Chapter 3 — Help You Earn 7,300,000 Yuan, You Only Give Me 70,000 Yuan?

La Tay glanced at him from top to bottom.

“She can't even pay the rent.”

“At least you used to work at General Manager Tham's restaurant, so you're considered skilled.”

“Don't follow her and lose all your face.”

“Whoever I work with doesn't need your guidance.”

La Tay turned to look at me again.

“General Manager Tham asked me to bring a message.”

“Tonight, I'm here to cook a winter feast for Lady Hua.”

“Regarding money, she can pay you an extra 30,000 yuan.”

“If you don't go, there won't be any decent premises in Giang Thanh that dare to rent to you.”

I picked up the contract. Slowly tear in half. Uncle Trieu panicked.

“An Ninh, what are you doing?”

“I won't rent this place anymore.”

La Tay raised his eyebrows.

“Admitted defeat?”

I threw the scraps of paper into the trash can in front of the door.

“It's just that I think this place is too close to her.”

La Tay's expression immediately changed.

“What's the use of being stubborn?”

At that moment, my phone rang. It's a strange number. I picked up the phone.

“Miss Tham, right?”

An older woman's voice rang out on the other end of the line.

“The old teahouse you asked about last time is still empty.”

“Landlords only rent to people who make good food.”

“No price increase, no transfer.”

“If you want to see it, you can sign the contract tonight.”

Chu Ngan immediately looked at me. La Tay also heard it, the smile on her face gradually faded.

“Who is the landlord?”

I hung up the phone and pulled up my suitcase.

“A person who is not afraid of Tham Ngoc Dung.”

La Tay quickly stepped forward to block the door.

“Tham Ninh, don't think that finding a torn place can turn the situation around.”

“Without General Manager Tham's customer base, who are you going to sell food to?”

I looked at her.

“Sold to those who know how to enjoy it.”

La Tay burst out laughing.

“The people who know how to appreciate it all belong to General Manager Tham.”

“You're just a chef who crawled out of the storage room.”

“Stop dreaming.”

Chu Ngan raised his hand and pointed out.

“Please get out of here.”

La Tay coldly said:

"If something happens to Mrs. Hua's party tonight, General Manager Tham will not forgive you."

I didn't turn back. Outside the door, the wind blew away an old menu lying on the ground. On it is still written the signature dish of the previous restaurant: Family stir-fry, 10 yuan per portion. I bent down to pick it up, folded it and put it in my pocket. There are roads that, right from the start, are not glorious at all. But at least... It's clean. The old tea house is located at the end of the South alley. The frontage is not big. The wooden door frame is so old that it has turned gray. Inside there is only an old clay stove and three sets of square tables. Mrs. Hua leaned on her cane and waited right inside the door.

“Are you Tham Ninh?”

She looked at the bag of knives in my hand.

“Do you know how to cook fish soup?”

Chu Ngan quickly interjected:

“Grandma, she knows a lot of things.”

But old lady Hua didn't pay any attention to him.

“I'm asking her.”

I nodded.

“Let's do it.”

Chu Ngan was stunned.

“Do it now?”

Mrs. Hua pointed towards the back kitchen.

“The stove is still usable.”

“The fish is in the pot.”

“If you can get past my door, I'll rent it out.”

“If you can't get through, the door is over there, feel free to leave.”

I put down my suitcase. At that moment, La Tay's voice rang out from outside the door.

“Mrs. Hua, your tea house is quite old.”

"General Manager Tham said that you just bid, she's willing to pay three times as much to buy it back."

Yet she still chased me all the way here. Mrs. Hua Don't even look at her.

“Not for sale.”

“Don't refuse yet.”

La Tay handed out his business card.

“General Manager Tham is the owner of Tham Gia restaurant.”

“She wants to turn the entire South Alley into a party venue.”

“Your old tea house is located in the middle of that area, it's not suitable.”

“I've been here thirty years.”

Mrs. Hua slammed her stick on the ground.

“Never seen anything inappropriate.”

La Tay was a bit embarrassed.

“General Manager Tham also said that she can also help arrange your nephew's work.”

The cane in Mrs. Hua's hand tapped the floor again.

“My nephew earns his own food with his own abilities.”

I said nothing. The blade glides down the fish's spine, following the bones. Chu Ngan stood next to observe, muttering in a low voice:

"My hand is still steady like this, it seems like I haven't been so angry that my body has broken down."

“Less talk.”

“Concentrate on boiling water.”

La Tay crossed his arms and stood in front of the kitchen door.

“Tham Ninh, do you really intend to rely on a bowl of fish soup to rent space?”

“That sounds so pitiful.”

I dropped the fish bones into the pot.

"Even being pitiful is more honorable than someone robbing your sister's money."

“How dare you…” La Tay was so angry that he was speechless.

Mrs. Hua suddenly spoke up:

“If you want to argue, go outside and argue.”

“Don't dirty my stove.”

La Tay choked, his face extremely ugly. Half an hour later, the fish soup was brought to the table. Clear broth. Slices of white fish float on the water surface. On the surface, sprinkle only three green onion seeds. Mrs. Hua scooped a spoonful of soup and tasted it. Say nothing. Chu Ngan looked at her impatiently.

“Grandma, how are you?”

Mrs. Hua picked up a slice of fish and put it in her mouth.

“This dish is missing a flavor.”

La Tay immediately burst into laughter.

“Hear that?”

“There's one missing.”

“Tham Ninh, you couldn't even pass the food test to rent a space.”

I looked at old lady Hua.

“Lack of old ginger juice.”

"The fish in her pot is a pond-raised fish, and the smell of mud is quite strong. But she deliberately did not prepare ginger."

“I use perilla leaves to remove the fishy smell, so the flavor will be different.”

Mrs. Hua put down the spoon.

"Knowing there's a shortage of ginger, why don't you ask me for it?"

“She told me to cook fish soup.”

“Don't tell me I have to cook fish soup in your memory.”

Mrs. Hua looked at me for a few seconds. The tip of the stick in his hand gently touched the bottom of the table.

“Bring the contract here.”

The smile on La Tay's face immediately froze.

“Mrs. Hua, don't let her fool you.”

“Previously at General Manager Tham's restaurant, she was just an errand boy.”

“The menu is decided by General Director Tham.”

Old lady Hua raised her head.

“Who made the famous Thanh Thanh fish soup at Tham Gia restaurant last winter?”

La Tay paused. I took off my apron. Mrs. Hua turned to look at La Tay.

“Then go back and tell your General Manager Tham that…”

“Don't put other people's workmanship on your face.”

Chu Ngan almost laughed out loud. Luo Tay gritted his teeth.

“Tham Ninh, don't be too quick to be complacent.”

“Lady Hua is holding a party at Tham Gia restaurant tonight.”

“She is Mrs. Hua's niece.”

“Do you think just one bowl of this soup can change anything?”

“Lady Hua only accepts General Manager Tham.”

Mrs. Hua's face darkened slightly.

“Is Ngoc Tran going to Tham Gia restaurant tonight?”

As if realizing that he had said something wrong, La Tay quickly corrected himself:

“I still have work.”

She turned around to leave. I spoke up after:

“Did Lady Hua's winter party order duck with plum sauce?”

La Tay's footsteps immediately stopped.

“What does it have to do with you?”

I dried the knife and put it back in my knife bag.

“The recipe for marinating that dish is in my hands.”

“Tham Ngoc Dung just remembers to add plums.”

“But she doesn't know when to collect the sauce.”

La Tay turned his head, still trying to keep his mouth shut:

“General Manager Tham knows everything.”

I nodded.

“Then I hope she doesn't turn the duck into a dry, sour piece of firewood tonight.”

La Tay angrily slammed the door and left. Mrs. Hua pushed the contract towards me.

“The rent remains the same.”

“Also, you can't go to Tham's restaurant tonight.”

“Why?”

Mrs. Hua used her spoon to gently tap the side of the soup bowl.

“My niece has a bad temper.”

“Who dares to trick him…”

“It flipped the table on the spot.”

In the evening, Tham Ngoc Dung called. At that time, Chu Ngan and I were re-scanning the kitchen wall.