Chef Hua
Chapter 202 - 125 Heading to the Prefecture (Second Update)

Chapter 202: Chapter 125 Heading to the Prefecture (Second Update)

On the seventh day of the seventh month, there were indeed only eight or nine days left until the event, and Song Jingxi seemed to regard this annual grand occasion as extremely important, so all the preparations in advance had to be especially meticulous.

After some consideration, Hua Xiaomai nodded in agreement, "In that case, I’ll go to the prefecture with you tomorrow. I just don’t know where you are staying tonight?"

Hmm, logically, I should warmly invite her to spend the night at our place, but our little courtyard doesn’t have that many rooms...

Song Jingxi’s face turned as pink as peach blossoms, her eyes curved like crescent moons: "You don’t need to worry about that aspect, isn’t there an inn at the eastern edge of Fire Knife Village? I will just take my people there and make do for the night, and come to pick you up early tomorrow."

She thought for a moment, then earnestly instructed, "The weather in the prefecture is even hotter than your little village by a notch or two; don’t bring any thick clothing, just pick a couple of cooler outfits to pack, that’s the right way to do it! Oh right, we’re taking the coach back, and although it’s faster, we won’t reach the prefecture until tomorrow evening, so don’t forget to bring some food with you, and better bring more, so I can have a bite as well, haha."

Hua Xiaomai responded with a smile and exchanged a few more words with her, then Song Jingxi rose to take her leave. Hua Xiaomai and Hua Erniang saw her off together, watching her carriage kick up clouds of dust towards the east of the village.

Hua Erniang no longer cared to tend to the vegetables she had planted in the fields; the moment she returned to the courtyard, she started bustling about. She went to the western room to rummage through Hua Xiaomai’s summer shirts, picking out the newest and the brightest ones without a second thought, folding them neatly and stuffing them into the travel bag.

"I’ve heard that young ladies and wives in the prefecture dress beautifully, with bright colors and fashionable styles. If I had known, I would have made a couple more for you," she muttered nonstop as she packed.

Hua Xiaomai listened, laughing nonstop, and couldn’t help but chime in teasingly, "I’m going to Provincial City for the Eight Treasures Conference, to take care of serious business. What’s the point of bringing so many pretty clothes?"

"What do you know?" Hua Erniang gave her a look and said righteously, "Even though we’re country folks in the eyes of those people in the prefecture, we need to present ourselves neatly and respectably. We may not shine like those city girls, but at least we can’t be the butt of their jokes, right?"

With a sigh, she added, "You will be staying there for at least seven or eight days. Ever since you came to Fire Knife Village, you haven’t left my side. I’m truly a bit worried."

That might be the case, but... elder sister, could you please explain the hint of joy in the corners of your eyes and brows?

Though she didn’t say it, Hua Xiaomai’s constant coming and going in the house must have been somewhat inconvenient for Hua Erniang, right? Now that she was leaving for Provincial City, only Hua Erniang and Jing Taihe would be left at home. Tsk tsk tsk, one could only imagine... who knows what these two would get up to!

These thoughts, of course, Hua Xiaomai dared only to ponder in her heart; if she voiced them, she might not even preserve her own life. She couldn’t help but let out a snicker, which immediately earned her a glare from Hua Erniang.

"Laughing about what, are you sick? Don’t go set up your stall by the river tonight, take a good rest at home. I think... your days in Provincial City won’t be easy; you’re bound to be exhausted... Your frail body, can it even endure it?"

Feeling such concern from her, Hua Xiaomai naturally didn’t want to disregard her kind intentions and obediently agreed. Seeing her elder sister busy, she went to the kitchen instead and made a couple of Hundred Fruit Cakes among other pastries, preparing them for the journey tomorrow.

That evening, when Jing Taihe returned from the blacksmith’s shop and learned that Hua Xiaomai would accompany Song Jingxi to the provincial city the next day, he was surprised; yet he couldn’t help but repeat a few instructions to her. He wasn’t much for words, going back and forth with phrases like "be careful," "don’t wander off," and "come back early," all of which Hua Xiaomai dutifully agreed to. Thinking that for the next few days, Jing Taihe would have to rely on the suspiciously shaped, frighteningly colored food made by Hua Erniang, she felt a sudden sympathy for him and specifically cooked several good dishes as a way to appease his stomach in advance.

The night passed without incident, and the next morning, right at the crack of dawn, Song Jingxi was already at the door, cheerfully leading Hua Xiaomai to the coach. They bid farewell to Hua Erniang and Jing Taihe, leaving the village and heading toward Provincial City along the official road.