Chef Hua
Chapter 546: Episode 293: New Home

Chapter 546: Episode 293: New Home

The Meng Family currently resides in a courtyard that was hastily constructed when Old Father Meng and Old Mother Meng first settled in Fire Knife Village.

At that time, the couple had only a scant amount of money, and the house they built was barely habitable. Fortunately, Old Father Meng was a diligent man. Within two years, he had earned enough to buy several acres of land and had renovated the house several times to give it its present appearance.

He had also considered building a new house, especially after Old Mother Meng became pregnant with twins. The matter had been formally discussed two or three times, until now. Meng Yuhuai could still vaguely remember how thrilled he had been about moving into a new house.

However, due to a sudden misfortune, Old Father Meng passed away early, and the child in Old Mother Meng’s womb was lost. The family’s life suddenly became extraordinarily difficult. Added to that, Meng Yuhuai’s relationship with his mother grew cold, and the matter of building a new house was indefinitely postponed, never to be mentioned again.

Hua Xiaomai too had learned of these events intermittently from Old Mother Meng. Some time ago, Meng Yuhuai said he wanted to build a new house—she had thought he was just speaking casually, but unexpectedly, he was serious about it, and even quite anxious?

Lately, Hua Xiaomai had been truly lazy, not fond of moving or changing, and even the issue of Sun Zhengkuan setting a trap to sabotage Daoxiang Garden was only addressed because it was urgent, forcing her to gather her spirits and manage it. Hearing Meng Yuhuai speak like this, she felt a bit hesitant and secretly curled the corner of her mouth.

This small gesture did not escape Meng Yuhuai’s eyes. He immediately laughed and touched her head, "I’ve never seen a wife like you. What, isn’t being able to live in a new house something to be happy about?"

"It’s not that I’m unhappy," Hua Xiaomai brushed away his hand and said earnestly, "I’m just thinking... consider this, our Daoxiang Garden was just built not two months ago, and we spent quite a bit of money on it. If we build a new house now, it will certainly require a significant expenditure, won’t that strain our finances? Moreover, building a house necessitates someone to supervise the construction site to prevent any oversights. I’m finding it increasingly difficult to move around, and you are busy all day in the Escort Agency. If you have to check on the new house every evening after coming back, won’t that be exhausting for you?"

Meng Yuhuai simply smiled, "Are you worried?"

"Yes!" Hua Xiaomai nodded vigorously, "I am worried. Shouldn’t I be?"

"There’s no need to worry so much." Meng Yuhuai then hugged her, "I’ve thought it through. Spending a bit of money to hire someone to supervise the work isn’t difficult, and although it’s not as reliable as having our own people, it’s somewhat reassuring. When we’re free, we can check in every two or three days—your pregnancy is becoming more pronounced, and after the turn of the year, by March you should be giving birth. If we build the new house before then, we’ll have more space to live in afterward."

He paused here, his smile widening, "As for the money, you really shouldn’t worry. Just a few days ago, Han Hu and the others returned from Shu. This trip went smoothly, and three hundred taels of silver are now safely in the Escort Agency’s coffers. I plan to make another trip to the Ruijin Silk Store in the Provincial City soon to seal a long-term cooperative deal. Once that’s set, we’ll also get a good share of the profits."

Ever since Han Hu and his team left for Shu, Hua Xiaomai, though not voicing it, had occasionally worried about them, fearing that Dong Deyou might harbor grievances and seek trouble on the road, possibly leading to complications. Knowing that they had returned safely eased a great weight off her mind, and a smile curved her lips.

"Even then, there’s no need to rush like this," she reached out and tugged at Meng Yuhuai’s sleeve, "The child, for the first two or three years, will need to be constantly by our sides. The house we have is quite sufficient for now. Wait..."

"Wait until he’s older, just caring for him will take quite a bit of effort. Then dealing with building a house on top of that, wouldn’t that be even more troublesome?" Meng Yuhuai interrupted before she could finish.

As the two of them discussed this in their room, unsure of what to decide, Old Mother Meng walked in from the courtyard.

"Are you talking about building a house?"

She glanced at Meng Yuhuai’s face and then at Hua Xiaomai, "Since the idea has come up, in my opinion, we should do it sooner rather than later! I’ve honestly had enough of living on the south side of the village. I didn’t mind it before, but now, interacting daily with those mired in poverty, just seeing them makes me irritable, I’d prefer to keep as far away from them as possible! Now that we have some spare money, we might as well start building that house right away, and there’s no need to hire a supervisor, I’m not just for show!"