Chef Hua
Chapter 185: Episode 116: Keep Your Distance from Her _2

Chapter 185: Episode 116: Keep Your Distance from Her _2

"I... just wanted to take a walk," Meng Yuhuai hesitated slightly, looking down and smiling faintly as he spoke.

Well, he did indeed just feel like going out for a stroll, but somehow, he found himself walking toward the west side of the village. Noticing it was about time for Hua Xiaomai to set up her stall, he simply stopped by the roadside and waited for a while.

"You’re looking for me for something, right?" Hua Xiaomai gave him another glance, "...Could it be, you’ve also heard those idle talks from the village?"

"I’ve... caught a hint of it," Meng Yuhuai nodded lightly.

"Sigh, bad news really does travel fast. Even you, who usually don’t pry into others’ affairs, have heard about it, which is really..." Hua Xiaomai sighed helplessly.

So what was he doing here now?

Meng Yuhuai was never good at persuading or comforting others, and after carefully choosing his words, he began to speak somewhat stiffly, "The people in the village might not have ill intentions; they just like to gossip when they have nothing better to do. You shouldn’t take it to heart. Such baseless rumors will dissipate on their own in a few days, so there’s no need to worry about them."

"So you’re saying you don’t believe a word of what they’ve been spreading?" Hua Xiaomai raised an eyebrow, tilting her head slightly to look at him.

"I, of course..." As Meng Yuhuai was about to answer with certainty, he suddenly noticed a mischievous glint in her eyes, becoming instantly wary. He cleared his throat with a fist to his lips, quickly changing the subject, "You’re going to set up your stall?"

This was asking the obvious, wasn’t it? Hua Xiaomai pursed her lips: "No matter what others say, I still have to do my business. After all, I haven’t done anything wrong; what is there to be afraid of? My elder sister thinks the same."

Meng Yuhuai nodded, "Since I have nothing pressing to do, I might as well go with you."

"Ah? Why would you come along?" Hua Xiaomai had not expected him to say that, she looked up in surprise, and with a roll of her eyes, "With those rumors flying all around the village right now, aren’t you afraid they’ll end up concerning you too?"

Meng Yuhuai lowered his gaze to her face.

This girl bore some resemblance to Hua’s second mother, but to be fair, she wasn’t nearly as pretty as her elder sister. Skinny as a chick, with an odd temperament—stubborn one moment, mischievously plotting the next, daring to say anything, and a first-rate act at playing pitiful. Yet when it came to beating someone with a stick, she didn’t hold back even a little...

But why did she end up mattering so much to someone?

A warmth surged in his chest, and the words "I couldn’t ask for more" almost burst out, but he quickly swallowed them back, saying coolly, "You needn’t worry about that."

"Ah, Yuhuai, you’re really so kind!"

A crisp voice reached his ears, and Meng Yuhuai immediately lifted his gaze, only to see the speaker was Luo Yuejiao, standing by Hua Xiaomai’s side, clapping her hands and looking at him with a giggly smile.

"The mouths of those people in the village are the worst. Yuhuai, if you’re willing to accompany Xiaomai to the stall, I’m sure no one would dare utter a word of ridicule in her presence. At the very least, we could enjoy some peace of mind—there’s nothing better than that!"

"Hmm," Meng Yuhuai said stiffly, responding with a single word before turning around and leading the way toward the riverside with large strides.

...

Under the riverside trees, as usual, many people were sitting or standing, enjoying the cool air, and the number of customers eating noodles at the stall was still substantial. Perhaps because Meng Yuhuai, like a solemn Buddha, stood by silently, not a single word about those rumors was raised. Instead, Hua Xiaomai received even more pleasant looks than usual. With her earnings plentiful and her mood uplifted, she had nothing to critique and took a break to cook some noodles. She served them to Meng Yuhuai with a smile and quietly thanked him.

As evening approached and it neared the time of the Dog, the crowd at the stall and along the riverbank gradually dissipated. Hua Xiaomai was preparing to pack up and head home when she saw Wen Huaren slowly shuffling over from a distance, looking somewhat shrunken.

This fellow’s past couple of days must have been rough, eh?

Hua Xiaomai didn’t bother with him, just continued to tidy up the remaining vegetables awhen she noticed Scholar Wen dragging his feet over to the stall, quietly calling out, "Miss Xiaomai..."

"Want some noodles? I’m about to close up shop," Hua Xiaomai glanced at him, "Besides, do you even have any money?"

"No, it’s not that," Wen Huaren quickly waved his hands, "Actually... I wanted to tell you, I’ve heard about the incidents these past days and know you must be upset. I specifically came to tell you not to worry."

"Huh? What do you mean?" Hua Xiaomai raised her eyelids, "What have I to worry about?"

Wen Huaren rubbed the corner of his clothing nervously, stammering, "Don’t put on a brave face. I know that for a lady, such idle talk can greatly damage one’s reputation and you must be truly distressed. I..."

As if having made a great resolution, he suddenly clenched his fist and said, "After all, I share the responsibility for this whole affair; I can’t just clear myself completely. Rest assured, I... I will come to your house tomorrow to propose. Although you... Alas, although you do cook delicious meals, I have to say... currently being poor, I can’t offer a proper betrothal gift, so let’s just consider ourselves engaged for now, and next year, when I pass the civil service examination, we can..."

"What are you saying?" Hua Xiaomai raised an eyebrow fiercely glaring at him, "From the sound of it, it seems like you’re looking down on me, huh? Let’s not even talk about whether I agree or not, in what ways do I not match up to you?"

Wen Huaren jumped in fright and took a step back, "One seeks a virtuous wife, but look at you..."

"In what ways am I not ’virtuous’?" Hua Xiaomai got fired up, hands on hips, and shouted fiercely, "Watch your words. Don’t force me to take action. My staff doesn’t joke around like you do!"

Scholar Wen looked nearly ready to cry.

Miss, is it even necessary for me to say it? Just look at yourself; does any virtuous lady look like this?

Hua Xiaomai clenched her fists ready to throw a punch, while Wen Huaren positioned himself to run away, ready to beat a hasty retreat, and the scene suddenly became a standoff.

Meng Yuhuai watched with a mix of laughter and helplessness, stepping forward in just a few strides. He grabbed Scholar Wen by the collar, deftly tossed him to the side, and said in a deep voice, "Thinking about proposing after hearing a few rumors, what kind of a joke is that? From now on, stay away from her."

(To be continued. If you enjoy this work, please come to Qidian (qidian.com) to cast your recommendation tickets and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please read at m.qidian.com.)