Although Hua Erniang was not keen on her younger sister doing business with Guan Rong, to put it bluntly, she was afraid of being taken advantage of, but it was fine for the two of them to chat and play together when they had nothing else to do. Seeing Guan Rong coming, she still pulled her aside for a warm chat and then casually pointed towards the kitchen, "There, my little sister is busy inside. Go find her, let her pour you a bowl of warm water to drink. You must have caught quite a bit of cold wind on your way here, right?"
Guan Rong smiled a little shyly and thanked her. She walked to the kitchen door, leaned on the doorfra, and said with a playful smile, "Hua Xiaomai, the sugar water boiled by that old lady in Guzi Village tastes really good. I haven’t had it in several months, and I really miss it. How about we go together and try so, okay?"
Hua Xiaomai really didn’t want to go.
She had indeed been very busy these last few days, as she would soon hand over the pastries she had made to Pan Ping’an. Although Hua Erniang and Jing Taihe were helping her out, it was still most reliable for her to watch over the stove herself. Going out for sugar water, if it were an idle ti, might be a fine choice, but at the mont, it would undoubtedly be a waste of ti.
Moreover, now whenever she saw Guan Rong’s face, the bleak figure crying against the wind on the ridge would inevitably co to mind, making her feel as if she had unintentionally stumbled upon so secret. Why was Guan Rong coming to find her now, to drudgingly share her woes?
...Maybe not, then. It wasn’t that she wasn’t kindhearted. It’s just that, this matter had nothing to do with her at all and absorbing all that negative emotion might even affect the taste of the pastries and dishes she made!
Thinking thus, Hua Xiaomai also curved the corners of her mouth towards Guan Rong, "I’m sorry, Rong Jie, but I’m afraid I might not be able to make the ti. The uncle next door, Pan Ping’an, is fond of the preserved fruits I made, and wants to try selling them in the Provincial City. He needs to deliver in three days, and look at how late it is, I still need to steam pumpkins... so..."
"Have you started making preserved fruits again?" Guan Rong suddenly widened her eyes, unable to help but glance at the large stear on the stove, "That business must earn a lot, right? Indeed, with your cooking skills, you don’t have to worry wherever you go, unlike , who has always relied on my parents to live and has to spend money on dicine every few days..."
She quickly took two steps to catch up to Hua Xiaomai, grabbed her hand, and earnestly said, "Hua Xiaomai, I know you’re busy, but after a hard day’s work, you should relax a bit, shouldn’t you? The old lady’s stand is just by the river. We’ll go and co back, it won’t take more than an hour. I’m cooped up at ho all day; it’s really stuffy. Can you just keep company? Although I’ve been living in the village for over a decade, I barely have any friends..."
So, those three girls who were with you the first ti we t were ghosts, huh?
Hua Xiaomai suddenly felt very deflated.
Guan Rong was born frail and was also very good at playing the victim. No matter what she asked for, if you dared to refuse her firmly, she would imdiately stare at you with those watery eyes, showing a woebegone expression, making it impossible for you to get angry, let alone harshly refuse.
Isn’t that really quite a skill?
How should I refuse? I don’t want to go out! Hua Xiaomai scread silently in her heart and was troubled about what to do when Hua Erniang, of all people, just had to butt in and stir things up.
"Look here, Hua Xiaosan." Perhaps Hua Erniang overheard the conversation between Guan Rong and Hua Xiaomai from the courtyard. She trudged to the kitchen door and called out loudly, "If the Guan Family sister is inviting you for sugar water, just go out with her for a walk! You’re always spinning around that stove; spend too long there, and you’ll turn into a yellow-faced woman before you even get married. We’ll watch the steaming pot for you, there won’t be any problems. Just go and co back quickly, okay?"
As she spoke, she even rushed back to the eastern room, took out twenty or thirty copper coins, and put them into Hua Xiaomai’s hands: "I have often heard that the old lady’s sugar water is exceptionally good. Since you’re going, might as well bring back two bowls for your sister and brother-in-law too, let us taste it as well."
With Hua Erniang’s support, Guan Rong was even less willing to give up. She twisted Hua Xiaomai’s arm and whispered, "Co on, Hua Xiaomai, let’s go together..."
Hua Xiaomai was so annoyed she could hardly stand it, and thought she would have to go along this ti or she wouldn’t be able to avoid it. Thus, she nodded her head, took off her apron, went back to the western room to quickly tidy up, and followed Guan Rong out the door.
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