Chef Hua
Chapter 49: Episode 41 Awkward

Chapter 49: Episode 41 Awkward

"Ah?" Hua Xiaomai had not expected her to suddenly bring this up, and instinctively shrank her neck back, "Hehe, Sister, I think... isn’t this unnecessary?"

That evening in the Jing Family courtyard, she, bewitched, impulsively kissed Meng Yuhuai, and regretted it for a long time afterward, always feeling like a little thief caught in the act, terribly uneasy. Since then, they had not seen each other; it seemed he had not even returned to Fire Knife Village during the New Year.

Although she did not know what Meng Yuhuai thought about the incident, she guessed that a person as serious as him on regular days would definitely not treat it as trivially as being bitten by a mosquito. Under these circumstances, she was in no position to seek him out—wouldn’t that be asking for trouble?

"Tsk, how is it unnecessary?" Hua Erniang glared at her sternly, "After all, he had helped our family significantly in the past. Showing some gratitude during the holidays is expected, right? We had invited him over for a meal before, and your brother-in-law got drunk. I was so busy taking care of him that I didn’t even see him out when he left; I really felt quite bad about it. It’s just a couple of packages of candied sweets, what’s it worth? I didn’t know you had become so stingy!"

Hua Xiaomai almost jumped out of her chair.

How dare she bring up that night? Talking about taking care of the drunk Jing Taihe, huh! Clearly, she had been hiding in the room making all sorts of noises, their sounds loud enough to reach the yard! If she hadn’t left Hua Xiaomai and Meng Yuhuai alone, none of it would have happened. Now she finds herself lacking manners and wants to make amends—isn’t it a bit late?

She cursed Hua Erniang silently in her heart, yet on the surface, she dared not show any sign of it, hemming and hawing, "How am I stingy? I just think that Brother Meng, being a man, might not like these sweet trifles. If we send them and he doesn’t..."

"Whether he eats them or not is his business, but our gesture of goodwill should not be unexpressed. Even if he truly doesn’t like them, he can share them with the brothers at the Escort Agency, right! I’m not saying you should go alone—that definitely wouldn’t be appropriate. Aren’t I going with you?" Hua Erniang gradually started to lose her patience, standing on the steps with her hands on her hips, pointing at Hua Xiaomai’s face, "I warn you, while it’s still early, you better get ready and come with me. I think it’s been too long since you were last spanked, feeling itchy for it, huh? Keep whining, and see if I don’t beat you!"

Having said that, she didn’t wait for Hua Xiaomai’s reaction but went back to the east room to wash and change her clothes.

Hua Xiaomai knew there was no escape today, and felt like dying. She stood dazed for a good while, sighed deeply, looked up, smiled at Jing Taihe, and slowly returned to her room.

The sisters didn’t waste any time, quickly got ready, and immediately left the house. Upon arriving in the County, Hua Erniang first took Hua Xiaomai to a silk store called "Ruijin," where they lingered for an hour, picking out two pieces of peach red and pine flower-colored fabric for Hua Xiaomai’s new clothes. Hua Erniang also chose one for herself and one for Jing Taihe, stuffing them into two cloth bags. After paying, they walked out contentedly and headed towards the Lianshun Escort Agency nearby on Tian Sheng Street.

Hua Xiaomai walked reluctantly, dragged by Hua Erniang, wishing she could walk slower than a tortoise. However, Fuzhe County was only so big, and after a short time, the sisters were already standing in front of the imposing black gates of the Lianshun Escort Agency.

"I don’t know if Brother Meng is here. If it happens that he’s out on an escort, we can only ask someone to pass these on." Hua Erniang muttered.

God forbid he’s here! Hua Xiaomai screamed in her heart, reluctantly following Hua Erniang inside the gate, only to immediately see Zuo Jinxiang standing in the courtyard, furiously scolding a grinning young man.

Having come all this way, it was impossible not to greet her. Hua Xiaomai secretly curled her lips and raised her voice to call out, "Sister-in-law Zuo."

Zuo Jinxiang was in full swing cursing when she heard someone call her. She turned her head and saw Hua Xiaomai—her face, stern a moment ago, suddenly brightened like a blooming flower.

"Ah, isn’t that Miss Xiaomai?" She briskly walked over as if the wind were at her feet, grabbed Hua Xiaomai, and greeted her warmly, "What wind brought you here? Could it be that you’ve made some dried bamboo shoots and specially came to give them to us?"

While speaking, she glanced behind Hua Xiaomai, "But I don’t see you carrying a basket?"

"No, Sister-in-law Zuo," Hua Xiaomai shook her head, pointing at Hua Erniang, "This is my second sister. Today, we came into town to stroll around and, incidentally, to bring something to... Meng Yuhuai. Is he here?"

When she mentioned "Meng Yuhuai," her voice was as soft as a mosquito’s hum.

Then, she pulled on Hua Erniang’s hand, "Second Sister, this is the Sister-in-law Zuo I told you about. Last time when it rained heavily, I stayed over at her place for the night. I owe her a lot for taking care of me."

Zuo Jinxiang greeted Hua Erniang with a beaming smile and said, "Meng Yuhuai is here. Wait here, I’ll get someone to call him." She then turned and bellowed, "Dazhong, can’t you be a bit more observant? Didn’t you see they are here to see Meng Yuhuai? Hurry up and call him out! You all are so lazy when not on an assignment, and here I am, a woman, feeling embarrassed for you!"

Her forthright nature instantly won Hua Erniang’s favor. During the short wait for Meng Yuhuai to come out, the two women progressed from formal greetings to a warm conversation. They found they had a lot in common and felt as if they had known each other for years. Hua Xiaomai ended up feeling somewhat left out, not sure whether to sit or stand.

Soon, Meng Yuhuai walked out from the hall. Seeing Hua Xiaomai and Hua Erniang, he too paused, then steadied his steps and approached, clearing his throat, "Madame Hua, Miss Xiaomai, did you... need something from me?"

That day, he wore a crow-blue robe. The early spring morning was windy, blowing the hem of his garment. Though his face showed little expression, his brows were slightly furrowed, hinting at his discomfort and surprise at the arrival of the two sisters from the Hua Family.

Hua Xiaomai also felt awkward. She quickly nudged Hua Erniang and whispered quickly, "Second Sister, Meng Yuhuai is here."

Hua Erniang, deeply engaged in conversation with Zuo Jinxiang about family matters and managing their men, was suddenly nudged in the ribs. Annoyed, she turned to Meng Yuhuai and nodded before snapping, "Aren’t those two packages with you? Just hand them to Meng Yuhuai, why bother me with such a trivial matter?!"

Is this how a sister should act?

If it weren’t for knowing that Hua Erniang’s methods were fierce and she was no match for her, Hua Xiaomai really wanted to fight it out with her. But, the reality was that she had to obediently take out the two packages of sweets from her bundle and hand them to Meng Yuhuai, her teeth clicking together as she forced herself to say, "Meng Yuhuai, here is a package of orange cake and a package of Crispy Yellow Turnip, brought for you to enjoy."

Meng Yuhuai did not immediately reach out to take them but instead looked at her hands and asked, "...Did you make these?"

"Yes," Hua Xiaomai blurted out, then suddenly realized, and quickly waved her hands, "Don’t get me wrong, it’s not specifically for you. My neighbor Pan Taigong’s son Ping’an came back, and he thought the preserved fruits and pastries I made were quite good and wanted to sell them in the Provincial City. These two were extra, so my second sister suggested we bring them here to have you try, as a thank you for helping me before."

Meng Yuhuai’s lips twitched, and he finally reached out to take the two paper packages, falling silent for a moment before suddenly saying, "You’ve already thanked me. There was no need to do this."