Chef Hua
Chapter 494: Episode 269: Really Roundabout

Chapter 494: Episode 269: Really Roundabout

"This is not taking things lightly? What a joke!"

Hua Xiaomai maintained her composure, but she couldn’t help muttering in her heart.

Ever since Lv Bin and Dong Deyou entered Daoxiang Garden today, they started with hearty congratulations and praised her culinary skills extravagantly. They went on to ramble about various things, always avoiding the main topic. Were they expecting her to take the initiative to ask? She wasn’t too free to entertain such stuff!

Now that they couldn’t delay any longer, they finally steered the conversation in the right direction. Not to mention anything else, just this evasive nature alone would have earned them a good scolding if Lady Meng saw it!

No matter what the reason for these two visiting Daoxiang Garden today was, since Meng Yuhuai had repeatedly kept people at a distance, his attitude had already made everything clear. How could she, as his daughter-in-law, undermine his stance?

Realizing this, Hua Xiaomai decided to act like a tight-lipped gourd, merely giving Lv Bin a puzzled smile.

After all that Lv Bin had said, not receiving any response made his face show a hint of embarrassment, and he couldn’t help but give Dong Deyou a look, shaking his head with a wry smile.

"It’s... like this," he had no choice but to continue his soliloquy, "Around the end of July, Lianshun Escort Agency took on a deal from the Provincial City, heading to Shu. Not sure if Lady knows about this..."

He dared not wait for Hua Xiaomai to respond and hurriedly continued, "This deal involved a shipment of silver. To put it more plainly, it’s the payment for the largest silk store in Tong’an Prefecture, ’Ruijin,’ sent to Shu, converted into silver, totaling over six thousand taels."

Hua Xiaomai was startled, involuntarily clicking her tongue secretly. At the same time, she felt an urge to glare at Lv Bin.

Who are you trying to frighten? Who hasn’t seen six thousand taels of silver?... Well, indeed she had never seen such a large amount of silver, but in her previous life, she had heard of one or two wealthy businessmen. She truly had seen the world!

In this era, the Escort Agency business was diverse, and among them, transporting silver was undoubtedly the most risky yet most profitable venture. Escorting such a significant amount of silver, the agency charged a commission on the basis of "five per hundred," meaning, this trip to Shu would earn the Lianshun Escort Agency three hundred taels if the six thousand taels were safely delivered.

Meng Yuhuai scarcely mentioned the affairs of the Escort Agency after returning home each day, and he passed over this deal in just a few words. The "five per hundred" rule was something he had occasionally mentioned to Hua Xiaomai in daily chatter because she showed interest.

No wonder he regarded this deal as so crucial. Having been leaving early and returning late these past few days, not only did he repeatedly caution Han Hu and others who would journey on the escort mission, but he also intensified his practice. Wasn’t it all for those four words: "ensuring absolute safety"?

So, the reason Dong Deyou and Lv Bin rushed over here today was also becoming obvious.

Hua Xiaomai had decided early in the morning to play dumb to the end. She shook her head, looking puzzled, "Lianshun Escort Agency landed a big deal, that’s great news. What else?"

Lv Bin was completely helpless.

He had hoped that she would figure things out on her own and ask a question or two, reciprocating the conversation, which is what makes a real chat, isn’t it? But unexpectedly, she remained so oblivious...

Even if he suspected she was pretending, it wouldn’t be proper to bluntly expose her, would it?

Perhaps sensing Lv Bin’s loss for words, Dong Deyou turned his head to look at him, brows slightly furrowed, and then he started another seemingly unrelated topic.

"Lady might have heard, Lianshun Escort Agency was originally cofounded by my father with Uncle Ke. Though we do not reside in Fuzhe County, Uncle Ke keeps us regularly informed, so I have some understanding of the situation within the agency. Leader Meng, despite his youth, is an outstanding figure in Lianshun Escort Agency, prudent and thorough in his conduct. His escort missions are always the most reassuring—without hiding it from you, when Shenglong Escort Agency first started, I repeatedly invited him to join us, but he refused outright each time, leaving no room for negotiation. So persistent, yet I still cannot let go. Last month, I even sent Leader Lv to Lianshun Escort Agency, only to return disappointed. Honestly, I felt quite embarrassed. But Leader Meng is truly a talented individual. If he could be persuaded to help, what does face matter?"