Is the beginning of a catastrophe? The little farm cook is raising a family with a full warehouse.

The gate of the Ji Mansion remained as tall and majestic as ever. The vermilion paint shone coldly in the sunlight, the golden door nails were neatly arranged, and the exquisite carvings under the eaves were intricate and gorgeous, yet exuded a coldness that kept people at a distance.

Cheng Yuntao looked at the familiar scene before her, and felt that this place was rich and luxurious, yet cold and inhumane. However, she also knew that she was just a passing visitor in this prosperous mansion, and it was enough to do her part.

Thinking of this, she collected her thoughts, gently lowered her skirt, and stepped out of the carriage.

Mu Qingfeng stood aside and waited, quietly watching Cheng Yuntao's every move. After seeing Cheng Yuntao's resistance to the "horse stool" issue, he naturally did not bring up the past. He just turned slightly and motioned Cheng Yuntao to follow him.

"Miss Cheng, please follow me."

Cheng Yuntao followed Mu Qingfeng and walked along the wide stone road.

After not seeing each other for a few days, the mansion has been replaced with a batch of fresher flowers and plants, but these flowers and plants are trimmed very neatly, lacking some natural wildness. Like the people, their vitality is constrained by the rules of this mansion.

Her eyes scanned the surroundings, but she was silently thinking about the dishes she would cook later.

Soon, they came to a side door. Mu Qingfeng reached out and pushed the door open. A faint smell of fireworks blew in their faces. Cheng Yuntao's nose twitched slightly, and she came back to her senses in an instant.

Looking up, I saw shadowy figures inside.

"Miss Cheng, you can freely use all the ingredients and seasonings here. The servants in the kitchen are at your disposal. You only need to prepare dishes that will satisfy my master before the dinner."

Mu Qingfeng said this, pointing to the various ingredients neatly arranged in the corner, and then pointing to the servants standing with their heads lowered, waiting to be deployed.

Cheng Yuntao frowned slightly, her eyes swept over the servants, and then looked at Mu Qingfeng: "Steward Mu, I'm used to cooking alone. Having these people here will only make my hands and feet restricted. It's better to send them all away."

Mu Qingfeng thought Cheng Yuntao was worried that someone might steal her cooking skills, so he reassured her, "Miss Cheng, you can rest assured. The servants in the Ji Mansion have been carefully screened and rigorously trained. They are all very secretive, and no one dares to act recklessly. If anyone is found to have leaked the mansion's secrets or learned something they shouldn't have, they will be swiftly dealt with."

As soon as these words were spoken, the servants standing by could not help but tremble slightly, and some of the timid ones even started shaking.

Cheng Yuntao saw it and felt sorry for it.

"Steward Mu, it's not that I'm afraid of someone learning my craft. Cooking is a very delicate matter. Even if different people use the same seasoning, the taste of the food may not be the same. I just simply don't like the feeling of so many people around me. It's hard to concentrate when there are too many people around."

Mu Qingfeng looked at the servants who hung their heads and trembled with fear, then turned his gaze to Cheng Yuntao: "Miss Cheng, are you really not going to leave any of them? These people have all been specially trained and are very skilled in helping in the kitchen. They can help share some of the work."

Cheng Yuntao wasn't one to embarrass others, and now that Mu Qingfeng was so sincere in his advice, it wouldn't be a good idea to simply refuse. Furthermore, if she could delegate some basic food preparation tasks, like washing and chopping vegetables, to someone more skilled, she could save herself some time and energy.

After thinking for a moment, Cheng Yuntao's eyes searched carefully among the servants, and finally fell on a girl who looked quite well-behaved.

The girl was frail, with her head lowered and her hands tugging at the hem of her clothes anxiously. Cheng Yuntao pointed at her and said, "Let her stay and help me. I really don't need the others."

Seeing Cheng Yuntao's persistence, Mu Qingfeng didn't say anything more. He waved his hand and ordered the other servants: "All of you should leave. Don't come and disturb us if there is nothing else."

The servants lowered their heads obediently and quickly left the kitchen. The girl chosen by Cheng Yuntao had a hint of nervousness and uneasiness in her eyes. She looked at Cheng Yuntao timidly and quickly lowered her head.

In the kitchen, only Cheng Yuntao, Mu Qingfeng and the chosen girl were left for a moment, and the atmosphere suddenly became much quieter.

Cheng Yuntao calmed herself down, stepped forward, looked at Mu Qingfeng seriously, and asked, "Manager Mu, I'd like to ask you to tell me how many people will be dining at tonight's dinner so I can determine the serving sizes. Also, does Boss Ji have any dietary restrictions or preferences?"

When Mu Qingfeng heard Cheng Yuntao's series of questions, his mind suddenly emerged with his master's instructions to him. He was moved and glanced at Cheng Yuntao quickly.

There was a bit of scrutiny and curiosity in his eyes, and a strange look appeared on his face.

After a brief silence, he cleared his throat and replied slowly, "Miss Cheng, tonight's dinner is for two people. Prepare three cold dishes, four hot dishes, one main course, one soup, and two desserts. That will be enough."

"As for dietary restrictions, my master doesn't particularly dislike any particular ingredient, but he has a picky palate. If the first bite doesn't satisfy him, he won't touch the rest of the dish again."

Last time, Cheng Yuntao stood out among many chefs. Mu Qingfeng always felt that she was trying to curry favor with him. He was also very curious about Cheng Yuntao's performance tonight.

"Thank you for telling me, Steward Mu. I now have an idea."

After Mu Qingfeng left, Cheng Yuntao turned to look at the girl who was left behind and asked softly, "What's your name?"

The girl raised her head, a hint of nervousness flashed in her eyes, and she whispered, "If you're going back, my name is Erya."

"Then can you cook? How are your knife skills?" Cheng Yuntao's voice became softer when she noticed the girl's nervousness.

Erya nodded quickly, a hint of confidence in her eyes, and her back straightened slightly. "Yes, I have been cooking for my family since I was old enough to hold a spatula. After I was sold to the Ji Mansion, I often came to help in the kitchen. My knife skills are pretty good."

Feeling the kindness emanating from Cheng Yuntao, Erya's cheeks flushed slightly, her eyes flashed with excitement, and her courage grew a lot.

"Miss Cheng, I've heard of your great name a long time ago! Last time, you defeated many chefs with a single dish of wild vegetable dumplings, and the story spread like wildfire among the servants in the mansion."

"I was thinking at the time, how could I see you cooking in person? I didn't expect that I could actually help you this time. I'm so happy."