Chef Hua
Chapter 80: Episode 64 Do you want to take a look?

Chapter 80: Episode 64 Do you want to take a look?

This sudden surprise made Hua Xiaomai jump three feet high in joy. She felt as if her long-standing anticipation had finally come to fruition.

Oh my, it really sprouted, it really sprouted, and soon we’ll be able to eat chilis, life is so blissful!

So, for the entire day, she stayed vigilantly in the vegetable garden behind the house, refusing to leave even for a moment.

After finishing sweeping the yard in the morning, Hua’s second mother noticed Hua Xiaomai standing still, staring at the vegetable garden. She smiled slightly and said nothing. In the afternoon, after taking a short rest, Hua’s second mother got up, walked to the back of the house, and saw her younger sister grinning foolishly at a patch of mud, which made the corners of her mouth twitch involuntarily as she suppressed the urge to scold her. By late afternoon, Jing Taihe had returned from the blacksmith’s shop and Hua Xiaomai was still lying on the ground, holding her breath and focusing intensely, as if afraid that a single breath might blow away those delicate sprouts. Finally, Hua’s second mother couldn’t help but explode.

"Are you ever going to stop!" She rushed over and slapped Hua Xiaomai on the head, "Just look at your clothes, and then at your face, you look exactly like a mud monkey that’s been dug out of the ground! It’s only just sprouted, so what’s the use of staring at it? Do you expect it to burst into flower or what?"

Hua Xiaomai didn’t seem to feel any pain and instead lifted her dirty face with a he-he laugh.

Second sister, ah, only those who have tasted its flavor can truly appreciate the goodness of chili!

Hua’s second mother, frightened by her laugh, shuddered involuntarily and quickly turned and ran off, muttering, "Yikes, it’s scary, she’s downright obsessed..."

Hua Xiaomai couldn’t care less about her sister as she was about to touch the tiny sprouts but withdrew her hand, fearing she might damage them. She continued to stare intently, as if she could never get enough.

Just then, a cheerful greeting came from the front yard, with Jing Taihe calling out, "Yuhuai, you’re back?!"

Huh, is Meng Yuhuai back?

Hua Xiaomai tilted her head suddenly remembering that Meng Yuhuai was the one who had obtained the chili seeds for her from Mr. Zhao at the Chunfeng Restaurant. She hurriedly got up from the ground and ran out, taking two steps at a time, only to see Meng Yuhuai had just dismounted from his horse and was exchanging pleasantries with Jing Taihe, smiling.

Her heart brimming with joy, she had entirely forgotten the awkward incidents from before and cheerfully called out, "Meng family’s big brother, the chili seeds you gave me have sprouted!"

Meng Yuhuai turned at the sound and, upon seeing Hua Xiaomai, was taken aback for a moment before frowning and asking, "...What happened to your face?"

"My face?" Hua Xiaomai, puzzled, turned her head only to see Jing Taihe laughing and stumbling, while incessantly pointing at his own left cheek, so she rubbed her face haphazardly and said gleefully, "Oh, I just rubbed some mud on it, that’s all. Meng family’s big brother, it’s such a coincidence you’re back, the chilis just sprouted this morning, dozens of them!"

"Oh, that quickly? I thought you hadn’t even planted them yet." Seeing her so excited, Meng Yuhuai smiled as well, "Then you must take good care of them, water them less after they’ve sprouted, to prevent drowning the roots."

"I understand; I’ve read the note you wrote down several times and know it by heart," Hua Xiaomai nodded repeatedly, paused, and then asked, "Do you want to take a look?"

Meng Yuhuai seemed a bit hesitant.

He had arrived back in Fuzhe County that afternoon. Upon entering the doors of the Lianshun Escort Agency, he immediately heard from Da Zhong that during his absence his mother had come looking for him two or three times, saying that there was a very important matter at home and that he must return immediately after coming back from Shengzhou.

Although he knew that his mother probably didn’t have any urgent matters and that it was likely about the ’marriage proposals,’ he was still somewhat uneasy. Not caring about how tired he was from the journey, he took a brief rest before immediately setting out for home. But just as he entered the village, he bumped into Jing Taihe and the excited Hua Xiaomai, who eagerly invited him to see the newly-sprouted chilis.

But... it’s just chili sprouts, what’s so interesting about that?

At that moment, Hua’s second mother walked out from the house. Seeing that Meng Yuhuai looked tired and somewhat undecided, she spoke up to ease the situation, "Meng family’s big brother, if you have things to do, just go ahead with your business, don’t mind my little sister. Ever since she found out that the chilis had sprouted this morning, she has been acting crazed and hasn’t been normal since!"