Chef Hua
Chapter 147 - 97 - Sob Sob Sob (Second Update) Part 2

Chapter 147: Chapter 97 - Sob Sob Sob (Second Update) Part 2

"Your mom is right," Hua Xiaomai smiled with pursed lips as she carried the fish into the kitchen and brought over a basin, "You’re getting married next year, and I wouldn’t dare delay your time. Let’s start now. First, do as I told you yesterday: clean the fish, removing every bit of the black membrane inside. Got it?"

Luo Yuejiao crisply agreed, sat down on the small stool, and immediately began working. Hua Xiaomai, worried Yuejiao might hurt herself, inevitably helped out, and it was not until they had properly handled the fish that she boiled a pot of water and instructed Yuejiao to throw the fish in.

"See, I’ve told you several times you need to remember, don’t just treat it like I’m singing a song, okay?" Hua Xiaomai half-jokingly glanced at Luo Yuejiao, "You just need to blanch the fish until it’s barely cooked and then immediately scoop it out. Don’t let it overcook, or the fish will be too mushy to use for making soup, and it won’t be fit to eat."

"Oh," Luo Yuejiao nodded vigorously and promptly used a large skimmer to put the fish in, then submerged it completely in the boiling water, looking up with a smile, "Sister Xiaomai, is this okay?"

"...Yes," Hua Xiaomai was somewhat bemused but thought about it and decided this method, at least, might help them get the fish out on time. She nodded her approval, then added, "Be careful too when you’re picking the fish meat off; don’t shred it. It won’t look nice, and it’ll ruin the taste. When you’re married and someone in your family isn’t feeling well, or just feels a bit under the weather, you can make a bowl of this. Add plenty of black pepper, Sichuan pepper powder, and Shao Wine—it’ll warm them right up."

Luo Yuejiao promised repeatedly, wishing she could stick her head right into the pot, her gaze locked onto the fish meat turning white. Every so often, she glanced anxiously at Hua Xiaomai, waiting for her to say "That’s it," so she could instantly lift the skimmer out.

The two of them busied themselves in the kitchen for a while. Seeing that the fish meat Yuejiao had processed today was passable, Hua Xiaomai went aside to simmer the broth she needed for her night market stall. Luo Yuejiao, working slowly, carefully picked at the fish meat for a while and then suddenly looked up, "Sister Xiaomai, on my way back from buying fish today, I saw Brother Meng Yuhuai."

Hua Xiaomai stirred the pot with a ladle, unconcernedly, "Didn’t you see him just last night? Our Fire Knife Village is only so small; it’s not surprising to bump into someone now and then. Since he’s back in the village, it’s nothing odd to run into him on the road."

"No, it’s not that, I..." Luo Yuejiao started to say a few words but hesitated, seemingly unsure whether to continue speaking her mind.

"Hmm? What’s wrong?" Hua Xiaomai, finding it a bit strange, turned to look at her, "Why the hesitancy?"

"I..." Luo Yuejiao, being younger and less able to keep things to herself, felt unbearably uncomfortable keeping the words inside. She looked cautiously around, lowered her voice, "Sister Xiaomai, you won’t tell anyone, right? Not even Sister Jing—you can’t tell her!"

Her innocently earnest expression was genuinely endearing. Hua Xiaomai couldn’t help but laugh, raising an eyebrow, "Okay, I won’t say a word—if you really don’t trust me, you don’t have to tell me."

"How could I not trust you..." Luo Yuejiao bit her lip, "It’s just that, what I saw was so odd! Sister Xiaomai, it wasn’t just Brother Meng Yuhuai; I also saw that sister from the Guan family in the southern part of the village. They were talking in the woods by the river, and that Guan sister... she was crying!"

"Cough, cough, cough..." Hua Xiaomai never imagined that she would utter such a sentence, and almost choked on her own saliva, rushing to the door to cough violently. After catching her breath, she turned back and asked, "Are you being serious, or are you just kidding?"

Oh, see, Guan Rong has certainly gotten bold, hasn’t she? She even dares to cry over some unrelated man in broad daylight! Isn’t she afraid of being seen and becoming the source of gossip?

But then again, if gossip really spread in the village, maybe Guan Rong would actually be more pleased?

"Why would I lie to you?" Luo Yuejiao said earnestly, "They were standing in the woods, and you wouldn’t even notice them if you weren’t paying attention; I just have sharp eyes! I saw that Guan sister crying pitifully, and Meng Yuhuai’s brows were furrowed tight, as if he wanted to leave by all means but couldn’t extricate himself, it looked so awkward!"

"Really?" Hua Xiaomai responded indifferently.

One could guess with their toes what Guan Rong was talking about with Meng Yuhuai, right?

Meng Yuhuai, I heard you were in trouble a few days ago, I was scared to death, thank goodness you came back safely, otherwise, I really don’t know what I would’ve done...

Meng Yuhuai, people in the village are bullying me, especially the sister-in-law of that Brother Jing, making me unable to even lift my head when walking around the village, whimper whimper whimper...

Hua Xiaomai also felt that her current mindset was really improper, almost seeming a bit jealous... But what of it? Guan Rong had already dared to cry in front of a man in public, wasn’t she allowed to mutter a few words to herself in her mind? Tsk!

"Whatever." She turned her head and smiled at Luo Yuejiao, "It’s none of our business."

Luo Yuejiao was silent for a moment, pouted her lips, and suddenly said, "I don’t like her!"

"Oh, why?" Hua Xiaomai tilted her head, "Did she bully you?"

"No, she didn’t bully me; my family is quite respected in Fire Knife Village, she wouldn’t dare!" Luo Yuejiao huffed, "I heard from my sister-in-law that she previously tried to take advantage of you, planning to benefit from your stall, and because she didn’t succeed, she went around the village pretending to be aggrieved. My mom says that such people are the worst!"

(To be continued. If you like this work, you’re welcome to go to Qidian (qidian.com) to cast your recommendation ticket and monthly ticket. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to read.)