Chef Hua-Chapter 572: Episode 306: Disappearance

As soon as Wen Huaren heard these words, cold sweat broke out immediately.

He had thought it was just a simple matter of a missing carpenter, tricky though it was, but as long as they summoned the articulate Zheng Yakuai, it could be handled properly. Unexpectedly, it had turned into a domestic affair!

Such matters were always the hardest to deal with, not even a clear-headed official could resolve them, let alone him, a mere scholar and a newly-appointed shopkeeper thrust into position. How was he to cope?

When Cheng Yong saw Master Ding and Tang Dongyan run over, he too was taken aback. Hearing Zhou Yunyun speak in such a manner, he was even more at a loss for words, murmuring, "Are you sure, no mistake? This... can’t be, my sister-in-law rarely wanders near the new house, but Brother Yuhuai visits from time to time to check on it. How come he never told me about this?"

Zhou Yunyun bit her lip, "In the summer, their family of three stayed at Brother Yuhuai’s house for a while, and later they had a falling out..."

She meant to say that her master had forcefully driven the family out, her master being so brave, he almost resorted to using a stick to beat them. But before she could speak, Master Ding glared at her, and she could not utter a word further, hiding behind Wen Huaren with a heart thumping in fear.

Scholar Wen was filled with helplessness, steadied his mind, and managed a smile towards Master Ding, "Auntie, you..."

Master Ding glanced at him, her lips curled slightly, and her eyes reddened.

"Is my niece Hua Xiaomai here?" she asked with a gentle and soft tone, carrying a hint of fragility. frёewebnoѵēl.com

Cheng Yong, standing nearby, shivered.

What was this auntie’s act? Just a while ago at the new house, she was jumping and pointing fingers while cursing, full of fury. How was it that upon arriving at Daoxiang Garden, she had changed faces, appearing like a wronged young wife?

What he couldn’t know was that Master Ding had had a bad experience at Hua Xiaomai’s, fully aware that she wouldn’t be easily bullied. Moreover, she had her reservations about the elder Mrs. Meng—yelling and causing a scene at the new house construction site was one thing, but behaving that way at Daoxiang Garden?

Wen Huaren, unaware of these intricacies, thought from her amiable speech that she had a gentle nature. He took a breath of relief and smiled back, "Our boss just went into the village, left just moments ago, and won’t be back for a while. If you have any matters, please feel free to tell me, and I’ll pass along the message."

"Then... is your boss’s mother-in-law also out?" Master Ding asked after turning her eyes twice.

"Uh, the elderly lady went with our boss to the village too," Wen Huaren replied without hesitation, shaking his head.

Since both were not around...

For some reason, Master Ding secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Seeing Zhou Yunyun hiding behind Wen Huaren, she urgently reached out to pull her, repeatedly saying, "Little sister, you are Xiaomai’s apprentice, aren’t you? You don’t remember me? We’ve met! I am your master’s aunt. I stayed at the Meng Family for a while and saw you every day coming to learn cooking with her... such a smart girl, so endearing, your parents must love you dearly at home, but..."

She reached out her other hand to pull Tang Dongyan closer, sobbing, "Look at our second daughter, about your age, who now might soon be fatherless!"

Tang Dongyan’s eyes reddened, and she lowered her head, sobbing in her throat.

When Master Ding said this, she initially only intended to use Zhou Yunyun as a pretext to vent her own pent-up grievances. Unexpectedly, she directly touched on Zhou Yunyun’s sore spot.

What parental affection... Her father, a drunkard who would beat someone at the slightest provocation, had never really cared for his daughter, had he?

Thinking this, Zhou Yunyun felt a surge of sadness, struggled free from Master Ding’s grasp, did not pick up on her words, and stepped back.

Seeing her not responding as expected, Master Ding felt a bit embarrassed, awkwardly withdrew her hand, and turned back to Scholar Wen.

"This little sister knows, a few months ago, there was a quarrel between my family and your boss’s family, ending on bad terms. Afterwards, the head of our household has been upset, thinking about apologizing but too proud to lower his face. Knowing that Yuhuai was building a new house, he was excited like anything, repeatedly saying he could be useful this time. He joined the team of craftsmen and took on the carpentry work at the new house, working from dawn to dusk, focused solely on making the house look beautiful. But who could have thought, he just disappeared without a trace? If not for a craftsman from the team who came to inform us, we would still be in the dark, I mean..."

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