CHAPTER 659: EPISODE 349 GRAND FORMATION_2

Hua Xiaomai also understood that overthinking was useless. She lifted her head, smiled at him, and was about to say "Little Walnut is so tiny, how can she see much of the world," when the carriage suddenly stopped, and someone knocked on the carriage wall.

She lifted the curtain and looked outside, only to see that they had just left the village and had not yet reached the main road, which immediately struck her as odd. Just as she was about to ask what was happening, she saw Meng Yuhuai’s mother happily jump onto the carriage and slam a large food box on the small table, continuously pulling out items from it.

"I brought quite a few snacks, enough for us to eat on the road, let’s have something quickly, we have a whole day ahead!"

...

After a bumpy journey, by evening, the carriage finally entered Tong’an City and headed straight for the Dong’an Inn.

Two months earlier, Qing You had made reservations for three rooms. Without needing anyone’s instructions, he quickly moved all the luggage upstairs. Wang Zhanrui and Meng Yuhuai, being men, inevitably had to exert some effort. Hua Xiaomai, Meng Yuhuai’s mother, Zhou Yunyun, and Xiu Miao, sat downstairs with Little Walnut since it was mealtime, they casually ordered some dishes, asking the kitchen to prepare them quickly.

The lobby was crowded and bustling, the various voices merging into one, making ears ache. Hua Xiaomai glanced around and guessed that most of these people had also come from different places to attend the Eight Treasures Conference, she couldn’t help but be secretly astonished by the grandeur of this event.

"These next few days, mother, Yunyun, and Xiumiao will have to squeeze a bit. Master Wang and Qing You will share a room. When traveling, we can’t be too picky. Let’s make do," she leaned in to instruct Meng Yuhuai’s mother and the others. While she was speaking, she heard a voice with a hint of laughter nearby.

"Madam, long time no see. Have you been well? Are you traveling with Leader Meng again?"

She looked up and saw the Dong’an Inn’s shopkeeper smiling at her kindly.

"You remember me?" She was immediately a bit surprised, her eyebrows unconsciously raising, "If I’m not mistaken, my last stay in this inn was over a year ago."

"How could I forget?" The shopkeeper clapped his hands, chuckling, "For one thing, every time Leader Meng comes to the Provincial City, he stays here. I’ve seen him so often that I’ve become familiar. Since you are his family, naturally I remember you; secondly, the last time you stayed in our inn, you helped me out a lot. If I had forgotten, wouldn’t I be ungrateful? It’s only today that I learned that you are indeed the owner of Daoxiang Garden. You must also be here for the Eight Treasures Conference?"

Hua Xiaomai hadn’t expected him to have such a good memory. Feeling spirited, she was more than happy to chat with him a bit more, nodding, "Exactly, this year’s Eight Treasures Conference is so grand, I believe your inn must also be making a handsome profit."

As she spoke, she turned around to look at the people nearby, whispering, "These... are they all guests from various inns?"

Without a second thought, the shopkeeper nodded, "Absolutely. The Eight Treasures Conference is held every year, but this year’s event is indeed unprecedentedly lively. We’re fortunate to share in the prosperity. Honestly, it’s lucky you thought ahead and booked rooms at our Dong’an Inn early. Otherwise, just finding a place to stay would have been enough to give you a headache! These past few days, I’ve seen quite a few people come in frantically asking if there are any rooms left—alas, our inn only has so much space, and now it’s completely full. I can’t possibly put them in the woodshed. No matter how much I want to make money, I can’t do such things, right? Now every inn in town is tight on rooms. Many guests from out of town have decided to leave early to avoid the crowd!"

Hua Xiaomai guessed in her heart that this year’s Eight Treasures Conference was definitely on a different scale compared to the past, but she never imagined it would be this bustling, which inevitably made her a bit apprehensive.

She wasn’t afraid of having many rivals; rather, she was concerned that an overly crowded scene might easily lead to accidents, and hoped no mishaps would occur.

"You have helped our inn greatly in the past, and now you honor us again with your visit. Although I cannot waive your room fee, I can offer you a substantial discount. Just stay here peacefully with Leader Meng and if you need anything, just say the word!"

The innkeeper exchanged a few cordial words, then walked away to attend to other guests. When Meng Yuhuai and the others came downstairs, the dishes were served one after another. Having traveled all day, everyone was somewhat weary and, without caring whether the food was salty or sweet, they hastily ate and then each retired to their rooms without further mention.

With nothing noteworthy happening during the night, the next morning after breakfast, Elder Meng took Little Walnut along with Zhou Yunyun and Xiu Miao for a leisurely stroll in the city. Hua Xiaomai went with Meng Yuhuai to visit Old Master Xue. They paid their respects and, with that, effectively checked in so he would know they had arrived and would definitely appear on time at the Eight Treasures Conference.

Old Master Xue, a famous gourmet in the city, was filled with anticipation for this year’s Eight Treasures Conference. He excitedly rattled on about the history of the past decade of the conference, and informed them that this year, due to the participation of numerous restaurants, the conference would unprecedentedly run for two days, only parting ways with the pair somewhat reluctantly as the time neared its end.

The weather was too hot, and both Hua Xiaomai and Meng Yuhuai were not in the mood for walking around. They returned to the inn and talked in the room.

"Do you feel nervous?"

Meng Yuhuai, leaning on the table, smiled and said, "Even Old Master Xue, who has attended the Eight Treasures Conference for many years, is so excited. It’s evident that this year’s conference is an unprecedentedly large event. I know you’ve always been confident in your cooking skills, and Master Wang is also a competent assistant, but after all, there are many experts..."

"What do I have to be nervous about?"

Of course, Hua Xiaomai’s heart was not completely calm, but in front of Mr. Meng, she stubbornly maintained an indifferent facade, boasting proudly, "You should ask around. When it comes to cooking, whom have I, your wife, ever feared? I..."

Before she could finish her sentence, they heard knocking at the door, and the young apprentice respectfully said, "Leader Meng, Lady Meng, you have a visitor."

A visitor? They knew few people in Provincial City, so who could it be coming to see them?

Hua Xiaomai and Meng Yuhuai, filled with suspicion, left their room. Without even going downstairs, from a distance, they could already see a figure in white standing at the inn’s entrance.

"Bad news, bad news!" The person, obviously having seen them as well, pointed at Hua Xiaomai and burst into laughter, "Just as Cheng Yaojin unexpectedly appears, it seems I will have to accompany the Prince in his studies again this year!" (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to cast your recommendation ticket and monthly ticket on Qidian (qidian.com). Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to read.)