Chef Hua
Chapter 427: Episode 235 You eat it for me_2

Chapter 427: Episode 235 You eat it for me_2

Elder Liu was trembling with fury, and he raised his cane to point at Hua Xiaomai, addressing the crowd, "Listen, listen, is this what you call fair trade? We’re all from the same village, yet you quibble to this extent! I’ve already spelled it out for you before, why can’t you understand? You only think about making money, never considering the villagers..."

"But Elder, when you plot every time to get a bargain, do you ever think about my family?" Hua Xiaomai scoffed coldly.

As for Meng Yuhuai, he gently pushed Elder Liu’s cane aside and said in a grave tone, "Elder, speak if you want to speak, but don’t point fingers, it’s unseemly."

With that, he gave Elder Liu a chance, who immediately turned the tables and exclaimed with heartfelt pain, "Yuhuai, you have always been highly respected in our village. You must think carefully about this. If you really do business like your wife suggests, it will be hard to shed the ’swindler’ label once it’s attached to your head!"

The surrounding crowd grew noisy at his words, some nodded in agreement while others frowned and shook their heads; the atmosphere was extremely lively in a moment.

... To actually use public opinion to pressure someone, this old man is the real schemer!

Hua Xiaomai was so angry she could burst, no longer caring about saving face for him, and she was about to jump out to argue. She had just made a move when another figure swiftly darted out, blocking Elder Liu’s face and bellowing, "What did you say? Say it again, let me hear it!"

It was certainly Meng’s mother.

Elder Liu was startled and stepped back until he felt safe, then said, "If that’s how you do business, what are you if not swindlers? I say the same to anyone I meet!"

"Fine!" Meng’s mother glared at him, looked around, and noticed that ink, brush, paper, and inkstone were already set up on a nearby table to record the chili weights bought by each household. She sneered coldly, rushed over to snatch a piece of paper, and thrust it in front of Elder Liu.

"Everyone is watching; I’ll wager with you now. As the village head of Fire Knife Village, writing won’t be difficult for you. You say my family are swindlers? Write down these characters right now, and then you can go to any town or county to inquire— if you find a store selling chilis cheaper than ours, I will parade this paper atop my head around the village three times. But if you cannot find such a store, then it gets easier, you just have to eat this piece of paper, and I won’t hold a grudge against you— how about it, dare you wager?!"

Her voice was extraordinarily loud, and Hua Xiaomai was immediately inspired, stepping next to Meng’s mother to add, "Yes, Elder, do you dare?" The surrounding crowd burst into laughter, and some mischievous onlookers began to cheer, "Elder, why fear her? Just take the bet. Even if you lose, swallowing a piece of paper won’t do much harm!"

Elder Liu hadn’t expected Meng’s mother to be so fierce; after a torrent of her rebuttal, he couldn’t save face and bristled, "You bold woman, I won’t talk with you!"

Meng’s mother held her head high triumphantly, "That’s right, I am bold. So what? I might be brash, but I’m better than you who does nothing right! Let me tell you today, these chili seeds, my family won’t sell to you anymore. For others, fifty wen per pound, take it or leave it, and if you don’t want them, get out early! If you have the means, find someone to back you up against me; otherwise, stay out of the way where you belong!"

"You, you..." Elder Liu pointed at her face, stammering without being able to utter a complete sentence.

The bold woman advanced another step, menacingly added, "Moreover, I saw it earlier, you were pointing at my Xiaomai with that cane. Just watch, if you dare say another word, I will snap your cane in two—try me!"

Old Liu’s face turned red and his neck thickened, after being roasted by the sun, he felt even more that he couldn’t stand his ground, and shot a fierce glare at the family of three before pulling away and walking off. However, with too many people around, he squeezed into the crowd, but couldn’t easily find his way out. The laughter around him rang in his ears, making him feel as if he was being pricked with needles; it took quite an effort before he finally managed to free himself, and he ran like the wind, disappearing in an instant.

Hua Xiaomai felt quite relieved, and the image of Old Mother Meng in her mind instantly grew much larger. She admired, "Ginger is still more pungent when old," realizing she still had much to learn, while tightly holding onto her arm without letting go. Old Mother Meng struggled symbolically but couldn’t shake her off, and simply let her be, although the expression on her face was somewhat uncomfortable.

The onlookers around them hadn’t dispersed yet, and someone, not giving up, tentatively said, "Ma’am, don’t be upset, I just want to ask, that price, really can’t—"

The rest of the statement was still in his throat when it was silenced by Old Mother Meng with a fierce glare.

At this moment, Qiao Xiong squeezed in nonchalantly, and chuckled at Meng Yuhuai and Hua Xiaomai, "You two, when will you have weighed my fifty pounds of chili for me? My paper shop is busy; I need to get back and keep an eye on it!

Hua Xiaomai quickly responded, calling Qing You over to weigh the chili for Qiao Xiong. Many among the bystanders also wanted to buy some, and seeing this, could not restrain themselves and stepped forward as well. As for those who were just there for the spectacle, seeing that the matter had concluded, they laughed a bit with a sense of anticlimax, and gradually dispersed.

...

By the end of the day, they had sold off most of the chili and had also dealt with the obnoxious Old Liu, giving him a good telling-off. In the evening, after having a meal at a small restaurant and returning to the Meng Family courtyard, all three felt a significant sense of relief.

After Hua Xiaomai and Meng Yuhuai had washed up, they went back to their room, sitting at the table, still chuckling and discussing the day’s events.

"By the way, you said you felt unwell this morning, how are you feeling now?" Meng Yuhuai suddenly remembered this and glanced at Hua Xiaomai’s face with slight concern.

"Not being under the sun has made me feel a lot better," Hua Xiaomai nodded and looked up at him, speaking softly, "See, today’s events were all thanks to mother. If not for her firm and forceful words, Old Liu wouldn’t even have been able to open his mouth. Just the two of us couldn’t have managed until who knows when."

As she unreservedly took the side of Old Mother Meng time and again, Meng Yuhuai felt a mix of amusement and despair, mumbled from where he lay on the bed, "I understand what you mean—you’re now leaning towards mother, and you’re no longer with me at heart."

Knowing he was jesting, Hua Xiaomai pouted her lips and protested, "How can you accuse me so wrongfully, I..."

Meng Yuhuai nodded, "Alright, I know my own limits, really don’t need you to worry, get some sleep."

Hua Xiaomai understood that getting rid of his insecurities wasn’t a matter of a day or two, and with a sigh, she too lay down beside him, and Meng Yuhuai casually pulled her into his embrace.

Even in the hot summer, he liked to keep his wife close in bed, cherishing the coolness of her body, unlike his own burning heat. However, today when he touched her, she felt unusually warmer than usual, so he immediately sat up, worriedly asking, "You’re so hot, could you be running a fever?"

(To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to head over to Qidian (qidian.com) to cast your recommendation ticket and monthly ticket. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to read.)