Chef Hua
Chapter 305: Episode 176 Be Careful with Candles_2

Chapter 305: Episode 176 Be Careful with Candles_2

The days leading up to now had been manageable: the small restaurant was still doing some business, the Sauce Garden was in the process of being fixed up, and Hua Xiaomai was running around all day, barely able to meet with Old Lady Meng. However, on the twenty-second of the twelfth lunar month, after eating the reunion meal with Chun Xi, La Mei, and Zhou Yunyun, the small restaurant temporarily closed. It wouldn’t reopen until the fifth day of the first lunar month. The craftsmen of the Sauce Garden had also gone home for the New Year, leaving her with nothing to do but stay at home every day, staring at Old Lady Meng.

Fortunately, that cantankerous mother-in-law didn’t give her much trouble. At most, she simply ignored her. Hua Xiaomai breathed a sigh of relief, meticulously took care of her own affairs every day, and hoped not to give her any grounds for complaint, lest they end up arguing again and provide the neighbors with some entertainment.

Cleaning the dust, washing the Fu Lu, pasting couplets... before she knew it, it was Chinese New Year’s Eve. That afternoon, Hua Xiaomai started busily preparing in the kitchen quite early. She made seven big plates and eight big bowls of food and respectfully invited Old Lady Meng to the table.

"I know you’re still angry with me. I was too quick with my words and offended you the other day. If you’re still upset, I apologize. Or else, would you like to slap me twice?" she said, relying on her thick skin and speaking with a grin, "But today is Chinese New Year’s Eve, and it’s a big holiday. Please do me the honor, with so much food prepared. If we still refuse to sit together and enjoy the meal, it would be such a waste!"

Old Lady Meng glanced at her but remained silent. She lowered her eyes to the table and her face immediately fell: "Why did you make so much food? There are just the two of us at home, how can we finish it all? In the coming days, do you plan to make me eat leftovers, or what? To say you are not in charge of the household and unaware of the cost of firewood, rice, oil, and salt, but you run a restaurant and are involved in the Sauce Garden business, seems you don’t even know how to budget and save?"

Pleased that she was willing to speak at all, Hua Xiaomai wasn’t about to quibble over these petty details. She cheerfully replied: "You needn’t worry, this meal is my way of honoring you, and it doesn’t cost the household a single cent. You just enjoy your meal with peace of mind. Besides, isn’t it customary for the New Year’s Eve dinner to have leftovers for good luck? The more we have left, the better our next year will be. It only happens once a year, so please don’t mind me asking, okay?"

This argument seemed to work. Upon hearing that this New Year’s Eve dinner didn’t require any household money, Old Lady Meng felt much more comfortable, though her face still looked as if it were frosted over and gloomy, she didn’t say anything more. She devoured a few bites of chicken cooked with dried conch meat, then reached for the plate of sweet and sour fish and ate quite a bit with a sullen expression.

After the meal was cleaned up, they sat down to keep each other company for the New Year vigil. With nothing to talk about, they sat awkwardly around the brazier. Finally, past midnight, they both headed to their rooms without agreement and closed their doors to rest.

For Hua Xiaomai, she wondered if Chinese New Year’s Eve had passed too peacefully this time? She let out a long breath of relief in her heart, crawled into bed, and thought about where Meng Yuhuai might be at the moment. Worried he might face danger, she barely started to feel sleepy, only to be startled awake by the thunderous sound of fireworks outside the window. Tossing and turning until the fourth watch of the night, she finally drifted off to sleep.

She had hardly slept for an hour when the sudden pounding at the courtyard gate woke her with a start.

No, that wasn’t a "knock" at all? It was clearly someone pounding on the gate with a clenched fist! Such noise in the middle of the night could make someone’s heart jump out of their chest!

Hua Xiaomai, startled, didn’t bother with formalities. She hurriedly put on her clothes and shoes, opened the door, and ran outside, bumping into Old Lady Meng, who had also just come out.

"Knock, knock, knock, in the dead of night, are you trying to hound us to death?!" Old Lady Meng roared toward the gate, not caring if such words were inauspicious during the New Year, and with a mutter, she walked with heavy steps towards the door but didn’t rush to open it. Instead, she reached to fasten the buttons on her clothes.

Hua Xiaomai, anxious, pushed past her and unbolted the door to see a middle-aged woman in her forties standing outside.

"You are...?"

She looked somewhat familiar, but Hua Xiaomai couldn’t remember where she had seen her. Just as she was about to ask, Old Lady Meng had already pushed her aside and grumbled, "You don’t recognize Feng Da Nian? What are those eyes for if not to see?"

She then made room and tried to muster a smile: "Feng Da Nian, it’s so late, what brings you...?"

"Why did it take half a day to open the door!" Feng Da Nian, unable to wait, stamped her foot firmly and looked directly at Hua Xiaomai, "I’m asking you, daughter-in-law of Yuhuai, the land next to the threshing floor, the two pieces that still have radishes and cabbages planted on them, they belong to your family, right?"

The two pieces of land that Jing Taihe had entrusted Zheng Yakuai to buy as a dowry for Hua Xiaomai were indeed next to the threshing floor, and at this time of year, theirs were the only ones that still had vegetables growing. Uncertain, Hua Xiaomai quickly nodded, "Yes, Da Nian, what’s wrong?"

"Oh dear, this is really troublesome!" Feng Da Nian immediately sighed and said, "Aren’t there several hay stacks near your plot of land? I reckon, I don’t know who was setting off fireworks, but they’ve set the hay stacks on fire, and by now, it might have spread to your land! My two sons have already taken buckets to help put out the fire, you should hurry and have a look!"

The land was on fire?! Hua Xiaomai’s heart sank sharply, and without a second thought, she bolted outside. Old Lady Meng called after her a few times, but when she saw that there was no response, she too hastily locked the door and hurriedly followed.

Following Feng Da Nian to their two plots of land, they indeed saw that several hay stacks were ablaze. The fire was fierce, turning half of the pitch-dark sky a fiery red. (To be continued. If you like this work, welcome to Qidian (qidian.com) to cast your recommendation ticket and monthly ticket. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to read.)