Chef Hua
Chapter 543 - 291 The Bigger the Commotion, the Better_2

Chapter 543: Chapter 291 The Bigger the Commotion, the Better_2

Hua Xiaomai leaned back in her chair, squinting her eyes and giving him a slight smile, while Old Mother Meng couldn’t help but bare her teeth and looked poised to take her shoe off again.

Zhuzi had just taken a beating that was far from light, the pain was still burning across his face. Seeing Old Mother Meng’s move, he couldn’t help but shudder, waving his hands and shaking his head frantically.

"Can you trust me just once? I genuinely didn’t know that Zhenwei Garden was your establishment! That... Following the crowd to cause trouble today was my mistake, I won’t say anything unnecessary. Anyhow, I’m right here, so if there’s anything you need me for, just say the word, and I will definitely..."

Hua Xiaomai got just the response she wanted. She nodded contentedly and raised two fingers, "Two things. First, you have to tell me what Sun Zhengkuan is really up to — he can’t possibly think of just stirring up trouble in my Sauce Garden today and then call it quits, can he?"

"This..." Zhuzi knew about Old Mother Meng’s ferocity and had vaguely heard about what sort of relationship Daoxiang Garden had with Lianshun Escort Agency. He didn’t dare to babble nonsense. He lowered his head to ponder carefully, then said with a tremble, "I only overheard a couple of sentences from the stewards at Gui Lin Inn, so I’m not very clear about it. I only know that this Mr. Sun originally planned to cause a big fuss at Zhenwei Garden, sending people every day to start trouble, so the management would be too busy dealing with the chaos to pay attention to anything else, and then he would make his move on your Daoxiang Garden. As for what he really wants to do, I have no idea, I’m telling the truth, I’m not lying to you."

"Hmm." Hua Xiaomai responded with a noise, her smile growing warmer, "I’ve got a pretty good idea now. The second thing, I wonder if you could agree to — I’d like to ask you to testify for me."

Zhuzi didn’t hesitate to nod his head like a pecking chicken, saying repeatedly, "Okay, okay, what’s the problem? Today I was blind and ran afoul of you, and I’ve been regretting it terribly. If you can make use of me now, that’s my good fortune!"

...Listen to that boot-licking talk, smooth as can be, not a single stutter, one sentence after another flowing out! Think about it, Fatty Wei must have been very receptive to this approach back then, right?

"Since you’re willing to agree, that puts my mind at ease." Hua Xiaomai smiled squinting her eyes, "Since that’s settled, I think you shouldn’t leave today, alright? You apprenticed for Chef Wei before, so your culinary skills must be decent. Why not try your hand here? If you’re skilled, I just might keep you on and let you earn a steady paycheck every month. Then you won’t have to go out and take orders from others, how about that?"

Zhuzi immediately showed a bitter smile.

"Try out your skills," was something he could only listen to with one ear; how could he not understand that Hua Xiaomai wanted to keep him at Daoxiang Garden so he wouldn’t turn around, go back to the city, and pass on information to Sun Zhengkuan? Though he was unwilling, he still had no choice but to nod in agreement.

Hua Xiaomai handed him over to Master Tan, then asked Qing You and Ji Xiang to keep a closer eye on him. She then exhaled deeply from her chest and said, "We should also start preparing for the business tonight," and turned her mind from the matter.

...

Meng Yuhuai returned in the evening and, before he even got home, he had already heard about the incident at Zhenwei Garden earlier that afternoon. He felt genuinely worried, so he first stopped by Daoxiang Garden, but couldn’t find Hua Xiaomai or Old Mother Meng. He hurried back to the village in the south, and as soon as he entered the door, he saw his little wife sitting in the courtyard, her face lifted up to him, smiling carefree.

"I’m a bit tired, and with Master Tan and the others looking after the shop, I just decided to play hooky and rest at home," she said.

Seeing her looking her usual self eased Meng’s mind somewhat, and pretending to be stern, he said gruffly, "You can still smile? Don’t say I didn’t warn you; if today’s incident happens a couple more times, I guarantee you’ll be in a real mess and you can forget about doing proper business!"

As he spoke, he stepped forward and frowned, "I heard that you even climbed onto the table today? Who’s been feeding your courage till it’s this fat?"

As he brought this up, Hua Xiaomai got a real fright, she glanced towards the kitchen in panic and frantically put her finger to her lips, shushing him while pleading in a hushed tone, "Don’t ruin me, if Mother finds out about this, she definitely won’t let me off!"

In her heart, she cursed Chun Xi thoroughly.

This sister-in-law... taking her wages to betray her, it was absolutely unacceptable!

Meng Yuhuai’s wife’s nervous appearance almost made him burst into laughter, but he held it back with great effort, scooped her up from the chair and said sternly, "I just went to Zhenwei Garden a while ago and saw that you kept one of today’s troublemakers in the shop. Are you planning..."

Before he could finish, the little rascal rushed in, calling out loudly, "Boss, the brothers who went to the city to get the sauce supplies are back, they brought several dozen jars. Master Lei and his wife are preparing to carefully check them all, do you want to take a look?"

"Yes, I will!" Hua Xiaomai nodded and smiled, "Hurry back and let Master Lei know to wait for me. I’ll eat dinner at home and head over immediately."

The little rascal cheerfully agreed and was off. Meanwhile, Meng Yuhuai fixed his eyes on his wife’s, "You say you don’t want my help, so I won’t interfere, and you can figure it out on your own, but you at least ought to tell me what you’re planning, right? So you’re bringing back all those so-called problematic sauces as evidence? So the one staying in Daoxiang Garden is your witness? Are you thinking...?"

Hua Xiaomai laughed and wrapped his arm in hers, "Isn’t it just like us to be on the same wavelength? I should thank that Mr. Sun, actually. He gave me such an opportunity, so naturally, I intend to make as big a fuss as possible, don’t you agree?" (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, please visit Qidian (qidian.com) to cast your recommendation ticket, monthly ticket. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to read.)