Chapter Twelve: First Entry into the City

  "Alright, you all be careful, especially take good care of young master." Madam Ji said with a smile to Xiao Yimeng.

  "Alright, let's go." Su Xiao Fan saw Yu Xiao Xi walking slowly towards them from a distance and pulled up Xiao Mei to leave.

  "Good." Jia watched them go up the mountain, it seemed that in these few days, watching her go up the mountain every day had become his own habit.

  Today Su Xiaofan came to catch wild chickens, so they didn't go to pick wild vegetables and mushrooms. The three of them wandered around on the mountain.

  "Xiao Fan, otherwise let's just give up. It's said that these wild chickens and ducks rarely come out during the day." Yu Xiao Xi looked around but didn't see any animals at all.

  Su Xiaofan muttered to herself, "Hmph, relying on luck and whatnot, anyway there's nothing else to do." Holding onto Xiao Yiming's soft little hand, they wandered aimlessly, her mind constantly thinking of ways to make money quickly.

  "Right, Xiao Fan, let's go into town tomorrow." Yu Xiaoxi suddenly remembered something and stopped in her tracks.

  Su Xiaofan turned her head and asked, "What's the point of going to the city?" Although she had thought about going to the city to find a restaurant to work in, as her culinary skills would be wasted if not used, but with her current attire, good restaurants probably wouldn't let her in.

  Yu Xiaoxi lowered her head, a faint blush rising to her cheeks, and said in a soft voice: "Su Bing's wine tower is participating in a big competition today. He seems to be taking it very seriously, and he's been feeling down lately. I want to go take a look and cheer him on."

  Su Xiaofan's eyes lit up, and she seemed to have forgotten about him. Su Bing, Xiao Xi's fiancé, was probably in the city's wine tower learning cooking, maybe he could be asked for help. She nodded: "Okay."

  Xiao Yimò glanced at her and then silently turned his head away.

  The next day at noon, the three of them finally arrived in the city - Mochen, after a journey that took several hours. Looking at the two big characters at the city gate, Su Xiaofan felt a knot in her heart. In her memory, she had never been here before, and besides, wasn't it true that every time Nainai came into the city to buy things, she would take half a day? No wonder she was always particularly tired when she got back home.

  "Xiao Fan, come this way." Yu Xiao Xi excitedly waved her hand at the two of them from ahead.

  "Ah, come on." Su Xiao Fan wanted to bend down and pick up Xiao Yu Mo, but he ran away, raising an eyebrow and asking: "I said you're not the legendary arrogant and proud one?"

  "Haughty?" Xiao Yimiao furrowed her small eyebrows and asked as she walked.

  "What's wrong?" Su Xiao Fan didn't intend to explain, ignoring his objection, pulled his small hand and quickened her pace, chasing after Yu Xiao Xi.

  Yu Xiaoxi deliberately wore a new light green dress today, and her hairstyle was more exquisite than usual. Originally with clear eyebrows and beautiful eyes, she looked even more charming and moving today. It seems that she really likes Su Bing.

  When a few people arrived, the venue of the competition was already crowded with people. After squeezing for half a day, they finally reached the location of Mingyuelou, where Su Bing was. Seeing three people coming over, busy Su Bing ran over and smiled foolishly for a while, saying to Yu Xiaoxi: "Xiaoxi, you're here."

  Yu Xiaoxi's face turned slightly red, and she nodded lightly.

  "It's really rare for Xiao Fan to go out?" Seeing Su Xiaofan beside him, Su Bing's face showed surprise. In the past, no matter how he was called, she would never go out.

  "Heh heh." Su Xiao Fan forced a dry laugh: "There's something I want to ask for your help with."

  "What's up?" Su Bing asked with a smile.

  "The match is more important, I'll tell you later." Su Xiao Fan looked around and asked, "What's the prize for winning this tournament?"

  "There is a plaque, this time there is a prince who came to visit, the plaque was written by the prince himself, and then there were also one hundred taels of silver." Su Bing said excitedly.

  Su Xiaofan heard that what the various large restaurants most wanted to get was a plaque with an inscription written by the king himself. If any restaurant got it, their business would definitely skyrocket, and the final one hundred taels of silver were nothing for a restaurant, but...

  "Do you have a chance of winning?" Su Xiaofan asked tentatively, her eyes scanning the busy crowd around her.

  "Chances are slim, or rather, almost none," Su Bing replied in a low voice. "Just two months ago, the store's two top chefs were poached by someone else."

  "What's the theme of the competition?" Just now, all the way here, the ingredients prepared by each family's wine house seemed to be a lot, and various mountain treasures and seafood were very complete, quite luxurious, and there were more people. Su Xiaofan asked again.

  "Because the prince is participating, the competition's theme is set by the prince himself. In a few more months, it will be the Emperor's birthday, and we need to prepare a table of palace-style banquet dishes for the guests. The most outstanding one will win." Su Bing looked at the things being prepared in his own wine house, his expression full of loss. If the two masters hadn't left the wine house, perhaps there would still be a chance.

  "Where is your boss?" Su Xiaofan thought for a moment and made a secret decision.

  "Over there." Su Bing stretched out his hand and pointed to a thin old man in the crowd.

  Su Xiaofan stared at that person for a while before continuing to say: "Can you introduce me? I want to find something to do in your wine shop."

  Su Handle looked back in doubt: "Xiao Fan wants to come out and do things? Is the body okay?" The whole village knew that Su Xiaofan was suddenly broken off by Zhang's family, and then suspected of having jumped off a cliff for this reason. Recently, although they haven't seen each other, he has been worried about it too, thinking that after this matter is over, he will go see her.

  "Ah, it's almost done. My mother is about to give birth, and I want to earn some money to support the family." Su Xiaofan withdrew his gaze from scanning the surroundings and gave Su Bing a faint smile. Su Xiaofan didn't plan on explaining in detail, anyway, he would know soon enough.

  "Alright, follow me." Su Bing seemed to understand and led the way in front, but he couldn't shake off the feeling that his gaze at Xiao Fang just now was irresistible.

  "Boss, this is Su Xiaofan from my village. She wants to work with us." Su Bing walked over to the old man's side and looked back at Su Xiaofan with some confusion, not knowing what Xiaofan was capable of.

  Su Xiaofan didn't wait for him to finish, took a step forward, habitually stretched out his right hand, froze after stretching it out, then drew an awkward arc in the air before pulling it back, and smiled unnaturally: "Hello, I'm somewhat familiar with cooking, may I ask if there's any job available in your kitchen?"

  "Do you know cooking?" Su Bing was surprised, remembering that Xiao Fan had never learned cooking before.

  "Uh-huh, I roughly understand." Su Xiaofan wore a calm and gentle smile.

  "It just so happens that we need someone today, go try it out and if you can make it, come back tomorrow." The boss of Mingyuelou, Deng Shoucai, forced a stiff smile on his thin face, seemingly still bothered by not being able to win the championship today.