Chef Hua
Chapter 484 - 264: Happy Event

Chapter 484: Chapter 264: Happy Event

Guan Rong was someone Hua Xiaomai hadn’t thought about for a long time.

Ever since she married Meng Yuhuai, in the past six months, Hua Xiaomai hardly saw Guan Rong at all, not knowing whether it was because she was truly ill and could not leave her home, or if she was intentionally avoiding them.

The Meng Family and the Guan Family were clearly separated by only a wall, and while their interactions had been frequent in the past, now even when they encountered each other on the street, they wouldn’t greet one another. Living just next door, yet on an ordinary day, not a whisper could be heard, to the point where Hua Xiaomai almost forgot about the existence of Guan Rong.

Today, out of the blue, when she heard such a robust wailing from Guan Rong, as if she had suffered an immense injustice, what could it be for?

"Slap!"

Before Hua Xiaomai could make heads or tails of the situation, she felt a firm slap on the back of her head. It wasn’t painful, but it was startling. She quickly covered her head and turned around, only to see Old Lady Meng looking at her with a ferocious expression.

"Do you have even a copper coin’s worth of relation with that family? What time is it already? You’re still daydreaming. Hurry up and finish cooking so we can eat! Whether you eat or not doesn’t matter, but the one in your belly can’t go hungry!"

"I just wanted to listen to the commotion," Hua Xiaomai chuckled mischievously.

This was indeed the truth. Whatever the Guan Family was up to, and why Guan Rong was crying like that, what did it have to do with her? To say something rather unkind, if the Guan Family truly encountered trouble or disaster, if she could hold back her laughter, it would have been quite a feat for her already!

"Why do you care?" Old Lady Meng rolled her eyes in annoyance, "To put it bluntly, that family is just courting death; this isn’t their first time! I won’t stop you from enjoying the spectacle, but first see to the cooking. Depending on how you want to gawk, go ahead!"

On a normal day, she might have snatched the wok shovel herself, but at this moment, the "Nine-flavor Beef Tripe" that she had been craving for so long was a dish only Hua Xiaomai knew how to prepare. Apart from hurrying her, there was nothing she could do.

Hua Xiaomai agreed and poured the sauce made from nine condiments including green onions, garlic, chili paste, and fragrant vinegar into the hot oil to fry until aromatic. She blanched the thinly sliced beef tripe in boiling water, then poured the flavorful sauce over it and sprinkled a small bunch of coriander on top before serving it piping hot.

The cleaned and cooked beef tripe had a tender white color, contrasting beautifully with the bright red chili oil and vibrant green coriander, making it a feast for the eyes that could whet anyone’s appetite. It was only at this moment that Old Lady Meng felt truly satisfied. She hurriedly warmed a pot of wine and heartily ate two bowls of rice, her mood instantly improving. When she looked at Hua Xiaomai again, her expression was much friendlier.

The crying from next door continued unabated, persisting until Hua Xiaomai and Meng Yuhuai went back to their room to sleep at night. The intermittent sobs, so mournful and pitiful, were indescribably heart-wrenching. Old Lady Meng couldn’t stand it any longer and cursed a few times, and only then did the noise slowly decrease, becoming completely inaudible.

The next morning, not long after Meng Yuhuai left the house, Second Mother Hua came over to the Meng Family courtyard with little Tie Chui in her arms for a visit.

In fact, this was considered one of the benefits of her moving back to the Jing Family’s old house with Jing Taihe. Previously, when she lived in the western part of the village, the two sisters had to walk quite a distance to see each other, but now, if she felt a bit anxious, she could see her at any time just by crossing that dirt road, which was indeed very convenient.

Hua Xiaomai was idling at home and was naturally overjoyed to see her come by. She hurriedly asked her to sit down and then ran off to wash her hands so that she could take Tie Chui into her arms for a good cuddle.

The little guy was well looked after, chubby and plump like a ball of dough, his cheeks as red as a ripe apple, very pleasing to the eye, and so cuddly that one couldn’t bear to let go. Second Mother Hua watched with a smile as Hua Xiaomai played with Tie Chui for a while, then took the child back, her almond-shaped eyes curving, "Enough, this little thing isn’t very big, but he’s surprisingly heavy. Your arms will get sore after holding him for a while. You’re in a condition where you can’t exert yourself too much, to prevent any injury. Once the one in your belly is born, you can play all you want and no one will mind!"

The two then sat in the cool shade of the courtyard, with two cups of tea at hand, and chatted idly. Hua Xiaomai also inquired whether Second Mother Hua was considering moving back to the west side of the village.

"I..." Second Mother Hua sneakily glanced inside the house, guessing that Old Lady Meng probably couldn’t hear at this volume, and then whispered, "If I had my way, of course, I’d prefer to live alone with Taihe. But Tie Chui is not even half a year old yet, and my brother-in-law is busy at the smithy from morning to night. It’s somewhat inadequate to rely on me alone to look after him. I’ve always had some friction with my mother-in-law, but no matter what, now that I have given birth to a child, she can’t hold that over me anymore. When I argue with her now, I stand two spans taller with confidence. Considering this, I’m not in any rush!"