Chef Hua
Chapter 145 - 96: Off You Go (Part 1)_2

Chapter 145: Chapter 96: Off You Go (Part 1)_2

Hua Xiaomai immediately became excited, turned around, and instructed Luo Yuejiao with a few words, telling her to head home quickly and to be careful on her way. Then, she bounded into her own yard in just a few steps and called out loudly, "Brother-in-law, brother-in-law, come out and see who’s here!"

Movement came from the brightly lit main room, and soon after, Jing Taihe and Hua Erniang came out, one right after the other. As Hua Erniang walked, she couldn’t stop cursing, "I think your sickness is getting more serious. Who is so extraordinary that you have to howl like a ghost in the middle of the night? Let me not..."

She stopped mid-sentence, just like Hua Xiaomai a moment ago, her eyes widened into circles, her mouth agape, staring fixedly at Meng Yuhuai, who walked in with a smile from outside the door.

Jing Taihe was also dumbstruck, standing in the middle of the courtyard, staring dazedly at Meng Yuhuai’s face. His lips moved, but no sound came out. After a long while, he stuttered in disbelief, "Yuhuai... Brother Yuhuai?" Those few words revealed that his throat was choked up.

He looked as if he was about to cry. Meng Yuhuai hurriedly stepped forward, patted him on the shoulder, and smiled, "What’s this about, I’m standing right here, aren’t I? Brother Taihe, I know I’ve caused you all a lot of worry and fear during this time. I truly am sorry..."

"If we’re brothers, why speak of such things? Your return is better than anything!" Jing Taihe rubbed his eyes, grabbed him, and headed towards the main room, evidently over the moon. His whole demeanor was instantly invigorated.

Um, Jing Taihe’s current expression was really... If she hadn’t been living in the same courtyard with him, seeing him and Hua Erniang at their most affectionate day after day, Hua Xiaomai would have almost been unable to contain herself, entertaining some strange thoughts!

Hua Erniang stood to the side, dazed for a while, but finally snapped out of it and pushed Hua Xiaomai, "You go quickly and get some..."

"Got it." Hua Xiaomai flashed a smile at her and immediately stepped into the kitchen.

By this time, it was almost the hour to rest at night, not suitable for eating too much. Hua Xiaomai pondered for a moment, then used the broth made from eel to prepare a few small bowls of noodles. She also sliced a piece of tofu skin, rolled it into a cylinder, lightly fried it, and then put it with sliced mushrooms into a fresh soup to simmer.

She cut a bunch of scallions from the vegetable patch behind the house, chopped them into fine pieces to fry with eggs, presenting a bright yellow and vibrant green that made one’s appetite surge at first glance. Next to it, she placed a small dish of sauce-pickled sweet cicely, and carried everything to the main room in an efficient and neat manner. Despite being the most simple home-cooked dishes, they looked a bit more exquisite than others when they passed through her hands.

Hua Erniang was chatting with Jing Taihe and Meng Yuhuai in the main room, vaguely feeling sleepy and nodding off. When she saw Hua Xiaomai carrying several bowls of noodles inside, she immediately jumped up, shouting, "Why did you make so much again? I’ve been eating a bowl of noodles every night before sleep recently, and my legs have grown thicker. If this keeps up, you’re going to ruin my fine figure! I’m warning you, don’t bring it here, I won’t eat it, not even if you beat me to death!"

She shouldn’t have blurted out such words in front of Meng Yuhuai, but her mouth was faster than her brain, and only after the words were out did she realize the impropriety, hurrying to laugh it off awkwardly in Meng Yuhuai’s direction.

Hua Xiaomai glanced at her with a grin and said righteously, "Which ear of yours heard me inviting you to eat? I was merely thinking that my brother-in-law hasn’t had a proper meal recently. Now that Meng Family’s eldest brother is back, his heart is settled, and he must have gotten an appetite. That’s why I made some extra food, what does it have to do with you?"

Hua Erye rolled her eyes and fell silent, while Jing Taihe was lured by the fragrance of the noodles and really felt his mouth watering, so with a chuckle, he served two bowls of noodles for himself and Meng Yuhuai, "It is indeed Xiaomai who has thought this through, I am truly hungry."

Hua Xiaomai grew even more smug, raising her chin at Hua Erye and took a seat. Jing Taihe, while stirring the noodles in his bowl, asked incessantly about the details of the escort heist.

"Indeed, we encountered water bandits," Meng Yuhuai said, frowning slightly as he held his bowl, "Those thieves were extremely good swimmers, overturning the boat in a flash and looting all the goods. The water was in complete chaos at that moment, and a panicked associate who had never faced such adversity recklessly swam towards the shore—although, in hindsight, we should thank him for rushing back to the Escort Agency to report the news, which made the rest of the operation go smoothly."

Apparently, although they ran into water bandits and lost the escorted goods, no one was seriously harmed, with only one of their hands suffering minor skin injuries. The bandits took the goods and ran, and upon reaching the shore, Meng Yuhuai and his men, after discussing the matter, decided to retrieve the stolen goods immediately. On the other hand, upon hearing the news, Ke Zhenwu also sent people to assist them.

A group of them gleaned information about the whereabouts of the water bandits from nearby villagers and snuck up on them in the dead of night. After a fierce fight, they managed to reclaim all the goods without missing a single item. Although everyone sustained some minor injuries, none were severe, and they transported the goods back to Fuzhe County unopened, choosing another day to dispatch others for the escort.

At the moment, Meng Yuhuai spoke lightly of it, but Hua Xiaomai could generally imagine how urgent and dangerous the situation must have been at the time, and she couldn’t help frowning and saying, "Since you already knew of the bandits’ whereabouts, why didn’t you simply report them to the government? Would it not have been more convenient for them to handle the situation?"

Meng Yuhuai laughed lightly and shook his head, "The situation with the Escort Agency is rather complex. Although we rely on the government to facilitate our affairs, we can’t depend on them for everything; otherwise, if word got out, it would be subject to ridicule and looked down upon, which would damage the agency’s reputation and make future business difficult."

"Then... in your clash with those water bandits, did you... did you kill anyone?" Hua Xiaomai nodded, asking with a mixture of dread and curiosity.

"You even know the term ’firefight’?" Meng Yuhuai said with a mix of laughter and helplessness, "When we go out on escorts, the most important thing is to ensure the safety of the goods. It’s best not to harm or kill anyone. In a fight, it’s inevitable to have some cuts and bruises, but we don’t take lives unless necessary, so we don’t feel uneasy about it later."

As he spoke, he picked up a piece of sweet cicely and popped it in his mouth, praising with a smile, "This pickled vegetable does taste very good, even better than the ones sold in the well-known Sauce Garden in the county."

Hua Xiaomai pursed her lips into a smile, "That’s hardly worth any money. If you like it, tomorrow I’ll have my brother-in-law take some to your place when he goes to the blacksmith’s."

After thinking for a moment, Meng Yuhuai put down his chopsticks, "There’s no need to make a special trip. Just bring some tomorrow when you set up your stall, and I’ll pick it up myself." (To be continued. If you like this work, welcome to Qidian (qidian.com) to cast your recommendation ticket, monthly ticket, your support is my biggest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to read.)