Hua Xiaomai thought to herself, "You’re just realizing this now?" Her gaze then lowered to take a quick look at what he was holding.
The cabbage was probably fried with sweet bean sauce and "fairy vinegar," the color was too dark, and the edges were a bit burnt. As she got closer, a strong sour sll penetrated her nose, causing her to imdiately turn away and sneeze.
The other dish seed to be a homade tofu dish, but the tofu was overly fried, and the color was suspicious, making one anxious that eating it could lead to either passing out from spiciness or choking to death.
As for the third dish... she had to excuse her ignorance, but she really couldn’t tell what it was supposed to be. It was still just a dark, sticky lump, truly unappetizing.
Hua Xiaomai took a deep breath and kept telling herself that although these three dishes were disappointing, they were a considerable achievent for soone who had never held a spatula before. Just as she was about to put on a stern face and scold him, she raised her eyes and saw a bead of sweat trickle down into his neckline, and instantly she forgot what she wanted to say.
It was truly... embarrassing, and luckily it was just the two of them here. If a third person saw her so distracted, they would laugh themselves silly!
"Ahem..." She feigned calmness and coughed twice, pointing with the chopsticks at the dish, "Do you think I can eat this? I’m carrying a baby, what if I get a stomach upset?"
"I’m not forcing you to eat it," ng Yuhuai chuckled softly, reaching out to pat her head, "I didn’t an what I said earlier, but since it upset you, I owe you an apology. You were right to send your uncle away that ti. It was my lack of consideration that upset you. Considering it’s my first ti doing such a thoughtless thing, you should, you should..."
"Give you a chance to make ands?" Hua Xiaomai raised an eyebrow.
ng Yuhuai was slightly taken aback.
Truth be told, he felt sowhat uncomfortable with the current situation. In Fire Knife Village, to n, won, and children alike, n were absolute; won were expected to listen, and even if they got upset, as soon as the man gave an out, they should gracefully step down. If they remained stubborn, it was rely an invitation for trouble.
ng Yuhuai had never thought about actually hitting Hua Xiaomai, but sohow he always vaguely felt that the thods every man was adept at using on their wives wouldn’t work on Hua Xiaomai. He didn’t like, or rather wasn’t accustod to, groveling, but now...
"Right, you should give a chance to make ands." He finally conceded, nodding.
After thinking it over, Hua Xiaomai took the dish from his hand and placed it on the stove, then pulled him outside.
"Co with , I have sothing to tell you."
The two sat down in the bamboo grove, and Hua Xiaomai slightly furrowed her brows before speaking: "Maybe my next words will upset you, but I think they need to be said. It’s the sa issue — you can help your uncle out once, but can you sustain it forever? There’s an old saying, ’aid for ergencies, not for poverty.’ I reckon that this ti, paying his debts was an ergency and couldn’t be helped, but what about the next ti? Once the baby arrives, we’ll have many more expenses. If he makes a ss every few days and you have to cover for him, what will you do? He’s a man in his thirties or forties, capable and good at carpentry. If he would just stick to his work, how could he not support his family?"
"Your concerns are valid, and I understand them," ng Yuhuai nodded.
"Furthermore..." Hua Xiaomai tugged at his hand, "This big mistake Uncle made has also cost our family quite a bit. If he still wants to work on our new house, when it cos ti to settle the wages, his share should be cut in half. Are you okay with that?"
In truth, she had initially not wanted Tang Maolin to work at all, but she couldn’t bring herself to be so harsh, not because she couldn’t face him, but because she didn’t want ng Yuhuai to feel uncomfortable.
"Okay," ng Yuhuai surprisingly agreed quickly, "Anything else?"
"Another thing, if you ever make another thoughtless comnt to upset , even if you prepare an entire banquet, I won’t acknowledge you!"
Hua Xiaomai glared at him, then got up and walked ahead. ng Yuhuai, relieved, looked back into the kitchen and trying to hold back a laugh, said, "You really don’t plan to taste my cooking?"
"I’d like to live a few more years!" His little wife’s voice, strong and spirited, floated back from afar.
...
With their misunderstanding resolved, Hua Xiaomai and ng Yuhuai returned ho that evening and fell back into their intimate, loving routine. They laughed and chatted as they entered the courtyard, and when Hua Xiaomai t ng’s mother, she playfully stuck out her tongue and joyfully returned to their room.
ng’s mother quietly let out a sigh of relief, though her expression remained stern and somber as she looked at ng Yuhuai: "So, your wife has finally agreed to talk to you?"
"I even took up a spatula today, how could she have kept fighting ?" ng Yuhuai picked a stool, sat down in the yard, and said with a smile.
Listening to this from inside, Hua Xiaomai shook her head and looked up at the sky.
In all honesty, it wasn’t his cooking that moved her, she had been utterly bewildered by his charm! Thinking back, she felt nothing but regret in her heart!
"Since you’ve made up, there’s no need for more distress. I notice she’s slowing down, getting sluggish as the days go by. With the New Year approaching and the escort agency not being busy, try to keep a closer watch over her. With her clumsy nature, if she were to fall and injure herself, it would be quite the ordeal for both of you!"
ng’s mother lowered her gaze to the almost finished small pouch in her hands and sighed deeply: "Next year, our family will grow, and this New Year, we must celebrate it with joy and happiness!"(To be continued. If you like this work, your votes at Qidian, and recomndation tickets are my greatest encouragent. Mobile users, please read on m.qidian.)
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