Chef Hua
Chapter 221: Episode 135 Plans

Chapter 221: Episode 135 Plans

Hua Erniang was speaking while she tossed the wooden basin onto the ground and hurried forward, grasping Hua Xiaomai to look her over from head to toe.

"Just now I was muttering with your brother-in-law. You’ve been gone to the Provincial City for so long without any news, we had no idea how you were faring, whether you were eating well and sleeping peacefully. Your brother-in-law said, he reckoned you would be back in a couple of days, but how did it end up being so late? Ah, even if you were eager to return home, you didn’t need to travel at night! What would you do if you encountered danger on the way, being a girl alone..." she rattled on without stopping once she started.

The incessant prattle was, to Hua Xiaomai’s ears, immeasurably warm and dear. She stepped forward, hooked her arm around Erniang’s, and coquettishly swayed a little.

It wasn’t until then that Hua Erniang seemed to realize that Meng Yuhuai was also there. She turned to him with a look of puzzlement after glancing at her younger sister, then smiled and nodded at him, "Meng Family Big Brother, did you bring my little sister back? Ah, we’re always troubling you..."

"It’s nothing," Meng Yuhuai replied indifferently, moving his gaze to Hua Xiaomai. His voice, firm yet tinged with a softer note, "I’ll head back first. If you’ve no matters, you should rest early too."

Hua Xiaomai originally didn’t want her second sister to detect anything amiss, and had resolved to appear as nonchalant as possible. However, as soon as Meng Yuhuai’s deep voice reached her ears, she couldn’t suppress a smile; she couldn’t even manage to conceal it and ended up nodding silently, "Alright."

Meng Yuhuai walked his horse towards the southern part of the village, while Hua Erniang watched his departing figure, her brows knitted slightly. She then scooped up all the luggage that Hua Xiaomai had brought back into her arms and led her by the hand into the courtyard.

Jing Taihe was sitting at the table in the main hall, with a cup of salted bamboo shoot tea before him, leisurely sipping it. Although the house had some Purple Bamboo Shoot Tea sent by Master Zhao that was meant for guests, he preferred the thick mixed tea for everyday drinking; though it lacked a delicate aroma, it had a distinct full-bodied flavor that was satisfying in its own way.

As soon as Hua Xiaomai entered the hall, she joked with her brother-in-law, "Brother-in-law, life must have been hard for you these past few days without me at home, huh? The food my sister cooked, did it give you diarrhea?"

"Nonsense!" Hua Erniang placed the luggage aside, hands on her hips, and fiercely retorted, "Though I am not as good a cook as you, it can’t be as bad as all that! Before you arrived, your brother-in-law was eating my cooking every day, and it didn’t kill him!"

Erniang, you still lack self-awareness! Hua Xiaomai silently facepalmed but ignored her, continuing to speak to Jing Taihe, "Tell me what you’d like to eat. I’ll cook a big feast tomorrow, so you can really enjoy your fill. How about that?"

"Now that sounds excellent," Jing Taihe immediately brightened up, eagerly standing up from the table, "Not going to lie, I’ve really been craving, thinking about your crispy crucian carp, chicken fat cabbage, and that deliciously spicy beef pinched in bread, instantly it just..."

Hua Erniang let them ramble on about their culinary discussions, and instead busied herself with heating a large pot of water in the kitchen for Hua Xiaomai to bathe. When she returned to the main hall and saw that Jing Taihe and Hua Xiaomai were still talking about food, she became a bit impatient, tapping her hand on the table.

"Enough, enough, a chef has found a kindred spirit in a food lover, isn’t that right? If you two want to discuss food, you can talk all day tomorrow for all I care, but not right now. Little sister, come tell me, how did you fare these past few days in the Provincial City?"

"Right, right," Jing Taihe quickly realized as well, laughing as he waved it off to Hua Xiaomai, "We can talk about tomorrow’s meal then. Little sister, do tell us about the situation in Taoyuan House. Your sister has been nagging me about it every mealtime; my ears are nearly calloused."

Hua Xiaomai sighed helplessly, "Erniang, including you, today is the third time I’ve been asked the same question. I’ve already told the story twice before. Can’t you let me rest a bit? Overall, my stay there went quite smoothly. I handled the Eight Treasures Conference for Boss Song, helped her take the top prize – everyone was pleased. After a lot of thought, I realized that I much prefer to stay with you and brother-in-law, so I politely declined her offer to stay and take charge of the kitchen at Taoyuan House. Now I’ve come running back, and there’s no need to go there again."

"Really, you’re not going?" Hua Erniang immediately beamed, "That’s wonderful! That’s sensible of you! I was thinking, if you planned to make a career in the Provincial City, although I would miss you, I couldn’t block your path. Now that you’ve figured it out yourself, that eases my mind!"