Chef Hua
Chapter 36 - 29 Damn Fatty Wei

Chapter 36: Chapter 29 Damn Fatty Wei

The grass in winter was old and sharp, slicing painfully across the back of her hands and cheeks. Hua Xiaomai was pulled so strongly she could not stand steady, and her head plunged forward; in her vision, only three or four pairs of feet were visible. Before she could react, a piece of rotten cloth was stuffed into her mouth, and her hands were tied up. A sack was suddenly pulled over her head from nowhere, quickly tied with a rope, and she was lifted into the air and violently shaken, obviously carried off by someone running.

The sack was soft everywhere, offering no grip to hold on to, and her body could only sway back and forth, all her internal organs seeming to shift out of place. Unable to shout, Hua Xiaomai could only grasp tightly onto a piece of cloth and strenuously stretch her limbs to stabilize her body slightly, reducing the violent shaking, while straining her ears to catch any sounds outside.

The kidnapping had been sudden and inexplicable. To say she was not afraid would certainly be false, but fortunately, she still managed to remain calm. The man carrying her ran very fast, his slightly heavy breathing clearly audible by her side along with several other messy, heavy footsteps. Recalling the few pairs of feet she had noticed earlier, Hua Xiaomai was convinced her abductor was undoubtedly a man.

It was really strange; people in Fire Knife Village saw each other every day and were intimately familiar with each other. She had no money, and her appearance was nothing special, so what benefit could these people possibly have from kidnapping her?

Could it be bandits?

Hua Xiaomai made countless guesses in her mind, then dismissed them one by one. Almost subconsciously, she thought of the expression on Chef Wei at Brother Li’s house earlier today, as if he wanted to devour her alive.

No... surely not? She had only overshadowed him a little at the banquet. Could he be so enraged as to kill someone over that? That would be making too much of a fuss!

The more she thought about it, the more likely it seemed, and her heart relaxed slightly. She squinted her eyes.

She was curious to see what that pig-headed Fatty Wei would do to her today!

The man carrying Hua Xiaomai ran for about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea and then stopped. Sounds of unlocking came from outside; the man took a few steps forward and then Hua Xiaomai felt herself dropped onto a pile of hay.

The hay was quite thick, so the fall wasn’t very painful, but the man did not come to remove the sack. Instead, he turned and left, locking the door behind him.

The piece of cloth in Hua Xiaomai’s mouth was both dirty and stinking, and her throat was so dry it felt like fire. Knowing it was pointless to struggle any further, she quietly lay on the ground, conserving her energy.

Considering the time and distance of the man’s run, she deduced she was still inside Fire Knife Village. Just knowing this, she didn’t worry too much. Moreover, whoever had kidnapped her would surely show up soon, so she merely waited there patiently.

As she expected, after about the duration of half a stick of incense, the lock on the door was opened again. Through the worn and somewhat sparse sack, she vaguely saw four or five shadows enter.

"Oh, what are you doing? Don’t scare the poor girl!" Chef Wei’s insincere booming voice suddenly erupted. "Come on, come on, untie her, quick!"

There was a rustling above her head, and suddenly it was bright in front of her. Hua Xiaomai immediately lifted her head.

The room looked as if it had been abandoned long ago, the few pieces of furniture old and covered with a thick layer of dust. Chef Wei stood in the middle of the room, with four young men who had closed and were guarding the door; Hua Xiaomai took a closer look and realized they were the apprentices who had assisted Chef Wei in the kitchen at the Li Family’s place.

So, the ones who had kidnapped her must be these four men.

It was indeed that damned Fatty Wei!

Everything was exactly as she had guessed. Hua Xiaomai couldn’t speak, but her face darkened, and a cold light flashed through her eyes.

"What are you dazing for, I told you to let go!" Chef Wei stood with an air of righteous indignation, kicking the apprentice closest to him, and quickly added, "And pull the cloth out of his mouth too!"

Then, with a benevolent smile, he slowly walked up to Hua Xiaomai and bent down with great concern, "Miss Xiaomai, did I scare you? Look at this mess, all due to my guys here not being up to par. I told them to invite you over nicely, who would have thought they’d do this? Don’t be afraid, I don’t have bad intentions."

Oh, your heart isn’t bad, it’s just crooked!

Hua Xiaomai gave him a cold glance and cleared her fiery throat, "I need water."

"Can’t you be a bit observant, get some water!" Chef Wei waved his hand grandly, and a young apprentice immediately brought over a bowl of cold well water. Hua Xiaomai didn’t care about the cold, gulping it down in two big swigs, then continued to stare at him.

Chef Wei felt a bit uneasy under her gaze, chuckled dryly, and rubbed his hands saying, "Well, well... Miss Xiaomai, the reason I invited you here... there’s no other agenda. We both worked on the Li Family’s banquet today, so it seems we were meant to meet. I’ve observed you working in the kitchen, and you truly have a gift, not once in a thousand years, but definitely rare. I always appreciate talent, and when I see a gifted individual, I immediately want to help, heh heh."

He waited for Hua Xiaomai to ask a question, but she simply didn’t take the bait, just stared at him with even wider eyes, fixating on him.

Those clear eyes seemed bright and harmless, but perhaps it was the guilt in his own heart that made Chef Wei feel like her gaze held deeper meaning, even a bit... ferocity. He startled inwardly, his smile stiffening.

"My point is simple," he persisted, "I see great potential in you, just slightly lacking in basic skills. At such a young age, with a bit more training, you’re sure to achieve greatness! I can’t bear to see such talent wasted, I’m keen to take you as my disciple, what do you think?"

Bullshit! Hua Xiaomai really wanted to spit in his face.

Slightly lacking in basic skills? Blatant lies! Practicing chopping, stirring, scooping, and butchering for three hours every day, rain or shine, 365 days a year, your skills won’t even come close to mine!

Besides, do you kidnap everyone you take as your disciple with a sack? Those four guys behind you don’t look light; you must have had quite the workout carrying each one, right?

She still didn’t speak, and the apprentices were getting anxious. One chubby one stepped forward, frowning, "Hey, say something, are you stupid happy? You need to understand, the whole Fuzhe County wants to apprentice with my master. From the front of Chunfeng Restaurant, the line could stretch down to the city tower! If it isn’t the most talented, my master wouldn’t even glance their way! Don’t say I didn’t tell you, my master has never taken a female disciple before. If you follow him, we brothers will naturally look after you. This is a pie falling from the sky; if you don’t catch it, you’ll regret it later!"

Hua Xiaomai simply gave him a disdainful glance, then with pursed lips smiled at Chef Wei, "Master Wei, not to hide it from you, I’m into cooking just for fun, never thought of apprenticing. Besides, being a girl, my family would never agree to me being an apprentice. So, I can only take your kindness to heart."

"Is that so..." Chef Wei wasn’t surprised at her answer, nodded and said, "To each their own, I won’t force you, but there’s one thing you must agree to. If you won’t become my disciple, then you can’t continue serving as the chef for the village feasts."

"Why?" Hua Xiaomai retracted her smile, lifting her chin.

"No reason, that’s just the rule," Chef Wei’s smile also chilled, his voice sinister.

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The electricity was out for a day, delayed update o(╯□╰)o