Chef Hua
Chapter 347: Episode 197: On the Various Uses of a Husband_2

Chapter 347: Episode 197: On the Various Uses of a Husband_2

He sighed deeply in his heart and looked up with a grave voice, "Mother, do you mean to say that our family does not have enough money to spend now? I give you two strings of cash every month, originally thinking that it should be more than enough... If that’s the case, starting next month, I will add a bit more, how does that sound?"

"I didn’t say you should chip in your two cents, just listen quietly, will you?!" Meng’s mother was displeased and stared at him furiously, scolding, "You only earn those few wages each month, all of which you give to me, but don’t keep a few extra on yourself. In case anything happens, it would be embarrassing to be short of money, wouldn’t it? People will laugh at you!"

She was beyond caring and continued to berate Hua Xiaomai, "Xiaomai, both you and your husband are capable of earning money. Yuhuai gives me the household expenses every month; what about you? That little restaurant and Sauce Garden must bring in a decent income, right? You’re both still young; when you get money, you just squander it recklessly. It would be better to hand it all over to me, so I, as your mother, can take care of it for you—probably even more thoroughly. Don’t think I don’t know, eh, that little restaurant of yours divides its profits each month, giving half to your second elder sister and her husband. Aren’t you just favoring outsiders over your own family?"

Ah, not only reversing right and wrong but also a living example of double standards! Your son can keep more money on hand for emergencies, but your daughter-in-law should hand over all her earnings to you? How can you say such things without blushing!

Hua Xiaomai, while her mother-in-law wasn’t paying attention, secretly curled her lips and patiently said, "Mother, that small restaurant, thanks to the initial investment from my second sister and brother-in-law, we were able to open it; it wouldn’t be fair for them to only put in money without sharing in the profits, would it? As for the Sauce Garden, we’ve just found a buyer for the first batch of sauce; the business hasn’t even started yet. Not to mention I haven’t made any money at hand, and even if there was income, I would still have to share it with Master Wu and Uncle Ping’an... Both of these places, labor and ingredients, everything requires spending, I..."

"Why are you going on and on to your mother? She doesn’t understand the ins and outs of business, and she wouldn’t understand even if you explained,"

Before she could finish, Meng Yuhuai gently held her hand, turned to her with a smile, "If you ask me, there’s some sense in what Mother says."

"Hmm?" Hua Xiaomai raised her eyebrow.

She knew very well that Meng Yuhuai was siding with her, so she felt no panic, only waiting for him to continue.

On the other hand, Meng’s mother was overjoyed, clapping her hands loudly, "Isn’t that right? My son has always been most fair! You also think that your daughter-in-law..."

"Before, when it was just Mother and me at home, things were simple, and we didn’t need to worry too much," Meng Yuhuai interrupted her, word by word, slow and clear, "Now that Xiaomai has joined our household, in the future our family will only grow, and we should really plan properly. I think it should be like this: from now on, how the household money is spent should be decided by Xiaomai. I will hand over whatever wages I receive each month to her, and let her manage them, wouldn’t that be convenient?"

Meng’s mother was initially pleased but did not expect him to say such words. She didn’t react for a long time and finally, a bit incredulously, said, "What are you saying... you want your daughter-in-law to be in charge of me? You want your daughter-in-law to be the head of the household?" She was so agitated that her voice became shrill.

"Mother, don’t be upset." Meng Yuhuai’s smile seemed to convey reassurance, "I just feel that Xiaomai is used to doing business, she has a good grasp of how to manage money. Letting her handle our family’s finances would save you worry, and I would also feel assured, wouldn’t I?"

"That’s impossible!" Meng’s mother abruptly stood up, pointing at Meng Yuhuai’s face, trembling, "You ungrateful thing, what was the point of giving birth to you? After getting a wife, you kick me, your mother, to the curb, you..."

Meng Yuhuai also stood up, pulling Hua Xiaomai to her feet as well. His smile faded, and he said in a cold voice, "This matter isn’t settled yet, Mother, why are you so angry? If you won’t agree, we’ll continue as we have been. I’ll bring home money every month as usual, and when you’ve thought it through, we can discuss it again."

Having said that, he didn’t wait to see his mother’s reaction and led Hua Xiaomai back to their room.

...

Once back in their room with the lamp lit, Hua Xiaomai glanced at Meng Yuhuai’s expression and gently tugged at his sleeve, "Are you angry? It isn’t Mother’s fault, it’s all because of that Mrs. Guan from next door, egging her on with insinuations..."

"Why would I be angry?" Meng Yuhuai led her to sit down beside the couch, looked back at her, and spoke indifferently, "I knew that these issues would arise sooner or later and was prepared for them in my heart. I’m not heated over this... But you said Mrs. Guan visited. What happened exactly?"

Hua Xiaomai had no choice but to recount the recent events to him, whispering, "I thought that if I mentioned his family in front of you, you might feel uncomfortable, so I kept it from you, but who would have thought..."

"I understand, and I don’t blame you," Meng Yuhuai waved off the matter as if it were of little importance and then suddenly smiled, "But earlier, what was that you said? ’Having married you, I should naturally listen to you’? Why don’t I ever see you so obedient on usual days?"

"You were protecting me. If I didn’t agree with you and instead sided with Mother, wouldn’t I be the biggest fool under the heavens?" Hua Xiaomai, seeing that he looked usual, let out a sigh of relief and playfully stuck out her tongue, "Now I truly understand that marrying you does have its benefits."

Meng Yuhuai put on a stern face, "We’ve been married for so long, and you’re just now discovering the benefits? Just this one benefit?"

"How could that be? There are many!" Hua Xiaomai quickly tried to sweet-talk him, laughing heartily, "You, for instance, are skilled with your fists and feet, capable of driving off villains in a few moves, so I don’t have to be scared at all; you treat me well, don’t bully me, and always protect me, keeping me from harm; and there’s also..."

"Also what?" Meng Yuhuai chuckled softly, pulled her into an embrace and rolled onto the couch, his hands sliding to her waist, his voice turning husky.

Hua Xiaomai knew what he was thinking, twisted her waist to take control, leaning over his chest, and bit her lip with a smile, "There’s much more that I can’t enumerate one by one — I mean, for such a small matter, why need you take action yourself? I can do it just fine."

And with that, she indeed began to unfasten his shirt.

However, Meng Yuhuai did not expect his wife to take such initiative and was momentarily caught off guard. Then he suddenly remembered something, grabbed her hand, and said with a half-smile, "Don’t be so hasty. There’s something I had intended to tell you later, when I was more certain, but seeing as you’re being so ’understanding’ today, why not tell you a little earlier?" (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to go to Qidian (qidian.com) to cast your monthly ticket and recommendation ticket. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please go to m.qidian.com to read.)

This chapter is updated by freew(e)bnovel.(c)om