Meng Yuhuai went to the town's milk shop early the next morning, and, surprisingly, without much effort, he managed to reserve several jars of milk, paid the deposit, and arranged with the shopkeeper to come back and pick them up on the 14th of April.
Hua Xiaomai was well aware that the final selection for the scholar's banquet was a serious affair, practicing diligently over the stove whenever she got some free time during the day, and even after returning home at night, she would lie on her bed pondering for a long time, turning the three ingredients over and over in her mind, figuring out how to make the most of these simple items to create distinctive dishes.
If she rose early and left the Meng family compound, she would also visit the two plots of land near the threshing ground if time permitted.
