Chef Hua

Rumors, those things that run the fastest without legs, only grow larger and more embellished as they’re spread around, swelling like a snowball with all manner of fanciful details, making them hard to disbelieve.

It was only to be expected, after all; the young wife in Fire Knife Village with the surname Meng, a mere slip of a girl, already possessed remarkable culinary skills. She had held a banquet for scholars and opened Daoxiang Garden. Even the Sauce Garden, which she hardly managed hands-on, was said to produce sauces superior to others—under the heavens, apart from Wang Tonghe, who else could have trained such a disciple?

Everyone entertained this very thought, and when discussing with others, they added a touch of conviction, as if what they said could not possibly be wrong. Within just three to five days, the topic was the buzz of the entire town.

At first, Hua Xiaomai didn’t take the matter to heart, hoping that once people had their fill of gossip and lost interest, the topic would naturally fade away. In her spare time, she even jokingly said to Wang Tonghe, "Since the rumors outside are so vivid, why don’t you just teach me a trick or two, and we can make these rumors a reality?"

Back then, she saw the whole thing as a joke, but as time went on, she noticed that not only did the rumors not dissipate, they seemed to be getting worse.

One evening, Hua Xiaomai was busy preparing dinner in the kitchen, while Old Mother Meng played with Little Walnut in the yard. Meng Yuhuai hurried back with Laohu, and upon entering the courtyard, he didn’t embrace his son as usual, but went straight into the kitchen. Pulling on Hua Xiaomai’s wrist, he blurted out, "You couldn’t possibly be Wang Tonghe’s disciple, could you?"

Still clutching her spatula, Hua Xiaomai laughed at his sudden question and reached out to touch his forehead, "Have you lost your mind? It’s just foolish talk from outside. How could you take it seriously? Lately, Old Master Wang has been coming and going from our shop, and you’ve heard it too—he himself said that he had no interest in taking on disciples, that he wouldn’t teach anyone else his cooking skills besides Wang Zhanrui. So why are you asking me now?"

"I remember that, of course," Meng Yuhuai replied, nodding with a frown.