Chef Hua
Chapter 370: Episode 208 Moth_2

Chapter 370: Episode 208 Moth_2

Old Mistress Jing finally eased her concerns when she heard it and slapped her thigh, "Alright then, I’ll get it for you right now; you can arrange it in my kitchen. Cough, not to mention longan flesh, if it could ensure the safe and sound arrival of my little grandson, I’d even get dragon meat for her to eat!"

After saying this, she murmured something under her breath, it wasn’t clear what she was grumbling about, then she bustled into the kitchen.

Hua Xiaomai picked several dozen dried dates and followed her, boiling the dates together with the longan flesh. When it was seventy percent done, she added some fresh ginger juice and honey. After it came to a boil again, she ladled it out to cool, put it into a small jar that could be sealed tightly, and handed it to Old Mistress Jing with instructions to give it to Hua Erniang three times a day. After a moment’s thought, she tugged at the sleeve of Old Mistress Jing.

"Grandmother, is my second sister still seeing that Doctor Xing from the Baosheng Medical Hall in the County? Do you know approximately when she is due to give birth?"

Old Mistress Jing had taken the jar of longan and date preserve as if it were a treasure, secured it properly in a cupboard, then turned around with a deeply furrowed brow and said, "How could it be otherwise? I heard from Taihe that just last month she had gone to consult Doctor Xing, who said that my little grandson should be born around the end of April... Tsk, each visit cost quite a sum, and she still suffers so, truly is is taking years off my life!"

Hua Xiaomai did not argue with her, but still said with a smile, "Grandmother, I understand that my second sister’s pregnancy is your family’s affair, and I shouldn’t meddle needlessly. However, I can still make a few dishes. Should she continue to struggle with eating, please come and tell me. If there’s anything I can help with, I will certainly do my best."

"Enough, enough, if I need your help, I definitely won’t stand on ceremony with you!" Old Mistress Jing, having ’crossed the river,’ ’demolished the bridge’ right after, her face showing traces of impatience, waved her hand dismissively, "I hear your little restaurant is quite busy? Now that your second sister is resting, I won’t keep you any longer. You should go attend to your own affairs, hmm?"

Chun Xi, upon hearing this, bristled and gaped in astonishment, about to speak up but was tugged by Hua Xiaomai and reluctantly followed her out of the Jing family’s old estate.

Standing beneath the camphor tree next to the courtyard wall, Chun Xi pouted and said resentfully, "I think that Erqiao’s feeling unwell isn’t just everyday discomfort, and it doesn’t seem like she’s merely being irritable. She’s a strong-willed person; she never makes a fuss over minor aches and pains, but today I saw her looking so worried—it’s probably that thoughtless mother-in-law of hers causing her grief!"

Hua Xiaomai lowered her head in thought for a while, biting her lip, "That’s unlikely, even if Old Mistress Jing wanted to stir up trouble, she probably wouldn’t choose this particular moment. I also know that my second sister isn’t fretting without cause, but if she can’t articulate the problem, can we do anything but try to console her? Fortunately, my brother-in-law is quite good, and I’ll make time in the next few days to speak with him at the blacksmith shop, to ask him to be more attentive; he should understand then."

Smiling again, she added, "Come on now, she’s my sister, not yours, yet why do you seem more indignant than I am? It’s getting late; we really should head back to the restaurant quickly. Don’t worry, I live so close to my second sister now, I will definitely look after her."

With those words, she pulled the unhappy Chun Xi along, hurrying back to the eastern part of the village.

...

Speaking of which, the fisherman Xu Ershun who sold fish by the river, although just an ordinary fisherman with all his dealings in Fire Knife Village, had quite a wide network. Hua Xiaomai had just mentioned her search for shad to him, and within a few days, he indeed managed to bring back two fat, lively, very fresh fish.

Hua Xiaomai kept the two shad in a water basin for two days, planning to take them to the County on the day of the competition to be slaughtered fresh. In the preceding days, she also searched high and low for vendors carrying yams to the village in their shoulder poles and was lucky enough to stumble upon one selling top-quality iron stick yams, which had been stored all winter and only just dug up in April. She promptly weighed out several dozen pounds, not only to use in the competition but to add a new dish to her small restaurant’s menu.

Her preparations had gone well, the ingredients were all complete, everything seemed to be progressing smoothly, and Hua Xiaomai let out a relieved sigh. On the morning of April 14th, she once again reminded Meng Yuhuai, asking him not to forget to collect the milk, then gathered all her things neatly, waiting for the next morning to come so she could take Zhou Yunyun to Fuzhe County.

At noon, the takeaway stall in front of the door was surrounded by layers of customers, each holding their six copper coin food boxes, eagerly watching the pot, while Hua Xiaomai cooked swiftly. Suddenly, she heard the voice of La Mei in her ear.