Chef Hua
Chapter 245: Episode 147 Set a Trap

Chapter 245: Episode 147 Set a Trap

"What’s the matter?" Meng Yuhuai stood at the door, and upon hearing these words, a slight frown formed between his brows.

His mother had always been close with the Guan family’s mother and daughter, and over the years, their relationship had indeed been quite good. However, over the past year, although he was not often in the village, he had occasionally heard about Guan Rong’s actions. Guan Rong and Hua Xiaomai each stuck to their own story, both appearing aggrieved. Not to mention that he already had his own opinions, as of today, when it came to closeness, he naturally leaned more towards Hua Xiaomai’s side. Perhaps that’s why he had seldom interacted with the Guan family recently.

Guan Rong’s mother came crashing through the door like a headless fly, her face showing panic, and she immediately clutched at him for help. The matter was again related to Guan Rong—to tell the truth, deep down, he wasn’t too keen on getting involved.

But if he really ignored it...

"Auntie, don’t worry, take your time and speak," he said with great reluctance, fixing his gaze on Guan Rong’s mother’s face.

"My girl Rong said she wanted to bathe since the afternoon sun was warm and comforting, so I heated some water for her and saw her enter the bathhouse," Guan Rong’s mother spoke between sobs, her face streaming with tears. "I thought everything would be fine, so I went to the village to buy some needles and thread, I must have spent the time it takes to burn a stick of incense. When I returned, she still hadn’t come out. I felt anxious, so I rushed to the bathhouse and knocked on the door, but to my surprise, the door and windows were locked from the inside, and she simply wouldn’t answer me! She has been shut in there for over half an hour now, and I don’t know what’s happening. If this continues... Yuhuai, please come quickly to check with your auntie!"

Without further ado, she grabbed Meng Yuhuai’s arm and began pulling him toward the neighboring courtyard.

As she cried and spoke in a muddled manner, Meng Yuhuai didn’t grasp everything clearly, but his ears picked up on the key point "bathing," and a sense of alertness immediately rose in his heart.

Being a man accustomed to martial arts training year-round, if he decided not to budge, how could Guan Rong’s mother move him? Her tug not only failed to shift him an inch but also caused her to stumble forward and nearly fall. Meng Yuhuai hurriedly reached out to steady her.

"What’s happened to you?" Guan Rong’s mother, in her confused state, hurriedly looked up at him and said, "Yuhuai, this is no laughing matter, you are the only son in your family, and I have only this one daughter too! She has always been frail since childhood, if anything goes wrong with her, I... Please just come and check, it won’t take much of your time!"

"Isn’t Uncle Guan at home?" Meng Yuhuai asked, his gaze nonchalantly shifting toward the neighboring courtyard. "Auntie, there’s no need to panic; the Guan family’s young lady might not be in any danger. If you really can’t rest assured, it might be better to quickly fetch Uncle Guan. Discussing the matter together would be better..."

"Ah! Not waiting for him to finish, Guan Rong’s mother jumped up, her voice frantic, "Your uncle has gone to the fields! You know as well as I do that our fields are far away. Going there and back would certainly delay matters, wouldn’t it? If it weren’t for my girl’s weak constitution, I would not be so worried!"

Meng Yuhuai’s expression cooled, and he even smiled faintly, saying lightly, "In that case, why don’t I make the run for you? My feet are swift; it won’t take much time."

"You..." Guan Rong’s mother was stunned, with her eyes wide as if she could hardly believe it. It was a long time before she covered her face with her hands and burst into loud wailing.

"Yuhuai, how could you... be so heartless? Our families have been neighbors for so many years, always supporting each other. Now that my girl Rong is facing such a situation, if anything happens to her, how will you live with yourself? I’m only asking you to help check on her, and you’re trying to dodge even such a small request?"

Her voice was quite loud, causing a commotion all around, and from the nearest house to the front left, some movement could be heard in the yard, as if someone was peering out the door.

Meng Yuhuai frowned a little tighter, not wanting her to create such a fuss and draw everyone’s attention. After a moment’s thought, he nodded: "Alright, Auntie, don’t worry, I’ll come with you to take a look."

Guan Rong’s mother could not have wished for more and discreetly let out a sigh of relief. She immediately grabbed his sleeve and pulled him into her own courtyard.

The small courtyard was very quiet at the moment, without a sound. The bathhouse built against the east wall had its doors and windows tightly shut, without leaving the slightest gap. Meng Yuhuai followed Guan Rong’s mother over, glanced at the door, and then slowly reached out to touch the somewhat worn doorknob.