Chef Hua

At evening, Hua Xiaomai left the blacksmith shop of her mother, Hua Erniang, and Jing Taihe, making a trip to Lianshun Escort Agency on the way. She heard Meng Yuhuai say he wanted to go home early today and instantly became overjoyed, cheerfully bidding farewell to everyone, and dragging him out of town onto the official road.

This was probably the most pleasant period of the year in Fuzhe County. In late spring, the sunshine was bright but not scorching. As evening approached, the sun would hide behind the clouds, and a cool breeze would rise, carrying the fragrance of flowers and grass straight to one’s face. It was soothing from head to toe.

Unlike the composed Meng Yuhuai, Hua Xiaomai was inherently restless, walking briskly ahead with her hands behind her back, occasionally turning back to give him a beaming smile.

"Does this really make you so happy?" Meng Yuhuai’s heart felt soft as he took his horse Old Black and hastened to walk beside her.

"Yes!" Hua Xiaomai nodded without hesitation, "You’ve been staying at the escort agency for two nights already, and today you can finally come home early. Am I not allowed to be happy? Hmm...even though I know compared to me, you’re definitely more concerned about Little Walnut, but I am magnanimous and won’t nitpick about the small stuff—I’m very sensible, right?"

"Nonsense." Meng Yuhuai said ambiguously, smiling and chiding softly before adding, "Did you talk to Brother Taihe about renting the house today?"

"I did." Hua Xiaomai replied, "Their idea was that the house is empty anyway, so why bother mentioning ’rent’? They told me to just take it and use it. But I thought, if Uncle and Aunt Jing were to find out, they might feel displeased even if they don’t say anything. What if they give my sister trouble, wouldn’t that just cause more problems? Since we are not lacking that bit of money, it would be better to follow the rules for everyone’s convenience."

Meng Yuhuai agreed entirely, saying, "That’s how it should be," and was about to ask her something else when the little wife ran ahead a few steps, grinning from ear to ear: "How about we don’t bother with a formal dinner tonight? A little while ago, I got my brother-in-law to make a few barbecue grills, but I haven’t used them yet. With the weather so nice, let’s just find a secluded spot in Daoxiang Garden and grill some meat and vegetables. What do you think?"

Before Meng Yuhuai could reply, she already smacked her lips longingly: "Those sweet potatoes, beef, and spare ribs, slathered with a layer of chili sauce, and sprinkled with a mix of ground cumin and dill seeds, sizzling as they cook, spicy and fragrant when eaten—since you finally have some free time, we should find some fun for ourselves. Otherwise, isn’t it boring just staying at home all day?"

"You’re always thinking about eating; don’t you get tired of being around the stove all day?" Meng Yuhuai didn’t nod immediately but slightly raised his eyebrows and said with a smile that was not quite a smile.

"You’re wrong there." Hua Xiaomai approached him, sticking out her tongue, "Since I’m a cook, I should always keep my interest in food alive. If I myself get tired and annoyed at the sight of the ingredients, how can I cook dishes that people love?"