CHAPTER 656: EPISODE 348: PREPARATION

On a rainy day, Meng Yuhuai’s mother couldn’t take little Walnut out for a stroll and could only hold him while playing in the main hall. When she saw Meng Yuhuai and Hua Xiaomai coming back in the pouring rain, she couldn’t help but nag them a bit and gave them a huge eye roll before hurrying into the kitchen to cook brown sugar ginger soup.

The hot soup was sweet with a hint of spiciness, and swallowing a mouthful seemed to instantly evaporate the dampness from the body, heating from the feet to the top of the head.

The family arranged dinner and chatted idly for a while before each returned to their rooms to rest.

That night, Hua Xiaomai firmly clung to Meng, relentlessly insisting that he show her the face he had used when dealing with Dong Deyou and Lv Bin for her "appreciation". She filled her mouth with praise for his impressive demeanor that day, and playfully demanded to learn his charming stick-fighting skills, which she claimed would help protect her and reduce his worries in the future.

She was incredibly lively, literally jumping around. Initially, Meng Yuhuai was willing to indulge her, but as time went on, he inevitably grew tired of her persistence and managed to quiet her down by blocking her lips with his.

However, the troublesome matter with the Shenglong Escort Agency had finally concluded, and Meng Yuhuai’s long-tensed nerves could relax a bit. He planned to rest at home for a couple of days, treating it as a little vacation. The next morning, he didn’t rush off to the Lianshun Escort Agency; instead, he went to Daoxiang Garden with Hua Xiaomai.

During the rainy season, it was difficult for the county to send vegetables and fruits to Fire Knife Village, and the shop didn’t have as rich an assortment of ingredients as usual. Fortunately, traveling merchants and tourists were few and far between along the main road, resulting in lighter business and just enough supplies in the kitchen.

Every year there was such a special period when business in various eateries wasn’t up to expectations, and no one felt too anxious about it. However, with fewer visitors, the staff inevitably got somewhat lax. When Hua Xiaomai and Meng Yuhuai entered the restaurant hall, they saw Qing You and Ji Xiang listlessly lounging on a table, and Chun Xi and La Mei quietly gossiping by the window sill, with Scholar Wen engrossed in his book, unaware his sleeve was dragging across the inkstone tray.

Hua Xiaomai was never one to be harsh, and she felt that letting the staff slack off a bit during idle times was no big deal. Upon seeing them, she merely smiled slightly and coughed half-heartedly.

Unexpectedly, the group who had just been listlessly lethargic, perked up instantly upon seeing her, as if their spirits had been revived. They rushed toward her noisily all at once, and immediately started talking all at once.

Hua Xiaomai suddenly felt as if a flock of clucking geese had surged around her, buzzing in her head, leaving her somewhat confused. She exclaimed, "What’s all this? One at a time, don’t all clamor! "

"Isn’t it about the Eight Treasures Conference?"

Chun Xi, a bit slow on her feet, ended up at the back of the group, but her loud voice cut through everyone else’s, reaching Hua Xiaomai directly, "Sister Xiaomai, everyone discussed it all day yesterday, when will you make a decision? How many of us from the shop are preparing to go?"

Turned out it was about this?

Hua Xiaomai couldn’t help but smile, exchanging a glance with Meng Yuhuai before she unceremoniously pushed through the crowd to seat herself at a table, pouring a cup of tea and raising her head: "Are you all in such a hurry?"

"Of course!"

La Mei, eager and impatient, interjected, "You’ve been to the Eight Treasures Conference before, and naturally find it nothing new, but we’ve never experienced it! You said before if we attend the Eight Treasures Conference, we’d need plenty of help. Though we can’t cook, we’ve worked at Daoxiang Garden for so long, assisting you would be easy, and we can also enjoy the event!"

"I was in fact planning to discuss this with everyone today."

Upon hearing this, Hua Xiaomai nodded and said with a smile, "Since it’s quiet these few days at the shop, let’s settle this matter and do all the necessary preparations. It’ll save us trouble later. Given that it’s not yet mealtime—Qing You, go call out Chef Wang, Chef Tan, and Yun’er; let’s discuss this together."

Qing You eagerly agreed and dashed to the kitchen, while the rest of the group looked excited and ready to jump in, except for Scholar Wen, who remained calmly behind the counter, only occasionally glancing over.