CHAPTER 650: CHAPTER 345 DECIDED

Hua Xiaomai was undecided, swayed by both Wang Zhanrui and Chun Xi murmuring in her ears, her mind beginning to waver. On seeing Meng Yuhuai enter the door, she greeted him with such a statement and couldn’t help but laugh.

"Didn’t you say I should decide for myself? Why are you also trying to encourage me?"

Everyone consciously shifted aside, making room for Meng Yuhuai and brought over a chair, chattering as they invited him to sit. The wife of Master Tan came from the kitchen with a set of clean bowls and chopsticks, her face beaming with a smile.

Meng Yuhuai took a seat beside Hua Xiaomai. Turning his head to look at her, his lips held a smile, but his eyes gleamed with an intense radiance.

"From the sound of it, it seems you’re not that interested in the Eight Treasures Conference. Why?" He didn’t respond but posed a question in return, his tone light.

Hua Xiaomai smiled back at him and blurted out, "The Eight Treasures Conference has expanded its scale this year, inviting restaurants from the entire Tong’an Prefecture. Without thinking about it, I know it will be crowded and extremely lively. Many people see it as a great opportunity to make a name for themselves, but now I feel that doing business honestly is better than anything else. Daoxiang Garden hasn’t been open for a full year since its redecoration, and I think the current situation is quite good. I have no intention of becoming successful overnight; the Eight Treasures Conference happens every year. It’s not like if we miss this opportunity, there won’t be another. Why the rush?"

These words indeed reflected her genuine thoughts, yet once spoken aloud, even she found them surprising.

She wondered when her mindset began to change subtly.

Before, she had been driven to charge forward as if there was nowhere in the world she couldn’t reach, eager to let her culinary skills be known to all.

But now she suddenly found that being with her whole family, running their two shops and leading their lives slowly... seemed fulfilling and joyful.

Had she really become less ambitious since she married and became a mother?

But... perhaps there was nothing wrong with that.

Meng Yuhuai seemed to have read her mind, the corners of his lips curling up a bit more.

"I understand what you mean, but if someone tries to trap you to prevent you from participating in the Eight Treasures Conference, would you be content to let them succeed?"

Hua Xiaomai was taken aback. "What do you mean?"

Chun Xi and La Mei immediately started clamoring, "Brother Yuhuai, who’s setting a trap for Sister Xiaomai? Are you talking about that incident at Zhenwei Garden a while back?"

Meng Yuhuai nodded slightly, his gaze still fixed on Hua Xiaomai’s face without shifting: "A couple of days ago, I had Han Hu make a trip to the Provincial City. Aside from running errands for the Escort Agency, I also had him look into that matter at Zhenwei Garden. Today, he came back and told me that those two troublemakers from before were indeed orchestrated by Antai Garden. I won’t say more, but if you think it over, you should understand my meaning."

Hua Xiaomai’s face blanked as a thought crossed her mind, and her brows immediately furrowed in concern.

The others, like Chun Xi, were clueless and urged anxiously, "Brother Yuhuai, don’t beat around the bush! You and your wife are speaking in riddles, and we’re all left in the dark here. What’s going on?"

Meng Yuhuai’s mouth curved slightly, but his eyes held not a trace of mirth: "It’s quite simple. Many of you here probably know that two years ago, before Xiaomai had opened Zhenwei Garden, Antai Garden had come looking for trouble. At the time, due to Song Jingxi’s intervention, the matter was ultimately resolved amicably without a fuss. Since then, even though Antai Garden lost quite a bit of business, they haven’t caused any trouble. Interestingly, now, a few months before the Eight Treasures Conference, they’re stirring things up again. Don’t you all think there’s something fishy about that?"

The revelation struck everyone like a revelation, with the more hot-tempered ones cursing loudly, and the rest abuzz with endless discussion. Wang Zhanrui, however, remained silent, simply picking up his cup of wine and drinking it down in one gulp.

Meng Yuhuai’s gaze swept over everyone at the table and he continued, "Fortunately, this time we were on guard and didn’t fall for their ruse. Otherwise, Zhenwei Garden would likely be in total chaos right now. If we suffered a setback, Antai Garden would seize the chance to take back the business and, at the same time, Xiaomai would surely have to focus all her attention on the situation, unable to spare any for the Eight Treasures Conference. This would perfectly suit both Antai Garden and Song Jingxi. To avoid alarming them, I did not let Han Hu inquire further; these are just my speculations. However, I suspect the truth is not far off."

As his words settled, the atmosphere at the table erupted into chaos. Chun Xi cursed a few times angrily and gave Hua Xiaomai a hefty push: "What are you waiting for? They’re practically walking all over you! I don’t understand when you’ve become so docile. Are you really prepared to swallow such a big issue without a word?"