CHAPTER 619: EPISODE 329 AWKWARD_2

"Isn’t it just practicing Tai Chi? Who doesn’t know how to do that?"

Scholar Wen, holding his pen and not moving for a long time, lowered his head and pondered for a moment before tentatively asking, "Your relationship with this Boss Song is not that close, right? Should I write this letter with polite detachment? You know, courteous but with a sense of distance. How does that sound?"

Hua Xiaomai almost burst into laughter at his phrase "courteous but with a sense of distance," but she managed to suppress it and nodded repeatedly, "Yes, that’s exactly it. Scholar Wen, you truly are the most educated and reasonable person in Fire Knife Village, full of talent!"

Wen Huaren’s face flushed red, and he quickly said, "It’s nothing," and without hesitation, he dipped his pen in ink and started writing, turning Hua Xiaomai’s words into a grand, eloquent letter, which he read back to her.

"If you think there’s no problem, I’ll have Ji Xiang send out the letter in a bit," he said while folding the letter, "Also, you haven’t been to the shop much these past two days; we’ve taken on a few more banquets..."

He hadn’t finished speaking when suddenly Han Hu’s voice came from outside.

"Sister-in-law, I’ve brought Uncle Liu from the Zhao family."

Hua Xiaomai looked up at the sound and saw Han Hu standing at the doorway with a broad smile, occasionally lifting his robe to wipe the sweat.

Next to him, gardener Uncle Liu, appeared somewhat impatient, hastily nodded and said, "Where is that chili field? I’ll have someone take me to check it now, I myself have many things to do and can’t delay for long."

Knowing Uncle Liu’s quirky temper and considering he was an elder, Hua Xiaomai didn’t make an issue of his attitude. She quickly called Qing You to guide Uncle Liu to Madame Feng’s field and then she warmly invited Han Hu to sit down and have some tea, to rest for a while.

However, no sooner had Han Hu stepped into the hall than Scholar Wen behind the counter let out a huff, shook his sleeves, turned around, and left, acting as if he was upset with someone.

Hua Xiaomai was taken aback, utterly bewildered. She turned around and saw him, like a gust of wind, swiftly twirling into the backyard.

...What was this act? It looked as though there was some discord with Han Hu, but... did they even know each other?

Han Hu, on the other hand, seemed totally unconcerned, casually picked a table to sit at, accepted the tea Chun Xi handed him, expressed his thanks, and for some reason, his gaze drifted towards the kitchen.

Huh?

Hua Xiaomai’s curiosity was instantly ignited.

In the kitchen, aside from Wang Zhanrui and Chef Tan, there was only the young woman, Zhou Yunyun. Surely Han Hu wasn’t there to look at those two grown men, right?

"What are you looking at?" she muttered to herself and then sat down at the table, smiling naturally as if she was making casual conversation.

"Ha, it’s nothing, nothing."

Han Hu quickly averted his gaze, scratching his head a bit awkwardly, "Yuhuai was busy, so he asked me to run this errand. When I was leaving, Sister-in-law Zuo told me to bring a message to you. She said it had been a long time since she last saw you, and she wants you to visit the Escort Agency when you have time, to chat with her, as she’s alone dealing with all of us monkeys all day, and it’s driving her crazy."

"Alright, I understand." Hua Xiaomai smiled and nodded, "Indeed, it’s been a long while since I’ve seen Sister-in-law Zuo, and I do miss her. By the way, our shop has recently made a new kind of pastry that tastes good and keeps well. In this weather, they won’t go bad even after ten days to half a month. Take some more with you when you go back, and share them with Sister-in-law Zuo and the brothers."

"Ah." Han Hu acknowledged, picking at the table with his fingers, seemingly with something to say, yet unsure how to begin.

Hua Xiaomai pursed her lips, "What’s wrong, is there something? We’ve known each other not for just one or two days; isn’t there anything you can’t say directly?"

Han Hu lifted his eyes quickly to her face and suddenly slapped his thigh.

"It’s... there’s something. I mentioned it to Yuhuai, but he said it’s best to ask you. It’s about... your apprentice, that Miss Zhou, I don’t know if she’s betrothed yet?"

He then hastily waved his hands, "I’m just asking, no other meaning, really, don’t take it the wrong way."

Indeed...

Hua Xiaomai silently thought. So, was Scholar Wen’s sudden departure also because of this? But how did he know Han Hu harbored these thoughts?

Hua Xiaomai had already guessed as much, and now that Han Hu mentioned it himself, she wasn’t particularly surprised. She just curved her lips slightly, "Why do you ask?"

Han Hu, his ears turning red, fidgeted with his hands, "Sister, look at you... Isn’t my intention clear enough? Why are you still..."

"Pfft." Hua Xiaomai couldn’t hold back and laughed out loud, then said seriously, "You and Yuhuai are brothers who have been through life and death together, I naturally won’t treat you as an outsider, but still, it’s difficult for me to say much about the matters of a young lady."

"I know this matter needs to be handled through a mediator, but what if I rashly send one over and scare her? I wanted to inquire first if she’s still unspoken for, then I..."

Hua Xiaomai quietly exhaled.

Speaking of which, Han Hu really seemed like a good match for Zhou Yunyun. Strong and reliable, and capable too, he was a great help at the Escort Agency with promising prospects. Yet...

"I’ll give you an honest word." she slowly said, "Yun’er, that girl, cannot rely on her parents. Although I am her master and can offer some advice, I ultimately cannot decide for her. It depends on what she thinks. I can’t give you a definite answer right now, can you give me a couple of days?"

"I’m not in a hurry, not in a hurry." Han Hu quickly shook his head, seeming to breathe a sigh of relief, then grinned at Hua Xiaomai, picked up his teacup and drank it all in one go. (To be continued. If you like this work, we welcome you to Qidian (qidian.com) to submit your recommendation ticket, monthly ticket. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to read.)