Chef Hua
Chapter 340: Episode 194: The Old Drunkard’s Intent

Chapter 340: Episode 194: The Old Drunkard’s Intent

Borrowing money?

Hua Xiaomai couldn’t quite believe her ears, and she took a couple of steps out of the kitchen to glance over the courtyard wall.

What a miraculous family indeed! Last year, the ruckus that Guan Rong and her daughter created put our families in a state of complete enmity; we had long stopped associating with them, and now they have the audacity to ask to borrow money? Their skin is as thick as a city wall... truly talented!

With doubts lingering in her mind, Hua Xiaomai was about to probe for more details, but Madame Meng had already expressed her impatience with a flick of her wrist and exited the kitchen. She plopped down in the main room, assuming a posture ready to dine. Not wanting to provoke her, Hua Xiaomai had no choice but to debone the rabbit in her hands, cutting it into one-inch cubes, and after mixing it with egg white, salt, fennel, and ground Sichuan pepper, she deep-fried it into a bowl full of pungent, mouthwatering aroma. As for the bones, she tossed them into a clay pot to simmer into a soup, extracting their savory flavor, perfect for cooking tender mustard greens.

She cut a couple of handfuls of green onions from the back yard, baked a crisp scallion pancake, and chopped half-lean pork into minced meat to fry into golden-brown meatballs. In little over half an hour, the meals were neatly served on the table.

Madame Meng was accustomed to enjoying a couple of drinks, so there was always a supply at home. It was the good Shao Wine purchased from "Sun’s" in Fuzhe County, rather expensive but with a strong flavor and barely diluted, the same kind used in the small restaurants east of the city. Hua Xiaomai warmed a decanter and respectfully presented it to Madame Meng, saying with a sunny smile, "Mother, let’s eat."

Perhaps because the dishes matched her taste, Madame Meng’s expression brightened slightly, and she indeed picked up her chopsticks, lifting her eyelids slightly, "Did you save some for Yuhuai?"

"I did, mother, please eat at ease." Hua Xiaomai quickly nodded, casually adding a piece of rabbit meat to her bowl while keenly observing her reaction. Seeing that she seemed to particularly enjoy the richly flavored and fragrant food, Hua Xiaomai mentally took note, and after pondering for a moment, she came up with several dishes, planning to follow these preferences when preparing meals in the future.

Madame Meng picked at some rabbit meat and sipped her wine, her face showing a faint flush of approval, appearing much gentler. She even condescended to ask about Hua Xiaomai’s day in Gu County. Hua Xiaomai had no choice but to respond to each question, sensing that her mood seemed positive, so she boldly steered the conversation back to the troublesome family next door.

"Mother, why did Elder Sister of the Guan Family think to come to our house to borrow money today? Didn’t we already have a falling out with them? Why would they..."

As she spoke, she cautiously watched Madame Meng’s face for any sign of annoyance, fearing she might have stirred up a hornet’s nest.

But this hornet’s nest... ultimately it was her words that stirred it up. Madame Meng’s scattered smile vanished in an instant, and she put her chopsticks down on the rim of her bowl with a "clack."

"You’re asking me? How would I know why she turned her sights to our house? I’ve seen plenty of thick-skinned people, but none so willing to recklessly throw everything aside like her family. They’re truly a rarity!"

... Thankfully, her anger rose but seemed not to have scorched her own person. Hua Xiaomai secretly patted her chest, biting her lip, "Their family... is really short on money?"

"It’s all for that half-dead invalid of theirs!" Madame Meng barked after another sip of wine, her eyes narrowing and her face contorting, "You know their situation as well as I do. The whole family relies on those few meager acres of land. They don’t have the good fortune you do; their fields yield so little grain each year, the copper coins they trade it for barely keep the family fed. Now with Guan Rong bedridden all day, doctor’s visits and medicines cost money... It’s been almost half a year since she fell ill, their home is about as good as empty now, to say nothing would be an understatement!"

Hua Xiaomai had always known the Guan Family lived modestly, and with the addition of a sick family member, their tight situation was quite normal. She felt no pity, but...

"They’ve lived in the village for decades and know many people; why would they specifically come to our house to borrow money?"

"Haven’t they borrowed from everyone already?" Madame Meng’s impatience grew, as she tapped the rim of her bowl with her chopsticks, making a resonant thud, "Everyone around who was on good terms with their family already lent them money. They haven’t even repaid those debts; it wouldn’t be decent to ask for more. So now they’ve come to try their luck with our house, haven’t they?"