Chef Hua
Chapter 225: Episode 137: Suspected

Chapter 225: Episode 137: Suspected

Everything was proceeding so smoothly, not only Meng Yuhuai, but even Hua Xiaomai herself had not anticipated it.

Following Hua Erniang’s wishes, the original plan was to have her husband delay for a couple of days before responding to Meng Yuhuai, but Jing Taihe, who had always regarded Meng Yuhuai as a brother, did not want to keep him waiting. That very afternoon, he went to find him, laughing heartily as he assured him that he and Hua Erniang had no objections whatsoever. "Just wait a little longer until next spring to fix the engagement and sort out all the related matters," he said.

Once Meng Yuhuai had received a definitive answer, he could let his suspended heart settle back down. He then led his horse and returned to Fuzhe County. That evening, as Jing Taihe lay down with Hua Erniang in the eastern room, he couldn’t help but chuckle, "I see you being all fierce in front of your little sister every day, forbidding this and rejecting that, but in the end, haven’t you agreed to everything she wanted, one by one?"

Hua Erniang quickly fetched a cool rag to wipe the bamboo mat, and turning her head, she glanced at him, "What are you implying?"

Jing Taihe began counting on his fingers, "Look, at first you didn’t allow her to make money by working as a hostess, but once she coyly pestered you, you agreed—that’s one instance, right? Later, she wanted to set up a stall by the river to do business. You were furious, actually quarreling with her for days, but after some sweet talk from her, you immediately changed your mind, bustling with more enthusiasm than her—that’s another instance, correct? And let’s not even start with the matter between Brother Yuhuai and her. What did you tell me before? You were worried that if your sister married into his family, she might suffer at the hands of his mother. Yet what happened in the end? Didn’t you still give your consent wholeheartedly?"

Hua Erniang turned up the oil lamp on the table and poured a bowl of tea for him. She sat by the bed and sighed, "I’ve been living with you for two or three years. Even if I’m a bit fierce most days, do you really take me for someone so unreasonable? The first two matters, when it comes down to it, I was just afraid she would work too hard. She’s always busy for the sake of earning a few more coppers for our household, isn’t that so?"

"Yes," Jing Taihe nodded once.

"As for the thing between her and Meng Family’s eldest brother... I’ll tell you the truth, if it weren’t for that difficult old mistress of the Meng Family, I would have been too happy to see them together! I wanted to block it, but once the two of them took a liking to each other, what could I do? My little sister, who used to make a fuss, saying she didn’t want to get married so early, what about now? I only hope that the eldest brother of the Meng Family treats my little sister as well as you treat me, always putting her first. Then, I wouldn’t ask for anything else."

After a pause, she suddenly clapped her hands, looking straight at Jing Taihe, "Right, we’ve only talked about this with Meng Family’s eldest brother. What about his mother, what’s the situation on her end?"

"We haven’t yet agreed on our side, why would he tell his mother? Wouldn’t that just bring trouble to us?" Jing Taihe felt a bit helpless when it came to Meng Yuhuai’s mother, "Brother Yuhuai has been busy lately, just returned from an escort mission and will have to leave on another long trip in a couple of days. The engagement is still far off; when he has some free time, he can slowly bring it up with Madam Meng then."

"Let that be," Hua Erniang nodded slightly, clicking her tongue in frustration, "That old mistress, she’s really not easy to deal with. It’s annoying just to think about her, yet we have to become family with her. It’s truly..."

As she spoke, she furrowed her brows in puzzlement, "Speaking of which, I really can’t understand why. Ever since Meng Family’s eldest brother’s former fiancée died, he has been indifferent to marriage, as though no girl could catch his eye. Why on earth did he take a fancy to our Xiaosan, who’s skinny as a chick?"

Jing Taihe couldn’t help but burst out laughing, "That’s your own sister, who talks about someone like that?"

"So what?" Hua Erniang bravely jutted out her neck, "It’s true we’re sisters, but in terms of looks, she falls far short of me. Isn’t that the truth? Back in Shengzhou, everyone in our village said so!"

Jing Taihe laughed heartily, wrapping an arm around her waist and whispering in her ear, "Yes, no one compares to your beauty. For that very reason, we should strive even harder to have a son or a daughter and pass on a fraction of your beauty to them. That would be the proper thing to do." They then turned off the light and went to bed, enjoying themselves without further mention.

...

Now that there was progress with Meng Yuhuai’s matter, Hua Xiaomai felt a weight lifted from her heart. From that day forward, her mind was occupied with thoughts of how to start her restaurant.

Running a small shop wasn’t as simple as setting up a stand by the river. Choosing the right location for the establishment, making sure the facility had all the necessary and convenient equipment, figuring out how to arrange the menu to attract customers, and evaluating whether the money on hand was sufficient—all these issues required detailed consideration. They couldn’t be sorted out in a day or two, and she certainly couldn’t rush them. Whenever she had a moment, she would sit in the western room holding her worn-out brush, scribbling and sketching away. The more she planned, the more uncertain she became.