Chef Hua
Chapter 218: Episode 133: I Give You _2

Chapter 218: Episode 133: I Give You _2

Hua Xiaomai felt grateful but didn’t want to make a fuss and push back and forth with him. After some thought, she nodded and said with a smile, "If that’s the case, Uncle Ke, if you host another banquet in the future, I’ll come help you cook again, and I won’t charge a dime. Now, I should head back, my coachman is still waiting for me outside."

Having said that, she turned to leave.

"Wait, just a moment! Just a moment!" Ke Zhenwu hastened to catch up in a few steps, patting her on the shoulder, "What are you rushing off for? What time is it already? If you go back home now, there won’t be any dinner ready for you! Sister-in-law Zuo is busy in the kitchen at the moment. Look, why don’t you just stay here and dine with us? If you’re willing, you could lend Sister-in-law Zuo a hand in the kitchen, make a couple of delicious dishes for us to curb our cravings, and by the way, I’d love to hear you tell me all about what happened at the Eight Treasures Conference. If it gets too late, I’ll have Dazhong send you home."

Without waiting for Hua Xiaomai’s response, he immediately had Dazhong go out to dismiss the coachman and brought all her luggage inside. Left with no alternative, Hua Xiaomai could only smile and nod her head, going straight to the kitchen in the rear courtyard.

...

That evening, Lianshun Escort Agency hosted dinner in the courtyard as usual, with everyone warmly gathered around the round table. Enjoying the cool breeze and sipping some wine was indeed very pleasant.

Hua Xiaomai was pulled by Ke Zhenwu to sit next to him. All evening he was busy asking about the Eight Treasures Conference, constantly smacking his lips with regret, exclaiming how he should’ve attended if he hadn’t been so tied up.

"...Anyway, that day it was quite a sight by Huayin Pond, so crowded that just squeezing in took a great deal of effort. The chefs from the bistros who came to compete were all well-known figures. Even someone like me who works in the kitchen every day had to salivate at the sight of their dishes! Now that I think about it, I was probably just lucky. The two meat dishes I cooked happened to suit the palate of the judges, otherwise, who knows what the outcome would’ve been!"

Although she wasn’t keen on bringing up the Eight Treasures Conference, since Ke Zhenwu asked, Hua Xiaomai felt obligated to describe the process in a relaxed and pleasant manner, only naturally omitting the part where Song Jingxi had Qing Tao replace Biyue Pavilion’s Conch.

Listening with longing, Ke Zhenwu nodded continuously, "That Song, this time he has really made it big. Hosting the Moon Banquet for the Mid-Autumn Festival means he will have the Government’s protection, making things much more convenient from now on—ah, right, didn’t he always say he wanted you to take charge of his Taoyuan House kitchen? Have you come back to discuss it with your elder sister and brother-in-law?"

Hua Xiaomai let out a soft sigh, looked down, and smiled, "I won’t be going to Taoyuan House anymore."

"Oh, why’s that?" Ke Zhenwu was quite surprised, his mustache quivering.

How could she explain? Hua Xiaomai bit her lip and said, "Well, he didn’t take a fancy to me, that’s all."

"Nonsense!" Ke Zhenwu slammed the table, seemingly a little angry, "Just last time, when we went to eat noodles at your stall, he asked you to make a table of dishes with flowers, and after returning to the County, he kept praising them. He said that no matter what, he had to get you to Taoyuan House to cook for him, not to mention this time, you even won the championship of the Eight Treasures Conference for him. How could he not think highly of you? Unless he’s gone mad or had his head squeezed by a door!"

Seeing that Hua Xiaomai was silent, he softened his tone and frowned, "Xiaomai girl, tell me the truth, did something happen? Since you entered the doors of our Escort Agency today, I felt like you were troubled. If you have troubles, just tell Uncle Ke. Even if it’s for the sake of the delicious dishes you make, I won’t just stand by and do nothing."

Hua Xiaomai knew his words came from the heart, but she had taken the hush money and some things could only rot in her belly. After pondering for a moment, she lifted her head and curved her lips, "Alright, the truth is I’m just inexperienced, I can’t leave my elder sister and I’m also reluctant to give up my little stall by the river. Being able to stay in the Provincial City is tempting, but after thinking it through... I’d better go home. I can only apologize to Song."

"Is it really just that simple?" Ke Zhenwu was still somewhat unconvinced, his eyebrows tightened into a knot.

"If you don’t believe me, you can go and ask around. In a couple of days when Lord Zhao comes back from the Provincial City, he’ll surely bring back news," Hua Xiaomai gestured with an air of nonchalance.

"Never mind, it’s quite normal for a girl to be attached to her home," Ke Zhenwu, seeing she wouldn’t budge, had no choice but to go along with her, "Besides, living off someone else’s pocket is never as comfortable as running your own business. With your skills highly praised even in the Provincial City, if you opened a small restaurant, the business would certainly not be bad."

With that, the matter was temporarily concealed. Knowing full well that Ke Zhenwu might not believe it, she had no other choice. Hua Xiaomai looked up at him, smiled, and diverted the conversation to another topic in a few words.

After chatting idly in the courtyard for a while after dinner, Hua Xiaomai stood up to leave for Fire Knife Village. Dazhong, following Ke Zhenwu’s instructions, loaded all her luggage onto his shoulders, leading her out with a cheerful grin. Just as she was about to step through the gateway, they happened to bump into Meng Yuhuai and his group, who had just returned from their escort mission.

"Look, what did I tell you? Just tell you he’d definitely be back in a couple of days!" Ke Zhenwu stood by the door and let out a hearty laugh, making mischievous faces at Hua Xiaomai like an impish child.

Meng Yuhuai, holding the reins of his horse, glanced at Hua Xiaomai’s face and then at Dazhong behind her, and said in a deep voice, "Are you heading back to Fire Knife Village?"

When Hua Xiaomai affirmed, he took the luggage from Dazhong’s hands with slight hesitation, "Then let’s go, I’ll escort you." (To be continued. If you like this work, please visit Qidian (qidian.com) to cast your recommendation ticket or monthly ticket. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users please go to m.qidian.com to read.)