Chef Hua
Chapter 479: Episode 261 Lotus Pond at Night_2

Chapter 479: Episode 261 Lotus Pond at Night_2

Hua Xiaomai responded with a calm smile, but by evening, when Meng Yuhuai returned, her demeanor had completely changed.

She bolted through dinner, not even able to taste whether it was sweet or bitter, focusing only on filling her stomach quickly. After helping Meng’s mother clean up the bowls and chopsticks, she promptly grabbed Meng Yuhuai’s arm and dragged him out the door. When they reached the entrance, she didn’t forget to turn back and ask, "Mother, would you like to come with us for a stroll?"

Her tone was utterly insincere, and her expression completely devoid of sincerity. In response, Meng’s mother rolled her eyes and hissed through clenched teeth two words—"Scram!"

Hua Xiaomai was not annoyed but chuckled and walked off with Meng Yuhuai, hustling to the eastern side of the village and taking the newly laid stone path that curved around to the pond.

The pond in front of them, about an acre in width, was full of water. Since it was a new pond, there wasn’t a speck of mud to be seen—the water was crystal clear, and the bottom was visible at a glance.

The lotus flowers, which had just been transplanted into the pond, were few in petals and leaves but grew quite well. The lotus leaves were a deep green, holding up the large trembling pink lotus flowers above the surface of the water. Under the night sky, the petals were closed, not as brilliant as during the daytime, but there was another kind of shy beauty to them.

A ring of large stones had been arranged around the pond, and although they were not Taihu Stones, they had mostly been polished by the river water over many years, so they were unique in shape and equally beautiful. The willows were lush and drooped over the water. When the evening breeze blew, it would stir up thousands of ripples. There were also several simple stone tables and seats on the shore; sitting there would make one feel completely refreshed.

As soon as Hua Xiaomai arrived here, she felt like there wasn’t enough time to take it all in, looking incessantly in all directions before finally landing her gaze on the small boat with its blue canvas canopy on the water.

Such a place, not to mention in Fire Knife Village, it would be hard to find even in the entirety of Fuzhe County!

"Do you like it?"

It took her a moment to turn around, smiling at Meng Yuhuai, "Pretty, isn’t it?"

"Hmm," he nodded, his expression serious, "This pond isn’t small, it won’t be easy to manage. I’m thinking of hiring someone knowledgeable to take care of it. Even if it costs a bit more, we need to make sure everything is in order. And..."

Hua Xiaomai didn’t say a word; instead, she just stared at him with wide eyes, fixing her gaze so fiercely that it made the hairs on the back of Meng’s neck stand on end. Unable to continue his speech, and finding the situation amusing, he bent over and asked, "What are you doing?"

"What do you think?" the young wife raised an eyebrow, "I’m discussing with you whether the scenery is beautiful or not, and you’re thinking about what? It’s such a mood killer!"

Meng Yuhuai took her hand and sat down on a stone seat by the shore, his lips curling slightly, "So, according to you, what should we do next?"

"I think..." Hua Xiaomai turned her head and surveyed the surroundings. After a glance at the clear water, an idea formed in her mind.

Although in this era, a woman should not expose her feet to others, since there were only the two of them by the lotus pond and it was late at night, and considering the hot weather, taking off her shoes and soaking her feet in the water for a while shouldn’t be a big deal... right?

However, Meng Yuhuai seemed to know her nature well. Before she could verbalize her thoughts, he already shook his head and firmly uttered two words: "Not allowed."

Hua Xiaomai didn’t insist, nor did she argue. She shifted to another thought and pointed to the small boat on the water, "What about that..."

"No," Meng Yuhuai remained firm, a smile on his lips, but his tone was decidedly unwavering, leaving no room for negotiation.

"Why?" Hua Xiaomai felt somewhat disheartened, holding onto his clothes persistently, "If not this, then not that, staying at home all day, I’m nearly suffocating, you need to think of a way to relieve my boredom, right? What’s wrong with going boating? With you around, I won’t fall in."

"No extreme is safe," Meng Yuhuai was not swayed in the least, "Autumn is here, the water is very cold. Do you realize your current condition, or do I need to spell it out for you? Being cautious has only benefits, be obedient."

It was peculiar how his voice was so measured, even tender, yet impossible to argue against. Hua Xiaomai sulked and pondered for a moment, still discontent, "I only get to see you at night every day, and now we finally come out, do we just sit here doing nothing?"

Before she finished speaking, she found herself enfolded in a warm embrace.

"This is just fine, stay still," a deep voice, laced with a hint of laughter, came from above her.

Her skin felt feverishly warm, his chest broad and strong, the touch of his fingers firm, with a hint of sweat – oddly not at all unpleasant, as if she had grown accustomed to it.

Hua Xiaomai’s lips curved up involuntarily.

What’s with this feeling as if she’d found a treasure? Should she really be so smug?

"It feels so secure," she murmured quietly, tightening her embrace around Meng Yuhuai’s waist.

He didn’t catch it and asked, looking down, "What did you say?"

"Nothing," Hua Xiaomai buried her head in his chest and shook her head.

The two sat quietly by the fish pond for a while until Meng Yuhuai spoke again.

"Now that the fish pond is complete, and the bamboo forest has long been prepared, I estimate that in half a month, those wooden houses will be finished. You should take the time to think about reopening the business. Currently, aside from you, we only have Chef Tan as a cook, and Yun’er can’t complete her training in a short time. We need to hire another chef to manage the workload. Do you have any plan in mind?"

Here we go again...

Hua Xiaomai felt quite displeased, pouted, and looking up said, "It’s so comfortable sitting by the fish pond, can’t we just not talk about this now? Who knows, maybe one day the chef will come knocking on our door! I’m not in a rush, why are you?"

Meng Yuhuai wanted to say what a stroke of luck that would be, but seeing her clearly upset face, he swallowed his words and sat with her by the pond a while longer.

Unexpectedly, Hua Xiaomai’s casual words came true; within a few days, a chef really did come knocking at their door. (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to vote for recommendation tickets and monthly tickets at Qidian (qidian.com). Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to read.)