Chapter 134: You Are So Hard-Working
Translator: Fan Translation Studio
Ye Xiaoxian had just finished treating the Xiaos when Fang Shanding sent someone to ask her to go to the government office the day after tomorrow. The chief of the government office was going to treat a group of around fifteen of his friends to dinner, so he asked Ye Xiaoxian to prepare the food.
Ye Xiaoxian then stopped doubting and quickly went to prepare enough ingredients for 15 people.
On that day she and Little Five took the ingredients to the gate of the government office and waited there for a while. The man sent by Fang Shanding asked Ye Xiaoxian to wait at the gate for a while when she arrived at the government office.
While Ye Xiaoxian was waiting she saw another horse-drawn carriage passing by.
This carriage was very plain. Mainly it was because the carriage compartment was made of plain wood and the only decorations were several red tassels. Most of the carriages here in town were like that though, they were not as delicate as the ones in the provincial capital.
Ye Xiaoxian was waiting when a breeze blew up the curtains of the carriage, so Ye Xiaoxian saw a familiar face sitting in it. Sister Xiang?
Sister Xiang’s carriage passed the government office and then circled around and finally entered the back yard of the government office via a tiny gate.
Ye Xiaoxian felt a bit confused. Did Sister Xiang know the chief?
After a short while Fang Shanding’s man came. He also took Ye Xiaoxian to the tiny gate in the backyard and then took her through to the kitchen.
Ye Xiaoxian did not have a chance to appreciate the back yard of the government office, after all, the back yard was where the chief and his family lived. She looked around casually and felt that the yard was very delicate.
After they went into the kitchen, she did not have the time to look at the back yard and started busying herself.
Fang Shanding did not come until she was cooking. He asked Ye Xiaoxian, “Miss Ye, how are your dishes coming along?”
Ye Xiaoxian said, “They’ll soon be done!”
She thought that Fang Shanding was here to hurry her in cooking the dishes. After she answered him she began to get busy again.
However, Fang Shanding did not leave. He stood there looking at Ye Xiaoxian. Ye Xiaoxian felt that she was being stared at by a pair of burning eyes from behind, so she turned around and checked.
Why does Fang Shanding not leave?
“Sir, what else can I do for you?” Ye Xiaoxian asked.
Fang Shanding smiled and said with integrity, “Nothing particular. I just came to have a look. When I saw you cooking just now, I felt that you’re very skillful and your cooking will actually be very enjoyable.”
“Sir, you’re flattering me.” Ye Xiaoxian smiled.
“Okay then, when you finish cooking. Come with me and I’ll take you to meet the chief,” said Fang Shanding.
“Yes!” Ye Xiaoxian bowed.
…
After the dishes were done, Ye Xiaoxian followed the cooks to take the dishes out. They went through the pavilion and rockery and also passed a small garden. Ye Xiaoxian then saw a group of people in front of them who were surrounding the framed flower bed and pointing around.
It turned out that the winter jasmine in the backyard of the government office had bloomed, so these people were appreciating the flowers.
In this era people did not have much in the way of entertainment. For people of a certain class, such as the chief, their entertainments were just appreciating flowers, practicing calligraphy or composing poetry. For lower-class people, they would go gambling or cricket fighting. Their lives were very boring.
Among this group of people, Ye Xiaoxian spotted Sister Xiang right away. She was indeed a friend of the chief’s but what kind of friend?
Seeing Ye Xiaoxian coming over, Fang Shanding hurriedly reminded the chief, “Sir, the food is being served. Would you care to try some of the dishes cooked by this Miss Ye. Her dishes have won the provincial prize.”
The dishes that Ye Xiaoxian cooked this time contained the three courses she cooked for the provincial contest, other signature food from the restaurant and some other pastries.
The chief was in his forties. He wore a beard, was very thin and looked rather plain like a villager.
He glanced at Ye Xiaoxian and asked, “You’re quite young, where do you learn to cook?”
Ye Xiaoxian said, “I used to tend the kitchen fire for a chef and I learned his cookery skills secretly.”
“Heh, you’re so hard-working.”