Chef Hua
Chapter 229: Episode 139: Foot Store

Chapter 229: Episode 139: Foot Store

Hua Xiaomai would probably always remember the expression that Jing Taihe revealed that night upon hearing that Hua Erniang might very well be pregnant.

His eyes clearly lit up, as if two scorching flames were burning in his eyes, almost uncontrollably wide, nearly stretching his smiling mouth to his ears. However, he quickly concealed his wild joy, gently took Hua Erniang’s hand, and said in a calm and soft tone, "If that’s the case, let’s not be too hasty. Let’s wait another half a month before seeking Doctor Xing for a good consultation. During this time, you shouldn’t overexert yourself. Rest well at home, and I will take good care of the vegetables in the field. You just rest assured."

That careful, as easy as a breeze and light as clouds attitude was clearly because he didn’t want Hua Erniang to feel too much pressure, lest if it turned out to be a false alarm, she would be even less able to handle it. Watching the two of them, Hua Xiaomai felt a twinge in her nose.

No matter how affectionate they were, in this era, once labeled as "childless," enduring the village gossip and the nagging of their parents every day, surely both must have felt very uncomfortable, right? Hua Erniang had suffered a lot in the past, and now that she was married to Jing Taihe, a husband willing to be considerate of her, perhaps fate had not treated her too harshly after all.

The two were sweet and intimate, sitting at the dining table holding hands, looking at each other with tenderness, Hua Xiaomai couldn’t help feeling like an enormous candle standing there, her whole body uncomfortable. She gobbled up the rice in her bowl in a few bites, smiled at Jing Taihe, and said, "Brother-in-law, you just take care of the blacksmith shop as usual. Don’t worry about the work in the fields; leave it to me. If you find yourself with free time, why not spend more of it keeping my sister company?"

After speaking, she stood up, ready to slip away.

Jing Taihe smiled at her gratefully, then suddenly remembered something, and said seriously, "What about your restaurant business, how are your plans coming along? If you have a plan in mind, I’ll find the time to look up Zheng Yakuai, so he can help inquire around. We need to find a location near Fire Knife Village that is available for rent."

"Sure, brother-in-law, just give him a heads up for me." Hua Xiaomai nodded happily, "Tell him that I’m planning to open a restaurant, so please scout for a suitable place, and try to press down the rent as much as possible, since we should save where we can."

Jing Taihe readily agreed, his heart returning to Hua Erniang. Hua Xiaomai quietly cleared the bowls and chopsticks to the kitchen, neatly prepared the medicine she had brought back, and then tiptoed back to her own room.

In fact, there was no need to wait to see Doctor Xing for another pulse check. Hua Erniang’s body soon began to react in various ways.

Perhaps because her nature was quite different from that of ordinary women, even the symptoms that accompanied her pregnancy were unusual.

While other women would vomit and feel nauseous at the sight of food during the first three months, craving only tart and refreshing things, Hua Erniang was not affected in the slightest. She slept soundly every day, ate even more than usual, and constantly badgered Hua Xiaomai to make her all kinds of delicious treats.

Chicken with shallots and wine, amaranth with tofu, glutinous rice stewed carp... Days passed and the dishes on the Jing Family’s dining table never repeated. Although Hua Erniang had never been pregnant before, she could easily sense the changes in her body, and thus she felt even more justified in coaxing her little sister into pampering her with food. Hua Xiaomai initially put up with her, but as days went by, she could hardly bear it anymore and finally conceded defeat one day when Hua Erniang asked her to cook a braised whole pig’s head.

At that moment, Hua Erniang sat on the edge of the couch, happily tiptoeing, bobbing her head as she said, "I heard there’s a way to braise a pig’s head with just a single long piece of firewood, and in just an hour, the entire pig’s head can be cooked until the skin is crispy and the meat is tender—you can’t imagine how delicious it is. With your exquisite culinary skills, my little sister, such a small task must certainly be a piece of cake, isn’t it? How about we go buy a pig’s head now and stew it for dinner, to eat with your brother-in-law?"

Does anyone do this, does anyone do this? Other women are so delicate during pregnancy, they can’t even stand the smell of cooking oil, but you, you want to eat a roasted pig’s head!

Actually, having Hua Xiaomai as an excellent cook in the house, they would never lack good food. But if she continued eating without restraint, it would be more detrimental than beneficial to her health!