Chef Hua
Chapter 240: Episode 144: Future Mother-in-Law Comes Knocking_2

Chapter 240: Episode 144: Future Mother-in-Law Comes Knocking_2

Her mother couldn’t help but glance back at her and forced a smile, saying, "This is a good thing! Yuhuai isn’t young anymore. It’s only right for him to get married soon—why do I see that you, big sister, don’t seem too happy?"

"How can I be happy?" Old Lady Meng slapped her thigh and sprawled herself onto a stool, huffing and puffing, "I’ve worried myself sick over him in the past, I can’t count how many times I’ve talked to him about marriage proposals, and he just wouldn’t agree, adamantly refusing and infuriating me to no end. Now he suddenly appears before me, saying he wants to get married, but I know nothing about that girl, how can I know if she’s good or not? Alas, I see him so resolute as if he’s made up his mind, afraid that saying a bit more would anger him again, I just can’t make up my mind!"

Guan Rong’s mother turned her head again and sat down next to Old Lady Meng with the bowl, smiling, "Then... has Yuhuai told you which girl he wants to marry?"

"He did!" Old Lady Meng nodded vigorously, "He’s been friends with that only son of the Jing Family since he was a child, hasn’t he? Now he’s taken a fancy to that family’s younger sister-in-law—yes, the one who just came to our village last year, the one who used to sell noodles by the riverbank, and now has taken over the shop in the east of the village to open a restaurant, they say she cooks a mean dish. Tsk, if you ask me, which girl in our village isn’t a wizard in the kitchen? And yet he fancies her!"

Guan Rong’s hand trembled and with a clang, the bowl fell onto the table, spilling a fair amount of porridge.

"Oh dear girl, what’s the matter?" Old Lady Meng turned her head to look at her.

"Nothing, my hand just slipped." Guan Rong turned back to flash her a smile, then immediately bowed her head and swiftly wiped the spilled porridge off the table.

Her mother’s expression also stiffened for a moment; her mouth opened, but she found nothing to say.

Old Lady Meng didn’t care about their reaction and loudly said, "I seem to have seen that girl before, but I never took a good look. Thinking it over, I just can’t feel at ease; I need to have another look no matter what. Isn’t that so? Just now I told Yuhuai I felt like eating fried dough twists and sent him out to buy some mung beans, taking the opportunity to slip away. Guan girl, aren’t you quite friendly with that younger sister-in-law of Jing Taihe? Could you take your big mom over to have a look, could you?"

Guan Rong did not speak for a moment, and her mother rushed to interject with a grin, suggesting, "I’m afraid that might be... a bit inappropriate? My Guan girl hasn’t been in touch with her much lately, to run over there so rashly..."

"What’s inappropriate about that?" Old Lady Meng put on a face of utter righteousness, "It’s just a look, we’re not going to do anything to her. If she’s really going to marry into the Meng Family, I’ll be her mother-in-law. How could I not even be allowed to take a look at her?"

"Of course, nobody would find fault with you looking, but my Guan girl..." As Guan Rong’s mother was still trying to get out of it, she suddenly heard Guan Rong herself, with a slap of her chopsticks on the table, step forward and say with a smile, "Yuhuai’s lifetime event shouldn’t be taken lightly. Big mom, then I will accompany you on this visit."

"That’s more like it!" Old Lady Meng was very pleased, took her hand and patted it, and couldn’t wait to stand up, urging, "Let’s hurry then, if we wait any longer, Yuhuai might come back!"

No sooner had she finished speaking than she dragged Guan Rong out the door.

Hua Xiaomai’s restaurant was quite far from the south of the village, and Old Lady Meng was already puffing and panting after hardly two steps, complaining all the way that a proper business shouldn’t be located somewhere so remote. Guan Rong was frail and found the long walk taxing. She accompanied Old Lady Meng in silence all the way, clinging tightly to her arm.

When the two reached the eastern entrance of the village, Hua Xiaomai was in the main hall settling accounts with Xu Ershun.

Back when she sold noodles by the riverside, she often supported Xu Ershun’s business. After the restaurant opened, fish and shrimp became staples in the kitchen. Rather than buying them every day, it was easier and more efficient to have Xu Ershun deliver fresh fish every morning, a deal which equaled half a day’s business. Xu Ershun, how could he refuse? He agreed cheerfully and repeatedly assured that he would definitely deliver the fish on time before the lunch crowd.

Hua Xiaomai handed him a handful of Copper Coins, smiling, "Uncle Xu, make sure you’ve counted it right, if you go back and find that there’s something wrong with the amount and come back to me for it, I won’t acknowledge it! Also, today’s silver carp and common carp were quite good, could you please send me some green prawns tomorrow, I..."

Before she could finish her sentence, she felt a dark shadow at the doorway, looked up, and saw Old Lady Meng and Guan Rong standing there, involuntarily frowning.

Meng Yuhuai had told his mother about the two of them last night, and Old Lady Meng was not easy to deal with. Hua Xiaomai had guessed early in the morning that she would definitely come to find her, and she couldn’t avoid it. But whatever had to be said should be said at home; how could she run to where someone conducts their business?

What made her even more uncomfortable was that she had brought Guan Rong along.

Standing at the door, Old Lady Meng didn’t say a word at first, but examined Hua Xiaomai from head to toe with a gaze sharp as knives. Then, she pulled Guan Rong over and whispered in her ear, "Has my Yuhuai gone mad? He finally entertains the idea of taking a bride, and I thought she’d be an outstanding beauty. But upon a careful look today, without mentioning anything else, she’s certainly no match for her older sister! Tsk tsk tsk, so thin, I wonder if she could even bear children!"

She assumed a gossiping demeanor, yet her voice was far from quiet, and it all fell into Hua Xiaomai’s ears.

Hua Xiaomai’s brows knitted even tighter. She stood up from her chair and was about to speak when Guan Rong had already hurriedly stepped forward, grabbing her.

"Xiaomai, look, Old Lady Meng talked and talked, insisting on dragging me here no matter what, and I really was too embarrassed to decline..." Her smile was uglier than crying, her voice trembling, "Did I hear that you and Yuhuai... Is it true?"

(To be continued. If you like this work, welcome to Qidian (qidian.com) to cast a monthly ticket, recommendation ticket, your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users please go to m.qidian.com to read.)