"It may sound like I’m singing my own praises, but my Xiaomai truly has a heart of gold. She isn’t one to speak sweetly or smoothly, and she may not say the most charming things, but if soone treats her well, she’ll definitely keep it in her heart and think of ways to repay the kindness later on, never being ungrateful or disloyal—that’s the kind of child that gives you peace of mind. Otherwise, if you co across those with a wolf’s heart and a dog’s lungs, like raising a rat in a rice jar, wouldn’t that just exasperate soone to death? Mr. Song, don’t you agree?"
Song Jingxi forced a dry laugh twice and was just about to change the subject when he heard Hua Xiaomai’s voice co from behind him.
"Let’s eat, Mr. Song. Sorry for the lack of care, but I hope you won’t disdain us for it."
As she spoke, she placed a clay pot in the center of the table.
Song Jingxi, curious, leaned forward to look, and his smile imdiately froze on his lips.
In that clay pot was a bowl of walnut, eyebrow bean, and chicken foot soup.
In this era, the rule "serve tea to keep a guest, serve soup to send one off" wasn’t exactly in vogue, but being soone in the food industry, she couldn’t be ignorant of it. Getting the order of serving wrong would inevitably expose one to criticism and beco the butt of a huge joke. Hua Xiaomai, who had even managed to open up the expansive Daoxiang Garden, how could she not understand this?
With only four cold dishes on the table and not a single hot dish, now to hurriedly serve soup—what did that an? Was there even a need to guess?
Song Jingxi’s complexion turned particularly displeasurable in an instant. He had originally intended to exchange a few pleasantries with Hua Xiaomai, but now felt as though he had a fishbone stuck in his throat and couldn’t spit out a single word.
Now looking again at those pearl atballs, the secret sauce sweet and sour pig’s feet, and the chicken feet in the clay pot, it seed all the more aningful—wasn’t this a way of telling her to roll out?!
Could it be that the matter had been exposed?
"What’s wrong?"
However, Hua Xiaomai, still wearing that face full of sincere smiles, tilted her head as if puzzled and said, "Could it be...the dish isn’t to your taste? Oh dear, that’s really too bad. I was thinking, since you’ve had my cooking before, I vaguely rember you didn’t seem too fussy..."
"Xiaomai..."
Song Jingxi’s throat tightened with difficulty as she began to speak, "You...do you have so misunderstanding about ?"
"Not at all!" Hua Xiaomai instantly shook her head without a second thought, "What makes you think I would have any misunderstanding about you?"
A misunderstanding your grandpa, the matter’s already laid out on the table clearly, isn’t it?
"This ti, I’ve co specially to visit you. If I’ve given you any sort of bad feeling, I...you’ve always had a broad heart; please don’t be bothered with ."
Hua Xiaomai cursed inwardly but did not confront her directly, pursing her lips as she said, "Ha, Mr. Song, I’m married now, so I can’t really be called a young lady anymore!"
At that, she turned as if offhandedly to ask ng Yuhuai, "By the way, at what ti is curfew in the County nowadays? You haven’t returned late in so long, I quite forget."
ng Yuhuai smiled slightly, "Why ask such a thing all of a sudden? In any case, you’d still make it in ti if you wanted to go into the city now."
Song Jingxi could no longer sit still, feeling as though the chair was layered with needles, she abruptly stood up.
"I completely forgot," she said, rarely flustered, "I was supposed to et Old Zhao at Chunfeng Restaurant today, and his wife complained to for quite a while. She said I haven’t visited Fuzhe County in so long, and that I didn’t even take the ti to have a proper chat with her. She insisted that I must stay at her place tonight. I had planned to greet you, Xiaomai, before leaving, but when I saw the delicious dishes you made, I completely forgot about everything else. Is it still possible for to make it to the city now? Then I..."
Hua Xiaomai also stood up.
"Are you really leaving so late? It’s not too late to go tomorrow, I made so much food."
"I’ve already promised her, and breaking the promise wouldn’t be right, would it?" Song Jingxi forced a smile, "To taste the food you make, there will be plenty more opportunities in the future, and it doesn’t hinge on this one occasion. Thank you for your family’s thoughtful hospitality these past few days. When you co to the Provincial City, make sure to let know. I want to return the favor properly."
After forcing out these words, she turned and walked towards the outer courtyard, loudly calling for Qing He to pack the luggage and prepare the carriage.
Hua Xiaomai didn’t even bother to step through the door, she just gave a half-hearted "Take care," then went back to the table, scooped up a bowl of soup, and took a big delighted sip.
It was ng’s mother who followed her out. Seeing Song Jingxi’s hasty departure in the carriage, she spit fiercely in the direction she left.
...
After sending Song Jingxi away, Hua Xiaomai finally let out a sigh of relief. Although the thought of Wang Zhanrui possibly leaving was uncomfortable, she didn’t want to worry about it too much at the mont. The family finished their dinner peacefully, tidied up, and each went to their rooms to rest, passing the night without another word.
The next day at Daoxiang Garden, Chun Xi was the first to approach her, and with a series of winks and nods, she lowered her voice to a whisper and said, "Sothing seems off. He ca in early this morning with a dark face, looking like he could eat soone."
Hua Xiaomai knew she was referring to Wang Zhanrui, and since she had done nothing wrong by him, stayed calm and composed, though she sighed deeply to herself.
"Did you drive that Madam Song away?" Chun Xi ca a bit closer, "This morning I passed by your house, and her carriage was gone!"
"And what about it? Should I have treated her like a deity and catered to her every whim?" Hua Xiaomai replied with a cold laugh, "I’m not ill, why should I let her stay and be a nuisance? Go on, sister-in-law, you have work to do. There’s no need to ntion it to Master Wang. If he intends to leave, he will co to find ."
She hadn’t planned on discussing Song Jingxi with Master Wang and rarely appeared in Daoxiang Garden, pondering that it was better to let him make his own decision. Two days passed like this, and on the third day, Wang Zhanrui could no longer hold himself back. After the midday rush, he threw down his spatula and stord out of the restaurant.
"What is your problem?!"
He ran all the way to the ng Family, and as soon as he burst through the entrance, he shouted at Hua Xiaomai, who was playing with little Walnut in the front yard.
Little Walnut wasn’t used to such a commotion and imdiately burst into tears.
"What are you doing?" Hua Xiaomai was startled by his shout, quickly handing little Walnut over to ng’s mother in the back courtyard, then strode up to Wang Zhanrui, "Can’t you show a little decency? If you want to leave, I won’t stop you and will settle your wages clearly, but what is the aning of causing a scene at my house?"
Wang Zhanrui’s forehead throbbed with veins as he clenched his fists and shouted back, neck bulging, "What kind of person do you take for?!" (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, we welco you to vote for it with a recomndation ticket and monthly ticket at Qidian (qidian). Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users can read at m.qidian.)
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