Hua Ermu stood outside the gate of her own courtyard for a long ti, staring straight at the direction the carriage had taken until it turned into a tiny black dot and gradually disappeared from view.
"It’s only seven or eight days at most, your younger sister will be back soon. Why are you so reluctant to part with her? You are in the midst of recuperating, don’t stand out here too long, go back to your room," Jing Taihe said behind her, touching her shoulder and softly persuading her.
"Tch, what do I have to be reluctant about? I’m afraid she’ll cause trouble outside! With that stinky girl not at ho, I can finally enjoy so peace and quiet!" Hua Ermu actually felt a bit of sourness in her nose, rubbed her eyes, took one more look outside the village, and then followed Jing Taihe back to the room.
...
Hua Xiaomai and Song Jingxi shared a carriage, occasionally lifting the curtain to peek outside.
The inside of the carriage was filled with an unknown fragrance from the copper incense burner, seemingly mixed with mint, delightfully aromatic with a refreshing coolness and a sweet undertone.
Seeing the look of curiosity on Hua Xiaomai’s face, Song Jingxi’s lips curved slightly, and she chuckled lightly, "Just now, it seed like your second sister was quite worried about you. I whisked you away, and although she didn’t say much, who knows how she must be complaining about in her heart. Once we arrive at the Prefecture, if I don’t take good care of you, I really won’t know how to face her later on! These next few days, you’ll stay at my place, and once you’ve decided to stay in my Taoyuan House as a chef, I’ll find another place for you to live. The main thing is to not let you suffer, so don’t worry."
Stay at her house? That seed unnecessary, right?
Hua Xiaomai had been eagerly observing the outside when she heard this, and she imdiately withdrew her head from the window and waved her hands repeatedly, "I won’t trouble you by staying at your place, it’s not quite proper, just finding any inn to stay at will do. After all, it’s only a few days, it doesn’t matter much."
Song Jingxi didn’t insist, and after thinking it over, she smiled and said, "Since you’re unwilling to stay at my house, that’s fine, to avoid making you feel constrained. But staying in an inn is too unsafe. If you don’t mind, there are two rooms in the main hall of my Taoyuan House that are suitable for living. If I stay late at the shop sotis, I’m too lazy to go ho, so I just stay there for the night. The usual necessities and bedding are not too luxurious but are still complete. Making do for a few days should be alright."
This arrangent was naturally the best. Hua Xiaomai had no objections, so she thanked her and nodded in agreent.
After a bumpy journey, when the carriage entered Tong’an City, it was past the hour of Xu, and the city gates were about to close, yet the city within still shone brightly.
Hua Xiaomai felt as though her eyes weren’t enough, staring non-stop at the variety of shops on both sides of the street and the big and small stalls, full of admiration.
Alright, the era she had lived in before was, of course, very lively and bustling at night, but since she had crossed over, this was her first ti visiting a big city, and she couldn’t help but be astonished.
The buildings weren’t tall, but they had their own graceful elegance, and so were richly adorned. Though there weren’t many people, the atmosphere was lively and cheerful. The neatly planted trees on both sides of the road emitted a light fragrance in the night, dispersing the heat and bringing a comfortable breeze that was indescribably pleasant.
She kept staring outside, her expression perhaps a bit dazed and silly, which made Song Jingxi, sitting opposite her, struggle to contain her amusent, eventually letting out a chuckle.
Although the sound was soft, Hua Xiaomai still heard it and, feeling a bit embarrassed, scratched her forehead, "Shopkeeper Song, have I made a fool of myself? I’ve not seen much of the world..."
With a gentle smile, Song Jingxi’s lips curved upward, "I find your manner quite adorable, and I don’t think there’s anything inappropriate about your actions. I’m not a native of the Prefecture either. When I first arrived years ago, I was no less foolish than you are. You’re young and rarely go out, so what’s so strange about seeing less? Moreover, you might not have seen much of the world, but your cooking skills are truly stylish. In my opinion, given ti, you may well beco a grand mistress!"
"You’re joking, how could I be..." Hua Xiaomai hadn’t finished speaking when she saw Song Jingxi suddenly lift the curtain, glance outside, and say with a smile, "We’ve arrived. Look, this is my Taoyuan House!"
Without further ado, she took Hua Xiaomai by the hand and led her off the carriage, stepping straight into the shop.
Hua Xiaomai instantly forgot what she was about to say, following Song Jingxi into the entrance of Taoyuan House in a daze.
It was a two-story building, not too large, and decorated with quiet elegance. It was late, and although the shop was not yet closed, there were hardly any custors left, leaving the place empty and quiet with only two attendants cleaning up. Seeing Song Jingxi return, they both straightened up and greeted her.
Perhaps because the establishnt had only been open for six or seven years and the owner was a woman, there wasn’t the sense of ti-honored depth typical of older shops. Instead, it felt very fresh and clean. A pot of ink orchids sat on the counter at the entrance, about a dozen tables and chairs were laid out in the lower hall, while the second floor contained private rooms. Overall, it was clean and bright, with occasional splashes of light pink and pale yellow adding a bright and playful touch.
What surprised Hua Xiaomai the most was the small artificial hill with a fountain in the middle of the ground floor hall. The sound of water was ever-present, continuous and tinkling. If anyone were to sit at a nearby table to eat, they could almost always expect to be splashed by the water cascading down from the hillside, truly giving a sense of being in a haven of peace and happiness.
She stared blankly at everything before her, and after the noise in her heart subsided, one thought remained.
When would she be able to own a shop herself? It didn’t need to be this fancy or this large, just a place of her own, selling the food she enjoyed and excelled at making, would be wonderful...
Song Jingxi spoke briefly with a person who appeared to be the shopkeeper, seemingly inquiring about the business of the past few days. Turning around and seeing Hua Xiaomai standing there looking bewildered, she approached her, smiled, and led her into the inner hall, pointing to a room, "For the next few days, rest easy here. In a while, I’ll have Mr. Tao, the shopkeeper, give you a key so it’s more convenient for you to co and go."
"A key? You’re not afraid that I might..." Hua Xiaomai began, sowhat startled, but was interrupted by Song Jingxi.
"I know what you want to say. If I didn’t trust you, I wouldn’t have even thought of inviting you to be in charge of the kitchen. It’s getting late today, I’ll head ho. Tomorrow morning, we’ll talk in detail about the Eight Treasures Conference, alright?"
She showed Hua Xiaomai around briefly before leaving. The girl who had accompanied her to Fire Knife Village, nad Qing He, stayed behind.
(To be continued. If you like this work, welco to Qidian (qidian) to cast your recomndation ticket and monthly ticket. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian to continue reading.)
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