Chef Hua
Chapter 502: Episode 272 Mid-Autumn

Chapter 502: Episode 272 Mid-Autumn

Dong Deyou and Lv Bin left in dissatisfaction. Although Hua Xiaomai followed Meng Yuhuai to the back yard, her heart still lingered at the front, occasionally turning back to look at the road through the village. Watching the two men walking further away, she couldn’t shake off a feeling of unease.

She had a nagging suspicion about the last thing Dong Deyou said; it seemed as though it carried an ulterior meaning, hiding a hint of malice. She wondered whether he could indeed become so spitefully embarrassed, resorting to despicable tricks just because he missed out on this "fatty meat."

After much deliberation, she still couldn’t put her mind completely at ease, so she pulled Meng Yuhuai aside to share her concerns.

"I’ve been thinking, we’ve only met Mr. Dong twice, and we really don’t know what kind of person he is. What if he’s the sort who’d choose money over life and seek misfortune on you? Travelling for the Escort Agency is unsafe in itself. If he colludes with bandits and stages an ambush..."

Meng Yuhuai understood her meaning well, yet his expression seemed unfazed by the concern. He immediately shook his head.

"Mr. Dong doesn’t have the guts," he said without hesitation. "Since he runs an Escort Agency, he must know that reputation and credibility are paramount in our line of work. If he dared to be overly intimate with bandits, once exposed, his reputation would be ruined instantly. From then on, let alone securing business, he’d likely have no footing in the trade at all. Unless he’s gone completely mad, forsaking all for this one deal, he likely won’t do anything rash. Moreover, even if he did harbor some ill intentions and committed some foul deed, I have my ways to ensure he won’t succeed."

His tone was calm, yet it carried a profound certainty, which somewhat settled Hua Xiaomai’s nerves, knowing that he always had a sense of measure. "Either way, you all should still be very careful not to fall for his traps."

Meng Yuhuai merely chuckled softly. "My original plan was to have Han Hu take on this escort task. But seeing your concern... how about I handle it myself?"

"Tch!" Hua Xiaomai rolled her eyes at him decisively. "I’m worried for you, hoping nothing goes awry. If you don’t appreciate it, that’s one thing, but to mock me? I’m leaving. You can gloat on your own as much as you like!"

Without waiting to see his reaction, she turned and left, heading back to the kitchen to look around before returning to the main hall. Then, pulling Chun Xi and La Mei aside, she whispered something mysteriously.

...

That evening, both Meng Yuhuai and Old Lady Meng stayed at Daoxiang Garden for dinner. The small restaurant out front continued to do well in business. By the end of the "dog" hour, all the diners had left, and Wang Zhanrui along with Chef Tan cleaned off the greasy smoke from their faces and hands, tidied up, and were ready to leave, when they were stopped by Hua Xiaomai.

"Master Wang, Chef Tan, please don’t rush off," she said with a smile. "Today is the Mid-Autumn Festival. Because of our business, you two couldn’t reunite with your families, and I feel somewhat bad about it. Now that we’ve closed up, I’ve set a table by the fishpond. If you’re not too tired, let’s share some liquor and mooncakes and celebrate the festival together."

Daoxiang Garden opened just before the Mid-Autumn Festival, and it was now at its busiest. Neither Wang Zhanrui nor Chef Tan’s families had come to Fire Knife Village. To spend Reunion Festival working all day and then, when they could finally rest, to face the solitude without anyone to share a drink with—everything seemed bleak and rather dismal.

In the afternoon, Hua Xiaomai had asked a couple of idle waiters to start setting up for the occasion, saving some ingredients specially and even buying several jugs of festive osmanthus wine, while adding some minor decorations by the fishpond.

Calling it a decoration was perhaps an overstatement—it was merely moving a couple of tables over and lighting several lanterns. The newly built garden was neat and tidy, with lush lotus flowers blooming; sitting by the pond, greeted by the gentle breeze bearing a soft scent of lotus, it was a treat for anyone who had worked hard all day.

"You want to treat us to a drink, boss?" Upon hearing this, Wang Zhanrui raised his eyebrow and his mouth spread into a wide smile. "That’s really kind of you! Just now, I was talking with Brother Tan about picking out a couple of mooncakes back at Zhenwei Garden to celebrate the festival!"

Hua Xiaomai laughed along, "As I’ve told you before, I can’t guarantee the best terms for you, but I’ll at least make sure not to let you down. What’s sharing a couple of drinks? There’s a kitchen ready by the pond, so you don’t have to lift a finger tonight, I’ll handle the food preparation."