Chef Hua
Chapter 384: Episode 214 Seeking Guidance_2

Chapter 384: Episode 214 Seeking Guidance_2

This time, her visit to the Provincial City was primarily to please her husband, so her words naturally sounded as sweet as honey. Upon hearing her, Meng truly could no longer maintain his composure, and his lips curled into a smile. Only because there was a shop assistant present in the hall did he refrain from tapping her on the head.

Actually, the young shop assistant was quite perceptive, having long distanced himself and deftly poured out the brought-back mung bean soup, eagerly handing the bowl over to the peddler. Seeing that the two continued to talk endlessly, he grew somewhat impatient and scratched his head as he moved closer with a sheepish grin, "The two of you, it’s getting late. Do you still want these dishes on the table? There’s still fire in the kitchen, that is..."

Meng Yuhuai didn’t answer immediately but lowered his head and softly asked, "Do you still want to eat?"

"Eat? I’ve been on the road all day today, and I was so tired before that I barely ate anything. I’m still hungry," Hua Xiaomai replied without hesitation, nodding, "What about you? You drank so much, how about asking the chef to cook you a bowl of porridge?"

As soon as the words were spoken, the young assistant’s face crumpled.

"Let’s not trouble him..." Meng Yuhuai turned to look at him and said, "Just warm these few dishes up, and another bowl of mung bean soup should be enough. Let’s go upstairs so this young brother can rest early,"

Having said that, he then instructed the young shop assistant to bring some hot water and led Hua Xiaomai to their inn room upstairs.

...

The rooms of Dong’an Inn, just like its hall downstairs, were not particularly elegant or exquisite, but they were tidy and clean, with assorted tables, cabinets, and utensils all seemingly complete.

Returning to their room, it wasn’t long before the young assistant brought up the heated dishes, placing them on the table at the center of the room, and then quickly withdrew with a smile.

A lamp was lit on the desk by the window, the light not particularly bright, casting the various things around the room in hazy silhouettes. Hua Xiaomai sat down at the table and glanced with slight disdain at the dishes, "Even the best dishes lose their flavor once reheated. Luckily I’m not yet full, otherwise I would not eat them."

She then looked up at Meng Yuhuai with a smile, "The Escort Agency is quite good at choosing inns. It was only after eating here tonight that I realized their dishes are actually modeled after those of the Kong Mansion. This Braised Carp and the Shrimp with Tender Shoots are not badly made. Why don’t you try?"

Meng then took a seat opposite her, took a sip of the mung bean soup, and shook his head with a smile, "With all your culinary skills, even the best dishes from a grand restaurant may not catch your fancy, let alone those made by an inn’s chef?"

"That’s not how I see it," Hua Xiaomai replied earnestly. "The chef here is truly skilled. I did not know how to make these two dishes before, but luckily I’m quick-witted. Just by tasting them, I have a rough idea of the seasonings they’ve used. When we get back, I could try making them. Perhaps I can add two more delicious dishes to my small eatery."

Suddenly realizing, she waved her hand, "I apologize, I’m once again talking shop—tell me, was your trip to the Yuan Family smooth today?"

Meng Yuhuai frowned slightly, "Speaking of it, there wasn’t anything particularly troublesome, and our Escort Agency is capable of taking on the job. However, I need to go there again tomorrow to discuss with their household how to arrange things properly. I estimate that our Escort Agency will need to dispatch five or six men, so if we have to escort goods again, our manpower may be stretched thin. I need to think this through after we return."

He sighed and continued, "Actually, that’s still manageable, but what truly gives me a headache is the matter of payment. The Yuan Family, in the entire Tong’an City, is a renowned and prominent household, yet the wealthier they are, the more penny-pinching they seem. For a small sum of silver, they quibbled with me for a good half an hour at the dinner table, insisting relentlessly. I’m not accustomed to such practices, and I’m certainly no match for them in verbal sparring. If not for the thought of returning to the inn, I would have considered drinking myself into oblivion,"

Hua Xiaomai lowered her head to consider for a moment and bit her lip, "Actually, if you ask me, this matter isn’t difficult. If you don’t want to haggle over prices every time, why not just set a fixed price?"

"Set a fixed price?" Meng Yuhuai lifted his gaze to her and laughed, "This isn’t like running a restaurant and selling dishes, how can we set a fixed price?"

"You guys from the Escort Agency follow a certain set of rules to escort goods for others, which I don’t understand, so I won’t comment on that. But when it comes to guarding homes and protecting properties, even though you also take on such jobs, it’s not a regular thing. Instead of wracking your brains over how much to charge every time, why not classify Escort Masters into different levels based on their skills and set fixed prices for each? Then, whether they want safety or to save some money, the clients can decide for themselves how to choose and combine manpower," Hua Xiaomai suggested with a raised eyebrow and a hearty laugh.

"That actually... might be a solution," Meng Yuhuai nodded slightly and then waved his hand, "Let’s not talk about this now. First tell me, how did you manage to get past Mother and get her approval to come find me?"

"Ha, speaking of that, I really need to remind you," Hua Xiaomai clapped her hands, sat up straight, and earnestly said, "To get away, I told a lie, saying that I had something I must deliver to you. You have to cover for me on this and not give me away in front of Mother."

Meng Yuhuai was both frustrated and amused, and eventually, he flicked her on the forehead, "It was already improper for you to come to the Provincial City alone, and you even lied to Mother? And now you dare to laugh about it, so bold and carefree, acting recklessly. Do you even know how to write ’wrong’?"

Hua Xiaomai didn’t dodge, honestly taking the flick on her forehead, and pouted, "I’m just naive, don’t know boundaries, always causing trouble and angering people. I’m full of faults... you should teach me—"

The last word was drawn out very long, adding a bit of coyness, and however it was heard, there seemed to be another meaning in it. Meng Yuhuai’s throat tightened as his gaze, sharp as an arrow, quickly swept around...

The table, hmm, was covered with dishes and bowls; the bed was a bit too far away, and looking around the whole room, the half-open window seemed the only suitable place.

The man, with a certain thought in his mind, moved very swiftly. He stepped forward in a single stride, picked up his little wife by the waist, turned on his foot, and placed her on the window sill next to the window.

These series of movements were really too quick. Hua Xiaomai, caught off guard, couldn’t help exclaiming in shock and hurriedly grabbed onto his clothes.

The night had deepened, the area below was deserted, not a single person in sight, only the cool wind rustling the leaves with a rustling sound.

"Scared?" Meng Yuhuai curved his lips, lowered his head to look closely into her face, right into her eyes.

Hua Xiaomai finally stabilized herself, looked down toward the ground, chuckled, and patted his arm around her waist, "I’m secure here, I’m not afraid."

After a pause, she added, "That... I seem to have not properly apologized to you yet. You were really angry the day before yesterday, weren’t you? I didn’t mean to..."

"We don’t have time to talk about this now." Meng Yuhuai kissed her on the lips and freed one hand to reach in front of her. He had barely started to move his fingers when an unexpected knock came from outside the door.

"Honored guest, honored guest, your hot water has been delivered..." (To be continued. If you like this work, we welcome you to come to Qidian (qidian.com) to cast your recommendation tickets, monthly tickets, and your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users please visit m.qidian.com to read.)