Before the birthday banquet even began, the head chef left with his assistants, taking the steamer baskets with him.
Six tables of guests were waiting for their meal. The birthday celebrant clutched the money they had saved, too afraid to ask whether the banquet would still go ahead.
Yao Zhaohe, who had worked as a kitchen hand for ten years, stayed behind.
She used her room-rental money to hire helpers, cleared the stove to cook noodles, and changed the recipe to get the fish onto the table. After the first banquet was over, the guests finally remembered her name.
But being a good cook does not necessarily mean you can lead a team well. The assistants needed their wages topped up, and the flour chef had a stall of his own. She tried to persuade the guests to share tables, but they refused to make peace.
From stepping in to save other people's banquets to renting a small kitchen courtyard of her own, Yao Zhaohe leads a group of women, each with her own skills and temperament. They take on birthday banquets and wedding feasts, and even work in cold, empty courtyards after a breakup.
Some want to save face, some need to say goodbye, and some just want to enjoy a good meal at a banquet they paid for themselves.
She has to make the dishes a success, and make sure the people working with her earn a living too.
