Chef Hua
Chapter 346: Episode 197: On the Various Uses of a Husband

Chapter 346: Episode 197: On the Various Uses of a Husband

The March evening breeze was cool; the candle flickering on the table in the courtyard was blown so wildly by the wind that it brightened and dimmed erratically, causing two small insects to fall into disarray, unsure which direction to dart toward.

Hua Xiaomai stood in the center of the courtyard, merely five steps away from her, Meng’s mother sat with a face so gloomy it looked like rain was about to fall. She was very aware of what her mother-in-law wanted to say, and apart from anxiety, there was also a hint of annoyance within her. Almost subconsciously, she leaned closer to Meng Yuhuai’s side.

Meng someone turned his head to glance at her, sensing that something was off with her expression, his eyebrows instinctively knitted slightly. Then he looked towards Meng’s mother, "Can’t whatever it is wait until tomorrow? It’s getting late, Xiaomai has to be up early tomorrow for the small restaurant and Sauce Garden, and I also need to work in the fields. It’s best to rest early and conserve our energy."

"If you want to rest, go ahead, I wasn’t planning to talk to you anyway!" Meng’s mother glared at him with displeasure, her mouth turned up at the corners as she said, "It’s just a few words, why drag it out to tomorrow? Won’t she still be busy at the small restaurant until this time before coming back? What’s the difference?"

"...Fair enough," Meng Yuhuai furrowed his brows even more tightly, fell silent for a moment, then brushed the hem of his garment as he sat down on the long bench, pulling Hua Xiaomai with him, pressing her next to him as he said in a low voice, "What are you doing standing there? Aren’t you tired after being at the stove all day?"

Hua Xiaomai turned and gave him a forced smile, but her heart felt slightly more at ease.

Seeing the situation, it seemed that today she might not have to face Meng’s mother alone.

She was inwardly delighted about this, but Meng’s mother was utterly displeased, her face stern as she spoke to her tall and sturdily-built son, "What are you doing sitting here? I’m having a private conversation with your wife, do you also have to eavesdrop? A big man like you, always sticking your nose into women’s affairs? When you worked at Lianshun Escort Agency, did you also lack such discretion with female clients?"

Hua Xiaomai was utterly astonished.

Hey, Auntie, this is your own son, aren’t your words a bit too harsh? Putting him down into the dust, how does it benefit you?

Meng Yuhuai, though, was not at all disturbed; he even curved his lips into a smile, saying indifferently, "Mother, save your breath, don’t try to provoke me with words, I never fall for that."

As a joke, had his mother forgotten what her son did for a living? He was a Leader! Escorting valuables on long journeys, encountering bandits was all in a day’s work. The coarse and vulgar language of those people was endless, and the mockery came in all varieties. If he couldn’t stand provocation and lost his cool, he was very likely to be thrown off and fail to protect the valuables. Compared to those people, his mother’s attempts were but a tickle; how could he be even slightly affected?

Meng’s mother was momentarily choked, her expression growing colder, "So you’re saying you must sit here today?"

"I have seldom spoken with Mother to relieve boredom, since you’re in the mood today, I thought to sit with Xiaomai and keep you company. Don’t you like that?" Meng Yuhuai’s tone remained very calm, with a trace of humor, speaking slowly and deliberately.

Meng’s mother was somewhat angry but forcibly suppressed her rage, her eyes brimming with thunder as she stabbed her gaze towards Hua Xiaomai.

"Mother, why are you looking at me like that?" With her husband by her side, Hua Xiaomai felt much more grounded, and she smiled obediently and cleverly at her frowning mother-in-law, "Now that I’m married to Yuhuai, I should listen to him. If he wants to sit here, could I possibly send him away?"

"Alright, enough." With no other options, Meng’s mother bit back her words – not being able to express herself was indeed frustrating – she glared at her fiercely, waved her hand impatiently, and said, "Let’s not waste time. I’ll just open up to you today."

As she spoke, she picked up the cold tea from the table, took a sip, and said gloomily, "You’ve been married into our family for four months now, and I’ve failed to consider many things. Bringing a person into the household has suddenly increased the expenses, and each month I’m left with too tight a grip on my purse, unable to save a penny. It’s already like this now, what about in a year or half when you and Yuhuai have a child? What will we use to support him? The thought of it keeps me up all night, worrying!"

Listen, isn’t that spoken so subtly and self-reflectively? Who says Meng’s mother is an unmovable stone in a cesspit? She sure knows how to play her cards right!

The events of the day were clear to both mother-in-law and daughter-in-law. Most of her words were meant for her own son to hear, but Meng Yuhuai was not so easily fooled. After musing just a bit, he roughly grasped her intentions.