from the Eight Treasures Conference two years ago, who sat in a pavilion in the middle of the lotus pond. The chefs would bring each dish to him for appraisal. Among the five judges, he was the one who spoke the most, babbling to her for a long time, and thus she retained a vivid impression of him.

However, it was still an event from two years ago, and she couldn’t immediately recognize the old man.

"Right!" The old man chuckled as he stroked his beard, "It’s really not easy to find you. I thought that since you helped Taoyuan House win the top prize at the Eight Treasures Conference, you would have settled down there. But to my surprise, I heard you had gone back home. What’s more unexpected is that Daoxiang Garden, which everyone in Tong’an City’s food scene talks about, turned out to be owned by you. I didn’t even know where you lived, so I had to ask Old Han at Biyue Pavilion and found out you were from Fire Knife Village, so I came looking for you."

"You were looking for me? Oh, I don’t even know your honorable surname!" Hua Xiaomai was puzzled and a bit uneasy.

The old man mentioned the "Eight Treasures Conference" and "Biyue Pavilion," and she wondered... Had Song Jingxi’s tampering with the ingredients leaked? But it had been so long, wasn’t it a bit late to investigate now?

"My surname is Xue; you can just call me Uncle Xue." The old man, unaware of her thoughts, leisurely stroked his beard, "As for why I’m looking for you... there’s no hurry. Just now I heard you saying you wanted to do some grilling at Daoxiang Garden, which piqued my interest. Would you mind taking me along?"

Hua Xiaomai, growing more suspicious but seeing that he was intent on keeping it a mystery, didn’t press him and merely responded with a laugh, "Why not? It’s rare for you to visit, so I should certainly treat you well. I only hope you won’t find fault."

After asking him to wait a moment, she went to tidy up the backyard, fed the little walnut, and then they left together.

...

In Daoxiang Garden, the evenings were usually not crowded, with most patrons gathered inside the front restaurant. Walking closer, the sound of clinking dishes and cups drifted endlessly into their ears.

Mr. Xue, who had visited Daoxiang Garden earlier in the afternoon, once again praised the scenery of the garden in front of Hua Xiaomai, remarking how splendid the spot was, no wonder everyone liked to come here.

The group headed to the northeast corner’s bamboo grove, easily finding a secluded spot. Hua Xiaomai instructed Qing You to bring out the barbeque stand, dug a small pit on the ground, swept some bamboo leaves into it, and started a fire. She buried the cleaned yams in it, then picked up some charcoal to light the stove, skillfully skewering various meats and vegetables onto bamboo sticks and gently brushing them with sauce.

Uncle Xue stood with his hands behind his back, watching her actions and occasionally giving his comments. It seemed from his posture that he was already getting hungry, even though the aroma had not yet started wafting out.

Hua Xiaomai knew how agonizing the wait could be and sped up deliberately, having Ji Xiang lend a hand. In no time, they had grilled a plate of beef and pork ribs tofu, which she presented to Uncle Xue.

There were three or five kinds of condiments on the table, mostly spices ground into powder, and a large basket of fresh vegetable leaves dotted with water droplets. Amidst the busyness, Hua Xiaomai looked up and smiled, "Normally, this meat should be marinated first to enhance the flavor when grilled. I just got the idea on a whim, and in my haste, couldn’t manage that, so I hope you’ll forgive the improvisation. If you find it too greasy, you can wrap a leaf around it to make it more refreshing."

Uncle Xue glanced down at his plate.

The freshly grilled beef and ribs were steaming hot, their surfaces continuously popping with tiny oil bubbles that dripped down the bamboo sticks into the plate, emitting a rich, burnt aroma.

It was unclear what sauce she used, but the scent was unusually complex and layered, different from ordinary grilled goods, probably because the heat was just right. The edges of the meat were brown, while the centers were golden yellow. Illuminated by the candlelight around, they looked enticingly glossy and appealing.

"Vegetables have their flavor, and meat has its fragrance; I don’t like mixing them together. Besides, eating barbecued meat should be oily and burst with flavor." Uncle Xue chuckled, picked up a skewer of ribs, tasted a piece plain without any dipping sauce, and nodded slightly. Then he took some soybean powder and roasted salt, made a small dipping sauce, also sprinkled some chili powder, and drizzled a few drops of sesame oil, mixing the ribs thoroughly in it before leisurely beginning to eat.

Seeing this, Hua Xiaomai laughed, "No wonder the Eight Treasures Conference invited you as a judge. You really are particular about your food."

Uncle Xue also smiled, "Not to brag, but I don’t think anyone in Tong’an City enjoys food as much as I do! Don’t take it personally, but as you mentioned, without marinating, the flavor does lack somewhat. It’s fine for a casual meal at home, but if it were to be served professionally on a diner’s table, it would seem a bit careless."

As he spoke, he shifted the conversation, "However, I also know that you are capable of more than just this... so, are you interested in joining the fun at this year’s Eight Treasures Conference?" (To be continued. If you like this work, welcome to Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for recommendation tickets and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users please visit m.qidian.com to read.)