Xiang Shi positively beamed as he turned the skewers. "All right, all right! Since Tong Hua wants to hear it, I'll tell you some more!"
He proudly launched into the story of another big order he had recently received, gesturing so wildly that he nearly forgot the skewers. Mu Mu took the opportunity to give Tong Hua a meaningful look, signaling for him to hurry up and chime in.
Tong Hua nodded in understanding. "You really are amazing, Master Xiang Shi! You've finally made a name for Chicory Woodwork Hall!
"As half an apprentice of yours, I'm truly happy to see you making so much money."
Hearing that, Xiang Shi immediately caught on. Still smiling, he pulled a banknote from his pocket.
"Here, take it. Share in my good fortune."
Tong Hua accepted the ten-thousand-League-Coin note and thanked him with a smile.
With his objective achieved, and Xiang Shi still talking nonstop about his carpentry insights, Tong Hua quietly took 5,000 League Coins from his wallet and gave them to Mu Mu. Then he borrowed the outdoor kitchen again to prepare Scallion-Grilled Crucian Carp.
Mu Mu accepted the money and whispered with a grin, "Pleasure doing business with you. Let's do this again next time!"
Tong Hua deftly prepared the crucian carp, then suddenly remembered the requested scallion-grilling method. He deliberately added extra scallion segments and slowly cooked the fish over low heat, letting the bones soften until tender.
The aroma gradually drifted out, drawing over some of the inn's guests.
"Oh, they have outdoor barbecuing here too."
Besides Tong Hua's party, three other groups were staying at the inn.
One was the Sports Club, which had reserved the hot springs for private use. The other two were parents with children. Drawn by the aroma, the children clustered around Tong