Chef Hua-Chapter 676: Episode 358: Two People

Qing You and Xiu Miao had been tirelessly working at Daoxiang Garden since their arrival, with hardly any time to rest. Each day started before dawn and ended deep into the night when they finally closed shop. Exhausted after a full day’s labor, they couldn’t even slouch around. By the time they staggered home under a sky full of stars and sat by their beds, their bodies felt as if they had fallen apart, sore and weak everywhere.

On the eve of their departure from the Provincial City, they finally got a chance to rest well. They slept until the early morning and woke up to check the sky outside the window. Startled by the time, they jumped up, hurriedly washed up, and dashed out of their rooms, thumping down the stairs.

By then, Hua Xiaomai was already feeding little Walnut, sitting with Meng Yuhuai and Old Lady Meng at the breakfast table while Zhou Yunyun, already tidied up, helped Wang Zhanrui load the heavy household goods onto the horse cart.

"Oh no, we’re running late, running late!"

An anxious Qing You ran up to Hua Xiaomai and stopped abruptly, stomping his feet in frustration, "Master Wang, why didn’t you call me? It’s a whole day’s journey back to Fire Knife Village. I haven’t even packed my luggage properly... Ah, it’s all your fault for getting me so drunk last night. I overslept without knowing!"

"Don’t panic." Hua Xiaomai carefully fed a spoonful of pumpkin puree to little Walnut, looked up with a smile, and said, "You both have been working hard lately. As cooks, we only manage the kitchen, but you have to run around and exert much energy. That’s why I let you sleep a bit longer. After all, once we get back to the village, you’ll be busy again."

"Ah?" Qing You was startled, then sheepishly scratched his head, "That’s nothing special..."

"Your luggage, Master Wang took care of it early in the morning, and Xiu Miao’s too. Zhou Yunyun looked after everything perfectly. You two just sit down, eat your meal, and then we’ll head off. I think today you shouldn’t even go to the shop, just go home and rest, and you can get back to work tomorrow."

Qing You and Xiu Miao always knew their employers were generous, but even so, hearing her say this made them feel especially grateful. They fumbled with their clothes, murmured a "yes," and then stood silently, unable to speak a word.

"Sit down, come on."

Hua Xiaomai’s mouth curved into a smile: "We’ve shared a table before, haven’t we? You’re not starting to be formal with me now, are you? Look, when you two go back to the shop tomorrow, tell Master Tan and the others that I know they’ve worked hard keeping the business going these last few days. I’ll be back soon and will arrange for them to take turns to go home and rest for a day to catch their breath."

"Yes, yes." Both agreed crisply, taking the steaming bowls of porridge handed to them by a young assistant. They were anxious to start their homeward journey and, undeterred by the heat, gulped down the porridge and grabbed some pastries before running out the door.

Hua Xiaomai handed little Walnut over to Old Lady Meng and followed them out, instructing them to double-check their belongings to ensure nothing was missed. As Wang Zhanrui and Zhou Yunyun also boarded the cart and the coachman started the horses, she called out with a gentle smile for them to be careful on the road, and then slowly retreated back to the inn’s main hall.

Old Lady Meng, keen to take a trip to the city, lunged forward as soon as she saw Hua Xiaomai, grabbing her and speaking loudly, "You talk too much! It’s still early, and the sun isn’t too harsh. Let’s hurry out! If we delay any longer, it’ll get blisteringly hot outside. How can your son endure that?"

After the three establishments participating in the Eight Treasures Conference had left, Dong’an Inn had a few more guests checking in who were eating breakfast downstairs. Old Lady Meng’s voice was so loud and fierce, which was something they had never encountered, and they couldn’t help but look over in amazement.

Hua Xiaomai was used to Old Lady Meng’s fussing and didn’t mind, but Meng Yuhuai felt quite embarrassed and couldn’t bring himself to intervene, instead just kept making eye gestures to his wife.

"Mother—"

Understanding his hint, Hua Xiaomai, stifling a laugh, pulled Old Lady Meng aside and whispered, "Didn’t we agree yesterday that we’d go shopping today? Look at the time; many shops aren’t even open yet. If we rush out now, we’ll only see their shutters. Won’t we still end up drenched in sweat for nothing?"

Knowing she was too hasty yet reluctant to admit it, Old Lady Meng grumbled a few words and found an excuse to hold onto little Walnut and move aside.