Chef Hua
Chapter 418 - 231 Peaceful Relations

Chapter 418: 231 Peaceful Relations

Meng Yuhuai was exceedingly fond of frowning.

When he was annoyed, his eyebrows would lock tightly; when he was happy, his eyebrows would move a lot as well; those two thick brows of his could express any emotion. For example, right now, he was frowning out of habit again, and Hua Xiaomai couldn’t quite make out his mood. Biting her lip and slightly uneasy, she touched his hand, "Speak up..."

"Why did you suddenly have this idea?" he began, his tone very gentle, but his eyes carried a hint of inquiry.

"Here’s how it happened. I had originally planned to see you yesterday, but suddenly Lady Magistrate Tao said she wanted to eat at the small restaurant, so I was delayed,"

Hua Xiaomai recounted yesterday’s events in detail, ending with a sigh, "You know, since the restaurant started, we’ve mainly done business with merchants on the official road. I can understand the villagers not wanting to spend money, but it has been so long, and the city folks have always been unwilling to come as well—that’s not a good thing! After all, it means my place isn’t presentable enough. Since the restaurant has opened, everyone wants to attract patrons willing to spend money; I’m no exception. As it stands now, while business looks flourishing, the profits are limited—I’m not afraid of your ridicule; I truly feel somewhat discontent."

Meng Yuhuai nodded slightly, his eyebrows moving again, "Indeed, that’s an issue. However, I remember that there’s a piece of woodland behind the restaurant, totaling more than three acres. If you buy it, what are your plans for it?"

"I thought about it all last night and finally came up with some ideas," Hua Xiaomai’s lips curved into a smile, "I’m just planning to tidy it up and make it look nicer. Dig a fish pond, plant some lotuses, raise a few fish, and place several sets of stone tables and chairs around. That’ll bring out a certain rustic charm. As for the other side, we can plant a bamboo grove. The food offerings from both places would be different, and after a renovation of the small restaurant, wouldn’t that freshen things up? Our village is a countryside place, after all, and those two views would complement the farmlands. They wouldn’t seem out of place. Once everything is arranged, I’ll invite Lady Magistrate Tao, and if she graces us with her presence, the rest should be easy."

Meng Yuhuai’s expression didn’t change at all, and he glanced at her, "What about the Provincial City? Haven’t you always been thinking about it..."

"Oh, you blockhead, if I have this place, why would I go to the Provincial City? We should make those wealthy people from the Provincial City come all the way to Fire Knife Village instead!" Hua Xiaomai curled her finger and tapped his forehead gently.

"Hmm," Meng Yuhuai nodded, remaining very calm, "Have you thought about how much this is going to cost?"

When it came to this, Hua Xiaomai grew worried and counted on her fingers to tell him, "I’ve roughly calculated it; the money I can use right now, at the most, totals no more than one hundred and fifty or sixty taels. Buying the land, landscaping, hiring people, and hiring chefs will all cost a significant sum..."

The more she counted, the more uncertain she felt, frowning, "If it really comes down to it, we’ll just dig out the fish pond first, and with the rest, we’ll wait until we earn some more money and then slowly..."

"You seem to have forgotten something," Meng Yuhuai finally showed a hint of a smile.

"What?" Hua Xiaomai looked at him, puzzled.

Mr. Meng’s lips curved up slightly, "Do you remember what I said to you when you returned to Fire Knife Village after your first trip to the Provincial City? I told you, I’ve been escorting caravans for Uncle Ke since I was fifteen years old. This risky business pays well and, over these eight or nine years, I’ve earned quite a bit. I told you back then, if you wanted to open a restaurant, you could use my money—have you really forgotten such an important matter?"

How could I forget?

Hua Xiaomai could not help but smile as well.

Before that night, the two of them had mutual feelings for each other, but they had never breached that final barrier. It was on the way back to the village that he finally revealed his intention to propose, stammering and unable to utter a coherent sentence for a long time. Even thinking of that moment now made her unable to stop the corners of her mouth from turning up.

But... wait a moment, what did he just say?

Hua Xiaomai abruptly realized and grabbed his sleeve, "You mean... you agree?"

"Why wouldn’t I agree?" Meng Yuhuai said with a smile, "I do think your idea is worth a try. Furthermore, doing so means we won’t have to argue about whether to go to the Provincial City or not. It’s the best of both worlds, why not do it? You don’t need to worry about money either. I’ll contribute some funds to make it three hundred taels. If that’s not enough, I’ll..."