Chef Hua
Chapter 83: Episode 65: The Young Wife is Very Gossipy - Part 2

Chapter 83: Episode 65: The Young Wife is Very Gossipy - Part 2

Chun Xi and La Mei kept saying "I’m sorry," but still handed over the food box hanging from their elbows.

Hua Xiaomai grinned and responded before scurrying to the kitchen, scooping various pickles from jars and neatly arranging them in the food box, then carrying it back out.

Meanwhile, Hua’s stepmother had already brewed tea and carried out a full basket of roasted pumpkin seeds and broad beans from the main room, making it clear that she intended to have a good long chat with Chun Xi and La Mei.

Hua Xiaomai placed the food box on the table, and La Mei immediately opened the lid.

The small food box was divided into three layers. The top layer contained marinated lettuce, coiled into a dark green pancake with a carved radish flower in the middle; the middle layer was filled with pickled cabbage, sweet cicely, sugar garlic, and various other vegetables; and the bottom one held a small dish of pickled almonds and walnuts. Though these were just ordinary pickles, their attractive arrangement lent an extra touch of delicacy.

"Oh, how beautiful!" exclaimed Chun Xi, who leaned over for a closer look and immediately praised it, picking up a piece of sweet cicely with her finger and popping it into her mouth. It crunched loudly, the savory taste quickly filling her mouth. Seeing this, La Mei couldn’t resist and copied her, grabbing a pickled walnut. The pair couldn’t stop praising the food.

Hua’s stepmother basked in their compliments, grinning from ear to ear, looking at Hua Xiaomai, "What are you still standing there for? Aren’t you going to spend all day staring at your little tender shoots?"

Hua Xiaomai couldn’t help but laugh, "I’ve seen enough, and there’s nothing to do right now."

"If you’ve got nothing to do, then join our chat and ignore your second sister, she just knows how to boss people around!" Chun Xi pulled Hua Xiaomai down next to her without another word, handed her a handful of broad beans, and then immediately bore a look of intrigue, leaning her head towards the center of the table, "Hey, did you hear about what happened last night?"

La Mei just smiled without speaking, but Hua’s stepmother widened her eyes in confusion, "What happened last night?"

"Cough, it’s normal for you not to get the news since you live far away, but my house is near the southern end of the village, and nothing that happens there can escape me," said Chun Xi, her chin lifted slightly and her voice very low, "Yesterday, oh, that Meng Family courtyard was never quiet, starting before dinner and making noise for over two hours!"

The Meng Family courtyard... Meng Yuhuai’s home?

Hua Xiaomai’s eyebrows twitched slightly.

Was she right? Meng Yuhuai, who had just rushed back from the County the night before, really got angry and had a big fight with his mother?

"Erqiao, you didn’t hear it. That Meng mother, she cried as if her heart was breaking," Chun Xi kept talking, "The two of them started by arguing inside the house, and later, I don’t know why, but after some disagreement, Meng Yuhuai said he was going back to the County. When the Meng mother heard he was leaving, she hurriedly chased him out of the house, and they continued their back-and-forth outside the courtyard for a good while! The Meng mother couldn’t persuade her son and ultimately let him get away. After going back inside, she sobbed for half the night!"

Hua’s stepmother was confused as she touched her earlobe, "Didn’t the eldest Meng brother just return from escorting? Yesterday, Taihe and I still ran into him at our doorstep, so... there must be some reason, right?"

"What else could it be? It’s about that matchmaking business!" La Mei took over, "Your Taihe and Meng Yuhuai grew up together. How many times has the Meng mother tried to set him up over the past two years, and you’re really unaware? Their family’s commotion isn’t new, but this time, for some reason, it was particularly severe! Speaking of which, it wasn’t easy for the Meng mother to raise her only son all by herself, but... what do you think is really going on with Meng Yuhuai? He isn’t getting any younger!"

Hua’s stepmother, considering her husband’s good relationship with Meng Yuhuai, did not interject as they discussed this and simply clamped her mouth shut and remained silent. But Chun Xi didn’t care about those niceties and boldly declared, "Everyone in the village says that it’s because of that engagement. The girl died before she could even join the family, so he’s been disturbed ever since and has been indifferent to marriage. But no matter what, that happened years ago; can he really stay unmarried for life?"

For some reason, the table suddenly fell silent for a moment.

In such a gathering of young wives gossiping, Hua Xiaomai naturally had no place to interject, and indeed, she had nothing to say, so she simply lowered her eyes and slowly nibbled on a broad bean, peeking through her eyelashes now at one, now at another.

After a long while, La Mei suddenly laughed with a snort, hesitating to speak for half a day before finally saying with a giggle, "Do you think, maybe he has some sort of problem?"

"Ow, if that were true, it’d be such a waste!" exclaimed Chun Xi, who evidently thought along the same lines and quickly added, "I’ll just say it, out of all the young men in Fire Knife Village, he’s definitely a standout. He’s got height, looks, and he’s the Leader, young and promising too. Quite a few young girls in the village won’t say a word, but the moment they see him, their faces immediately turn red! If he really has some issues... that’d be such a waste of a good physique!"

The conversation halted there, as she gave Hua’s stepmother and La Mei a meaningful wink.

Hua Xiaomai was dumbfounded by what she heard.

This was so blatant! Was this what they called a conservative folk culture? A few young wives sitting together discussing a man, was that really okay?

Hua’s stepmother was also finding it difficult to listen, slapped the table, and said sternly, "You two should watch your manners. Can’t you control your mouths? My sister here is an unmarried girl, and you’re going on about body shapes and whatnot. You really dare to say anything!"

Hua Xiaomai glanced at her silently.

Actually... as for Meng Yuhuai’s physique, she hadn’t actually seen it, but it seemed she had already felt it...

"You too, when they’re talking nonsense, why don’t you hurry away instead of sitting here listening?" Hua’s stepmother turned and scolded Hua Xiaomai, giving her a hard smack on the back, "Get back to your room immediately!" (To be continued. If you like this work, please visit Qidian to vote for recommendation tickets and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users please visit m.qidian.com to read.)