Chapter 237

Afterwards, no one spoke, and everyone focused on watching the four individuals cook.

In the end, all eyes were drawn to the man who had stepped forward.

His cooking movements were smooth and graceful, and he sliced the vegetables and meat with precision, maintaining even thickness. His actions were swift, and just watching him work made it clear that he was a skilled chef.

The other three were not slow either. Two of the women cooked at a similar pace, and their actions were faultless.

It was the woman with wandering eyes who caught everyone’s attention. When she saw meat on the table, she immediately grabbed a large piece and placed it on her cutting board, her mouth watering. She haphazardly made a few cuts, resulting in unevenly sized meat pieces that looked messy. Then, she dumped everything into the pot, adding various seasonings from the table without any rhyme or reason.

After a while, all four of them had finished cooking, and the dishes were placed on the table in front of Shen Yu’an.

The last woman to serve her dish couldn’t help but drool at the smell of the meat in her plate. However, she restrained herself, remembering that Shen Yu’an had come to buy slaves. She reluctantly handed the dish over, but her eyes were still fixed on the mouthwatering aroma of the food.

The broker, seeing the embarrassed look on the woman’s face, moved behind her and lightly tapped her with his whip. When she looked over, he glared at her as a reminder.

Shen Yu’an tasted each dish one by one. When she tasted the dish prepared by the man, her eyes narrowed with delight.

One of the women noticed Shen Yu’an’s expression when she tried the man’s dish and deduced that her own cooking had not met the young lady’s expectations. Her demeanor dimmed.

Shen Yu’an stopped after just a few bites and turned to the man, saying, “You have a good culinary skill. What’s your name?”

The man bowed to Shen Yu’an and replied, “I’m Chen Quan,” then stood quietly to the side.

Shen Yu’an asked, “Chen Quan, I’ll take you. And what about you?” She pointed to the woman with the dimmed expression.

While her cooking might not be on par with Chen Quan’s, it was still delicious, and with a large household to feed, one cook wouldn’t be enough.

The woman hesitated for a moment before realizing that Shen Yu’an was referring to her. She quickly responded, “I’m Tian Qiu.”

“Chen Quan and Tian Qiu it is. Is there anyone else here with noteworthy skills who would like to volunteer?” Shen Yu’an inquired.

Upon hearing Shen Yu’an’s words, Tian Qiu made up her mind and knelt in front of Shen Yu’an, saying, “Please, Miss, buy our whole family.”

Before the broker could react and stop her, she quickly added, “My husband is skilled and can also drive a carriage. Although my son is young, he used to be a servant boy in a noble’s house and knows many words. He’s also quick at doing various chores.”

The broker was hesitant to speak, fearing that if Shen Yu’an agreed to Tian Qiu’s request, she might change her mind later, even about Tian Qiu. He said, “Tian Qiu’s husband is injured, and it’s hard to say if he can recover.”

Tian Qiu continued to kowtow on the ground, and blood soon appeared on her forehead. “Please, Miss, buy all of us. We will be loyal to you.”

The broker was in a difficult position. He looked at Shen Yu’an and asked, “Miss, what do you think? If you want the man, I can give him to you for free, but for their clever son, you’ll have to pay the price.”

Upon hearing this, Shen Yu’an said, “Why don’t I see the child first? Take me to see him before I make a decision.”

The broker bowed in a gesture of agreement and led Shen Yu’an to the woodshed in the backyard.

“The man is still recovering from his injury, and I was afraid he might infect others after his illness, so I had him stay here,” the broker explained.

Shen Yu’an didn’t respond and simply gestured for him to open the door.