CHAPTER 630: EPISODE 335: BARBECUE IN THE GARDEN

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?"

With her enthusiasm, Meng Yuhuai wouldn’t disagree. Smiling, he agreed, and the two chatted all the way back to Fire Knife Village. Before they even stepped into the Meng Family courtyard, Hua Xiaomai was already shouting from outside.

"Mom, don’t bother cooking; we’re going to Daoxiang Garden to grill some food, I..."

She cut herself off mid-sentence.

In the courtyard sat an old man with white hair and beard, looking quite aged yet spirited, holding a cup of tea and smiling warmly at her.

By his side, there also stood Scholar Wen, pinching a piece of cake toward his mouth. As he saw her and Meng Yuhuai enter, he hurriedly stood up to greet them.

What’s this situation?

Hua Xiaomai felt somewhat puzzled, swallowing the rest of her words, and looked at Wen Huaren with a puzzled expression: "You’re not busy at the shop; what brings you to my home at this time? And, this elder is..."

"The old gentleman is from the provincial city; he said he has some matters with you and asked about your residence when he went to the shop, so I came with him." Scholar Wen quickly replied, "Before leaving, I informed Chun Xi and La Mei, and with their help watching over things, there should be no problems."

Oh, from the provincial city again, what’s happening? Song Jingxi just left, and now another old man has arrived?

Hua Xiaomai eyed the elderly man, suddenly raising an eyebrow, hesitantly saying: "Old gentleman...have we met somewhere before?"

He indeed looked familiar, but for the life of her, she couldn’t remember where they had previously met.