Wei Yao has had his dim sum shop for some years, and when he smelled the aroma, he immediately felt something special about it.
He tugged hard at his stubborn donkey, which wasn’t too cooperative, and after much effort, he managed to squeeze to the front of the small stall surrounded by a crowd.
He peeked over.
On the small table were strips of golden, crispy-skinned baked buns, emitting a sweet wheat fragrance.
The stall owner was a young lady with a delicate appearance, and she had a chubby little child with her.
The two of them, one big and one small, worked in harmony, swiftly serving the customers with freshly baked buns.
These buns were obviously freshly baked, their surface bright and oily.
Wei Yao glanced around and overheard customers calling the woman “Lady Shen,” so he also called out, “Lady Shen, I’ll have one too.”
“Good morning, sir! Our baked buns are eight wen each. They’re filled with sweet red bean paste. Eight wen, and they’re delicious, come back if you like!” the woman said.
“Uncle, they’re delicious! Come back for more!” the chubby child added, smiling as he took the money.
Wei Yao couldn’t help but smile at the child’s cute voice, but before he could say anything, the crowd pressed him and his donkey out of the way.
He had no choice but to step back, lowering his head to inspect the warm red bean-filled crispy bun in his hand.
Eight wen—it wasn’t expensive.
He had many delicate pastries in his shop that sold for a hundred wen a box, but he’d never seen anything like this bun before.
After taking the bun, he led his donkey away, biting into it as he walked.
His eyes instantly lit up.
The outer layer was first crispy, and then he tasted the soft, fluffy texture of the bun, which was still chewy after a few bites.
Inside, there was just a thin layer of red bean paste, but it was soft, smooth, and sweet without being overwhelming.
The more he ate, the more he nodded in approval.
It wasn’t easy to make red bean paste this good.
Wei Yao was knowledgeable in the trade, and he employed two pastry masters in his shop.
But after tasting this bun, he felt like the skills of his two masters after years of practice didn’t measure up to Lady Shen’s.
He finished the bun in two or three bites, wanting to return and ask more questions, but with the crowd and the important items in his hands, he could only glance back at Lady Shen, who was still busy.
He memorized her appearance and thought to himself that once the morning market was over, he would return to ask her.
He had an impulse—he wondered if Lady Shen would be interested in coming to work for his dim sum shop.
Wei Yao’s dim sum shop wasn’t small, with two connected stores on Copper Drum Lane, North Golden Bridge Street, but the number of other pastry vendors had been growing, and many of his old customers had been lured away.
Business had gradually weakened, and though he felt helpless, he was also anxious.
That’s why he personally came out to deliver goods today—to appear more formal and to bribe the stewards of the wealthy families in hopes of winning back those valuable customers.
But if such unique and excellently flavored pastries were being sold…
Wei Yao’s eyes filled with hope.
He walked faster, thinking that after delivering the goods, he would definitely come back to persuade Lady Shen!
On the other side, Shen Miao had no idea that someone was trying to recruit her.
She was busy making hand-held flatbreads while also preparing a large red bean pastry bun for an elderly lady who was accompanied by her grandson.
After paying, the elderly lady took her grandson, who was closely attached to her, to one side to eat.
She broke off a piece for her grandson, and then broke off another piece for herself.
“Oh, I only managed to grab one piece earlier when I was tasting it, but now I can have more. Hmm… this is good.”
The red bean paste was soft and sweet, melting like butter in the mouth.
Even an elderly person with bad teeth like her could eat it.
Her picky grandson, who usually didn’t eat much, had already finished a large piece and was eagerly tugging at her pant leg, saying, “Grandma, I want more, I want more!”
The elderly lady broke off another piece and fed it to him.
The two of them, one old and one young, squatted by the bridge pillar and finished it all.
Even after finishing, her grandson was still hungry and insisted on more, something he’d never done before!
The elderly lady was both surprised and delighted, hurriedly pulling her grandson to squeeze back to the small stall.
In just a short time, the red bean buns that had once been stacked high on the table were almost gone, with only four or five left.
The elderly lady rushed to claim, “I’ll take two more!”
***
The morning market was winding down, and the sky was brightening.
A small official in Bianjing City was holding a bamboo pole high, extinguishing the candle flames in the crane-shaped stone lanterns along the street.
Xie Qi had changed his clothes and, along with his mother, Mrs. Xi, rode in a carriage over Jinliang Bridge to the outer city to retrieve the six ceremonial gifts that the Cui family had sent back after their engagement was called off.
After returning to Bianjing, he had only told his parents about his cousin’s severe illness, as per his uncle’s instructions, and kept quiet about the rest.
Xie’s parents thought he was upset about his cousin’s sudden illness and the broken engagement, so they comforted him.
Later, Xie’s father and mother sent someone to the Cui family to handle the engagement cancellation, without telling him about the matter, so he wouldn’t be worried.
Today, everything was settled, and they were just going to collect the items.
Mrs. Xi noticed that Xie Qi had a sullen expression, so she gently comforted him: “Ninth son, everything happens as fate wills. Since you were young, you’ve had bad luck.
You once went out to see lanterns on the royal street, and the lanterns always caught fire; you went to Jinming Lake to play, and you always fell into the water; when you went out to study, you were deceived and robbed…
It seems nothing ever went smoothly for you. I’ve been worried before, but I’ve gotten used to it now. Your marriage has been full of difficulties, but I’m not too surprised, and you shouldn’t take it to heart.
Besides… I sent someone to our old family in Chenzhou, and they saw Wan Niang. She was pale, lying on the bed, as thin as paper, clearly suffering from a serious illness. Your uncle and aunt canceled the engagement because of our family ties, and they didn’t tarnish our reputation.
They even returned the betrothal gifts in double, so it’s a peaceful ending. You really don’t need to feel too sad about it.”
Xie Qi’s brow furrowed slightly.
His cousin was still alive?
From the description, it seemed she had lost the child, but at least she had survived, which wasn’t too bad.
He would keep this secret for her, and maybe his cousin could live the rest of her life in peace.
The gloom that had been hanging over him for days finally lifted, and he managed a slight smile.
“Mother is right.”
Xie Qi had particularly striking features—his eyes were dark, round, and full, with slightly rounded corners.
So when he smiled, he appeared exceptionally gentle, exuding a noble demeanor.
Mrs. Xi patted his hand and, noticing that their carriage had slowed down as they reached Jinliang Bridge, now crowded with people and filled with the delicious scents of food, she blinked and asked, “I’ve been busy today and didn’t even get a proper breakfast.
My stomach is grumbling. Why don’t you have something with me?”
Xie Qi nodded and casually replied, “Of course, I should accompany you, Mother.”
Mrs. Xi smiled faintly and waved for the servant outside the carriage.
She had already asked the servants around Xie Qi and learned that he had barely eaten a few bites this morning before pushing away his chopsticks, so she made this suggestion.
She instructed the servant to quickly go to the market and buy a few items—anything clean and tasty.
As the carriage slowly moved through the crowd, not long after, there was a light knock on the carriage wall.
The servant, carrying a variety of wrapped items, handed them over: fermented glutinous rice balls, fried dumplings, sticky rice dumplings, flatbreads…
Xie Qi glanced through them all, feeling they were too greasy for his taste.
But seeing his mother’s eager gaze, he reluctantly chose one item that seemed pleasant—a golden-brown, long-shaped baked bun.
This was a method he hadn’t seen before.
The bun was different from ordinary ones.
The top had a crispy, slightly charred layer, and at first, he thought it was filled with meat.
But when he took a bite, the crispy skin was sweet and soft, like biting into a cloud.
There was no greasy meat filling, but instead, a refreshing, smooth red bean paste.
The honeyed beans were sweet just enough—not too bland, not too cloying.
Together with the crispy outer layer, the combination was unexpectedly delicious.
His taste buds, which had been dull for a while, were now awakened, and he took another bite, finding the bean paste slightly grainy with some uncrushed bits, adding a bit of chewiness.
“Mother, this is good. You should try some of these baked buns too.”
Xie Qi handed her the remaining bun wrapped in oiled paper.
“I’ve never had this before. It’s surprising how good these buns are with the honeyed bean paste.”
Mrs. Xi took a few bites and nodded repeatedly. “
It’s quite good.”
She then lifted the curtain and asked the servant who had gone to buy the food, even considering the ritual offerings they were preparing at home.
“This baked bun tastes good. Which bakery is it from? Can you go ask if they’re willing to make more? Are they using animal fat? Your grandfather’s death anniversary is coming up, and I’m worried about the vegetarian pastries for the ceremony. Maybe we can use these.”
The servant replied with a smile, “It’s actually from someone we know! The eldest lady tried their food yesterday. The fried pancakes that third young master sent back yesterday were from there too.
It’s called Shen Ji Bakery. The young woman who makes the cakes is quite beautiful. People joke and call her the ‘Flatbread Xi Shi!’”
Mrs. Xi remembered the delicious pancake she had yesterday and smiled.
This young woman named Shen seemed to be quite clever.
“What a coincidence! Go ask them and see if they can make 450 buns for the three-day ritual. We’ll need them.”
The servant left to inquire, and within moments, Xie Qi had finished the entire baked bun, making Mrs. Xi even happier.
Since Xie Qi returned from Chenzhou, he had had little appetite.
He had vomited after eating a few bites the first day, and the doctor said it was due to the exhaustion of the journey, causing a disruption in his stomach.
There was no cure for this but to nurture it slowly, coaxing him to eat more until his appetite returned.
Despite the efforts of the chefs, nothing seemed to work.
Thank Buddha, now the boy had finally eaten.
“Mother, I’ve caused you worry,” Xie Qi noticed Mrs. Xi’s concerned gaze and understood immediately.
He couldn’t help but feel embarrassed and was about to bow in apology.
Mrs. Xi hurriedly waved her hand.
“What’s with the formalities? You’re still so young, acting like an old scholar! I can’t stand the way you and your father always insist on bowing for everything.”
She came from a military family in Huainan, where the Xi family had gained prominence through military merit during the Song Dynasty, and they had not been wiped out by purges.
As a result, Mrs. Xi had developed a straightforward and practical temperament, disliking unnecessary formalities.
The Xie family’s carriage finally left the bridge and gradually passed through the crowded streets, picking up speed.
The horses could now trot along, and soon the carriage disappeared outside the South Gate.
Meanwhile, Shen Miao, who was packing up her stall, looked up at the wealthy servant who had come to her.
She looked at him with surprise as he spoke, his mouth moving like the God of Wealth:
“Lady Shen, my master tried your baked buns and said they were excellent. He sent me to ask, could you make 450 buns in the next two or three days?”
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