"Master Wang may be a bit eccentric, sure," she said, "but he’s never had a malicious intent. You two sisters-in-law should let it go and not hold it against him. Everyone has one or two things they’d rather keep to themselves; don’t pry, and let the others at the shop know to give him so leeway. I believe Master Wang isn’t unreasonable."
Chun Xi and La i stared at her as if looking at a creature from another world. No matter how they prodded, Hua Xiaomai simply refused to say more. Helpless, they withdrew their hands and grumbled away, each going off to tend to their duties in the main hall.
It was nearing midday when Wang Zhanrui finally made his shaky entrance into Daoxiang Garden.
By then, Hua Xiaomai was in the main hall, giving instructions to Qing You. At the sound of footsteps, she turned and offered him a smile.
Wang Zhanrui froze and hurried forward awkwardly, as if to explain himself, but Hua Xiaomai stopped him with a gesture.
"We all face inconvenient tis," she said. "As long as it doesn’t delay the cooking, it’s fine. Besides, it was Yuhuai who dragged you out for drinks yesterday; how could it be your fault?"
She offered Wang Zhanrui a suppressed smile. "I’ve already checked the vegetables and at that were delivered earlier with Master Tan. Master Wang, please have a look yourself, and if there are no issues, you should get busy. The weather is good today; I expect we’ll have plenty of visitors coming through the countryside. I reckon the kitchen won’t have an easy ti of it."
Midway through her words, she paused and lowered her voice. "Daoxiang Garden has only been open for over a month; there’s a long way to go. There will always be patrons who co seeking out your specialty dish with tea leaves. So why the rush?"
Wang Zhanrui hesitated, then gave a vague nod.
"That thing from the other day..." He began, then halted midsentence, standing still for a mont before he abruptly turned and rushed into the kitchen.
...If you’re planning to apologize, at least finish your sentence, right? Hua Xiaomai wanted to yell this at his retreating figure. She withheld the comnt, instead chuckling softly to herself and flipping through the restaurant’s account book for the previous month.
ng Yuhuai hadn’t slept in for a long ti, but this morning he indulged himself in a rare lie-in. After getting up, he leisurely ate the al his mother left in the pot, greeted Zheng Yakuai, then made his way to Daoxiang Garden.
In the afternoon, shortly after midday, Zheng Yakuai hurried over with two large ledgers in hand.
Having made a fair sum from ng Yuhuai and Hua Xiaomai, his smile widened considerably at the sight of them, almost splitting his face. Barely through the door, he burst out with a laugh, "Yuhuai ntioned this morning that he wants to buy land in the village to build a new house. I imdiately went through all my land listings and, indeed, found several suitable plots. From what Yuhuai said, you’re looking to build close to Daoxiang Garden, right? A couple of the plots I’ve found look quite promising. If you’re free, shall we go have a look now?"
To his earnest offer, Hua Xiaomai couldn’t help but exchange polite words, sothing to the effect of "I appreciate your concern."
Zheng Yakuai waved his hands dismissively. "Don’t ntion it. Yuhuai and sister-in-law have supported my business more than once or twice. Plus, as a kid, I often trailed behind Yuhuai, causing trouble, if only for that, I’d have to arrange a good spot for your new house. The two plots I like—one is large and the other a bit smaller—I just don’t know how big a house you two want to build?"
Hua Xiaomai had already discussed the matter with ng Yuhuai, figuring that since it was for their own residence in the village, there was no need for a large house. Aside from the main hall and the master house, three or four side rooms would suffice. The remaining budget could be better spent on making the house more refined and comfortable to live in.
Without further ado, they followed Zheng Yakuai out the door and took a good look at the land he had chosen.
Those two plots were indeed near Daoxiang Garden. The larger one was about an acre in size, surrounded by spacious farmland with a panoramic view. The smaller one, however, was closer to Daoxiang Garden, a few hundred paces away at most, with a dense forest in the backdrop, reminiscent of their old little eatery.
Hua Xiaomai and ng Yuhuai first walked both plots, pondered for a mont, then circled back to the smaller one.
The forest behind was genuinely dense. Standing close enough, one could easily breathe in the scent of the leaves—especially in autumn, when wind-blown leaves whirl in the air before fluttering down to the earthen ground.
"Which do you prefer?" Even just by observing Hua Xiaomai’s expression, ng Yuhuai had a good idea of her preference, but he still asked the question.
"I think if our ho is by the fields, it could get noisy during the busy farming seasons of spring and autumn, which could affect the children once they’re born," she said, giving it so thought. "This spot, on the other hand, is smaller but closer to Daoxiang Garden. Plus, there are no other hos nearby. Living here would be convenient and peaceful... So..."
ng Yuhuai shared her sentints. Smiling at her words, he turned to Zheng Yakuai and nodded.
"Then it’s settled; we’ll take this plot. As for the price, we’ll have to rely on your negotiation skills," he said.
Zheng Yakuai smacked his thigh enthusiastically. "Say no more, Yuhuai! Of course, I’ll bargain for you! Trust , and leave the hiring of the masons, carpenters, and all to . I’ll ensure that the craftsn we bring in are reliable!" (To be continued. If you like this work, we invite you to cast your recomndation tickets and monthly tickets at Qidian (qidian). Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian to read.)
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