The bearded men ate and chatted, but Sheila couldn't eat with her, she was personally responsible for serving the dishes, providing utensils, and removing the finished plates. The food tasted good, the bearded ones were almost swept away, and the fine cherry shochu from Greece was quickly sold. The bearded men talk about republican, elections, senate, Lok Sabha and the like.

Listening to her ears, Sheila only felt that the old man really had Yaxing at this time! It's even more ethereal than Daddy's previous 'morality'. When the last dish was served, Tiberius suddenly remembered something, and he asked Sheila's father, "Where are the pumpkins and potatoes?" ”

"We've just finished eating." Sheila's father replied.

The bearded men were all surprised, they had just talked too seriously, they only thought that the food tasted good, but they didn't pay much attention to what they ate. Sheila's father told Sheila to go to the kitchen to tell Sheila's mother, and soon everyone was served three dishes and one soup. One spiced mashed potato, one steamed pumpkin, one baked potato per person, and pumpkin corn bisque.

This time, the bearded people savored it and sprinkled it with condiments according to their taste. A bearded man tasted each food and praised it, "It's delicious." I thought the province of Europa was sending coarse food. ”

Sheila, who was standing next to her, really couldn't stand this kind of rhetoric, and she smiled: "Your Excellency, potatoes and pumpkins are not delicate, but Song Guo's cooking skills are very superb. No matter how ordinary the food is, they can make it delicious in their hands. ”

Without waiting for the beard to speak, His Excellency Tiberius spoke first: "Sheila, you are a comprador in the provincial office of Europa, right? ”

"Yes."

"In that case, can you ask them to hold some public dinners and ask the chefs to cook this kind of food for everyone to eat?"

"I don't have the money to hold a dinner like this!" Sheila instinctively refused.

The bearded men were all confused, not understanding what Sheila meant.

Tiberius smiled slightly, "I will ask Baselus to provide food and space without your expense, and you will only be responsible for teaching the people who come to the meeting how to cook pumpkins and potatoes." ”

Hearing that she didn't have to pay, Sheila couldn't help but gently cover her chest. If she was asked to pay, Sheila just wanted to flee to the ends of the earth immediately. However, within a minute of such reassurance, Sheila immediately discovered a new problem, and she hurriedly said: "Your Excellency Tiberius, it takes a lot of condiments and money to cook food like this. ”

"It's a good reminder, and I'll ask Baseles to take note of it." Tiberius said with a smile.

Finally someone was willing to pay, and Sheila put a heart in her stomach. She did not dare to say anything full, so she told Tiberius that she could only do her best. The province of Europa had good intentions towards the Eastern Roman Empire, but it was best not to use it indiscriminately.

When the bearded men left, Sheila's mother brought everyone a pumpkin pie and seasoned mashed potatoes, and it was obvious that the bearded ones really liked it. When the last bearded man left in the car, Sheila, who was already hungry, ran into the kitchen and began to get herself something to eat, and saw that under the tray covered by her mother with a bamboo cage was a complete meal of meat, eggs, vegetarian food, and thick soup, Sheila devoured it. Hungry and trying to take on the work of the waiter gracefully, Sheila was so hungry that her heart was close to her back.

Soon my father and mother entered the kitchen, and my father said, "Sheila, you have to finish this." ”

Swallowing a mouthful of soup, Sheila replied, "Call all our neighbors, call the widow and aunt." And, father, I think of another thing, whether Barcellus can pay for some kitchen utensils. After saying that, Sheila picked up the tool for squeezing mashed potatoes and showed her father, this is a guy from the Great Song Dynasty, it's not that there are no similar things in Eastern Rome, but the materials and production processed by the Great Song Dynasty are much better than those in Eastern Rome.

"This ......," Sheila's father hesitated. It's a really easy tool, but it's not very expensive.

Sheila took another bite of the soup and suddenly thought of a solution, "Anyway, it's all like this, I asked the office to open a kitchenware factory, and let the widow aunt take the children to work in the factory." It's not always an option. ”

"Hahaha, well said, well said." Father couldn't help but laugh out loud, "Sheila, you've really grown up. It's time to take on the heavy lift! ”

Sheila rolled her eyes and didn't speak, she had already taken on the rations of half the family on the street, it was enough. What bullshit heavy responsibility, it's not all forced. If the Yuan Kingdom had not suddenly interrupted the food supply, Sheila would probably be discussing cooperation with the outer eastern nobles in the mansions of the great nobles at this time, and that would be the life Sheila was looking forward to.

The next day, Xie Song did not answer after listening to Sheila's application, but asked about the task assigned to Sheila before. Sheila recounted her recent progress. The gatherings of the big nobles have also begun to become more private, and compradors like Sheila have been excluded from their circle. Among the nobles in the outer circle, there is news that the great nobles are ready to take this opportunity to restore the price of grain to the historical normal level, that is, five times the price of grain at the beginning of the year.

After hearing this, Xie Song's face showed some sarcasm, and he praised: "Well done." ”

Sheila didn't know if Xie Song was complimenting Sheila or mocking the big nobles, she continued the topic earlier, "Director Xie, I think it would be good to have a tasting, if pumpkins and potatoes can be delicious, the people of Constantinople will think that they are not stuffed with coarse food because of lack of food, they will think that there is new food that makes them feel at ease." ”

"Then do you know that potato sprouts are poisonous?"

"I know, I think it's more of a publicity."

"Hmph. Not bad, not bad. Sheila, do a good job. ”

Hearing the more serious compliment, Sheila suddenly remembered the kitchenware factory, and she immediately said: "I want to ask the office to invest in half of the kitchenware factory, and the tools for mashing potatoes and pumpkins are not available in all families." If it can be provided, there will definitely be sales. ”

"Sales? Ha ha! You're thinking too much. Someone really needs it, and this sales volume is going to sell for money. ”

"Isn't it possible?" Sheila replied with a void in her heart. She could remember it all because she thought of the widow's aunt's empty kitchen, which lacked not only food but also utensils. Most of those cheap kitchen utensils are made of wood, which is not only easy to use, but also decays by itself.

Xie Song didn't answer, but lowered his head and wrote a document with a little brush. After signing and sealing, he wanted to hand it to Sheila, but Xie Song leaned back in his chair, his eyes were sharp. With this sharp gaze, Sheila tried to straighten her body, and heard Xie Song say, "Do you know that you have to take responsibility?" ”

"Understood." Sheila only felt her throat unconsciously dry. The clerk only needs to complete the prescribed steps and contents, and once he is in charge, he has to take responsibility for the things he is responsible for. As for the reason, it doesn't matter, the top don't care so much, what they want is the result. Taking this step means that not only does Sheila have no one to rely on, but she also has to take responsibility for everyone's mistakes.

After glancing at Sheila a few more times, Xie Song nodded, "Very good, I'll wait and see." He then handed the document to Sheila.

Xi stretched his hand to take the document, only to feel that a piece of paper was thin and light, as if it had no weight, and it had to be very hard to pinch it. Back at her desk, Sheila opened the file and saw that Sheila was allowed to organize a tasting session and ask the various departments to provide what Sheila needed.

A few short lines tell a very simple story, but Sheila feels that there are countless things in it. With her experience in the past few years, many links have popped up one by one. Things are so complicated that there's no way to figure them out. Sheila suddenly regretted why she had to accept such a thing, and that her boring sympathy had caused her so much trouble.

When she got home, Sheila took her mother's hand and talked about what happened to her, and she choked up after only a few words. The mother did not speak, but waited for Sheila to finish crying herself, and then said, "Sheila, your father and I both believe that you can handle this." ”

"It's like throwing a banquet for tens of thousands of people......" Sheila sobbed again.

Mother Wen Yan said: "Don't think about tens of thousands of people holding it together, if it is divided into different parties, won't it become a banquet attended by hundreds of people and a hundred people?" ”

Sheila suddenly became refreshed when she heard this, she wiped her tears, and her eyes were bright, but after a moment she thought of a new question, "How many people do you have to invite to be waiters!" ”

"Wouldn't it be nice to ask our neighbors for help?" Mother said gently.

Sheila was stunned, she looked at her mother for a while before she said, "Mother, you won't have calculated it a long time ago, right?" ”

"How so. Ha ha. The mother smiled and said, "Sheila, everyone has difficulties, and they need help from others. Don't hire our neighbors, and don't talk to them with your previous help. You just tell everyone that you were asked to do this, and because you don't have the people you can trust, you ask for the neighbors. If they agree, you talk to them about the pay. My daughter, tell everyone about your difficulties, everyone is a person who has been through it, and they can understand it. ”

Sheila listened carefully, and felt that she understood, but she still didn't quite understand. But at this time, she felt that her mother was so good.

The dark clouds in the mid-November sky had dissipated, and the cold winds from the north had cooled Constantinople considerably. There were many teenagers on the streets who put up posters telling people in the city that there was going to be a half-month tasting party. The Eastern Roman court and the province of Europa teamed up to recommend new foods and how to cook them.

Sheila rode her horse hastily from one venue to another, covering most of the city of Constantinople. If it weren't for the curfew on the streets, and if it weren't for the ugly cries on the faces of pedestrians, just looking at the poster would have thought it would be a delightful food event. At this point, Sheila realized that if she didn't do a good job, all her future would probably be cut off. Maybe she understood the result, but she didn't want to think about it. Today, the first pitch session will begin on the street where Sheila once lived, and there is no time left to be afraid.