local-node throws `Error invoking RPC: ...` after startup

[quiet-node]

Description

After the completion of the local node's startup process, for many times I execute smart contract tests against the local node, it throws the errors below:

• Error invoking RPC: timeout exceeded.

ProviderError: [Request ID: a6533f50-33b6-473a-aa87-f069bc778c38] Error invoking RPC: timeout exceeded
      at HttpProvider.request (/Users/user/development/hashgraph/hedera-smart-contracts/node_modules/hardhat/src/internal/core/providers/http.ts:88:21)
      at processTicksAndRejections (node:internal/process/task_queues:95:5)
      at HardhatEthersSigner.sendTransaction (/Users/user/development/hashgraph/hedera-smart-contracts/node_modules/@nomicfoundation/hardhat-ethers/src/signers.ts:125:18)
      at ContractFactory.deploy (/Users/user/development/hashgraph/hedera-smart-contracts/node_modules/ethers/src.ts/contract/factory.ts:111:24)
      at Context.<anonymous> (/Users/user/development/hashgraph/hedera-smart-contracts/test/stateContract.js:38:16)

• Error encountered retrieving latest block

ProviderError: [Request ID: f1d3c9af-5854-4a54-a1bd-7df8350fc9c3] Error encountered retrieving latest block
      at HttpProvider.request (/Users/user/development/hashgraph/hedera-smart-contracts/node_modules/hardhat/src/internal/core/providers/http.ts:88:21)
      at processTicksAndRejections (node:internal/process/task_queues:95:5)
      at HardhatEthersProvider.getBlockNumber (/Users/user/development/hashgraph/hedera-smart-contracts/node_modules/@nomicfoundation/hardhat-ethers/src/internal/hardhat-ethers-provider.ts:134:25)
      at HardhatEthersSigner.sendTransaction (/Users/user/development/hashgraph/hedera-smart-contracts/node_modules/@nomicfoundation/hardhat-ethers/src/signers.ts:122:25)
      at ContractFactory.deploy (/Users/user/development/hashgraph/hedera-smart-contracts/node_modules/ethers/src.ts/contract/factory.ts:111:24)
      at Context.<anonymous> (/Users/user/development/hashgraph/hedera-smart-contracts/test/stateContract.js:38:16)

• Unknown error invoking RPC

     ProviderError: [Request ID: 3d81a885-6fc2-4009-8004-27ce579e4d6e] Unknown error invoking RPC
      at HttpProvider.request (/Users/user/development/hashgraph/hedera-smart-contracts/node_modules/hardhat/src/internal/core/providers/http.ts:88:21)
      at processTicksAndRejections (node:internal/process/task_queues:95:5)
      at HardhatEthersProvider.getBlockNumber (/Users/user/development/hashgraph/hedera-smart-contracts/node_modules/@nomicfoundation/hardhat-ethers/src/internal/hardhat-ethers-provider.ts:134:25)
      at HardhatEthersSigner.sendTransaction (/Users/user/development/hashgraph/hedera-smart-contracts/node_modules/@nomicfoundation/hardhat-ethers/src/signers.ts:122:25)
      at ContractFactory.deploy (/Users/user/development/hashgraph/hedera-smart-contracts/node_modules/ethers/src.ts/contract/factory.ts:111:24)
      at Context.<anonymous> (/Users/user/development/hashgraph/hedera-smart-contracts/test/stateContract.js:38:16)

Steps to reproduce

1. run npm run start -d
2. run a smart contract test
3. observe the timeout exceeded error.

Additional context

Note that it's not consistent, sometimes it works fine but many times it throws timeout exceeded

Hedera network

other

Version

latest

Operating system

None