Chapter 372: Guest

Chapter 372: Guest
Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation
“If the adults aren’t here, then who cooked the meal?” the woman asked in surprise.
Shen Mo had already guessed that it was very likely Jiang Xia had taken the initiative to start cooking. He hurried over to check if she had burnt herself.
Seeing Shen Mo hurry over, Jiang Xia thought he was too cold and eager to come in to warm up, so she obediently stepped back to let him through the door.
Shen Mo paused for a moment at her step back.
Then Jiang Xia said, “It’s warmer away from the door; you all come in and wait.” The latter part of the sentence was directed at the woman who had followed Shen Mo here and was still standing at the door.
Shen Mo’s hand, which he intended to check on her with, froze mid-air and he awkwardly withdrew it, walking helplessly into the house.
The woman, with a knowing “I understand” auntie smile, also followed inside.
This woman was, of course, Chief Captain Tian Zao, whom they had happened to meet at the commune that morning.
After lunch, Tian Zao and Shen Mo took a stroll around the village. Shen Mo was familiar with the village layout, having been there before, and had planned the route so that the last house they visited would be Jiang Xia’s, which would give him a good excuse to stay for a meal.
Tian Zao and Shen Mo sat down inside, and Jiang Xia brought them two cups of hot water. They drank and looked at the three dishes on the table, which didn’t look very appealing but smelled delicious.
Shen Mo was particularly interested in the braised pork ribs, thinking that Jiang Xia must have wanted ribs to make this dish.
Seeing the two of them eyeing the dishes on the table, Jiang Xia felt embarrassed to keep them waiting and took out four sets of bowls and chopsticks for everyone, saying, “My parents might be busy with something today, and I don’t know when they will be back, so let’s eat first.”
Tian Zao felt it was impolite to eat the meal a child had made in someone else’s house without waiting for the parents to return, so she hesitated to start eating.
Shen Mo also didn’t want Jiang Chuan to have a negative opinion of him, so he said, “It’s alright; we can wait for them to come back and eat together.”
Jiang Xia thought to herself, “Luckily I was in a good mood today and made plenty of dishes. Otherwise, it wouldn’t have been enough for unexpected guests.”
Moreover, Jiang Xia had rarely cooked, and today she had specially stewed a pot of fragrant rice that had been soaked in interspace water. It was plump white rice mixed with a bit of sorghum, and it smelled incredibly fragrant!
While Jiang Chuan was still out, Tian Zao took the opportunity to carefully observe the Jiang family’s house.
Jiang Chuan’s affairs were not a secret in the village, and Tian Zao had heard about them long ago. Now, seeing the decorations in the family’s house and the rich dishes, she knew this family was living better and better.
But she had always had reservations about Jiang Chuan and had been instilled with a seed of suspicion by Wang Xing, believing that Jiang Chuan’s good life was due to clandestine dealings with the former chief captain, conspiring to embezzle the village’s money. Otherwise, how could it be possible to leave the old Jiang family with nothing and be so well-off in just half a year?
The house was spacious, with each of the two daughters having their own room, better even than where the village chief lived.
Tian Zao had walked around the village that day and found that most of the villagers’ houses had just two rooms and a big yard. If several generations lived together, the house might be a bit larger, with four or five rooms, but still, families would be crammed into one room.
Even the village chief’s slightly more spacious big house was nothing compared to the Jiang’s ability to provide one room per person.
Tian Zao thought for a moment. Children are the least deceptive, and since Jiang Chuan and Zhou Lan were not around, she might as well try to find out the truth from Jiang Xia.
“Your name is Jiang Xia, right?”
Jiang Xia answered obediently,” Yes, Captain.”
Tian Zao was taken aback that she recognized her as the chief captain and thought this young girl was indeed smart. At such a young age, she was already so observant, surely knowing what to say and what not to say, so Tian Zao gave up the idea of questioning Jiang Xia.
At that moment, she was suddenly distracted by the sound of a growling stomach, and immediately turned her attention to the owner of the belly, Jiang Gu.