Chapter 22 A big order has arrived, Madam Shen! You can make four in the next two or three days…

Wei Yao had been running his pastry shop for quite some time, and he could tell from the smell that this was something special. So he dragged his stubborn, unruly dog ​​along with him and finally managed to squeeze into the small stall surrounded by a lot of people to take a look.

Golden-brown, crispy baked buns are displayed on a small table, emitting a sweet wheat aroma. The stall owner is a pretty young woman with a chubby baby. The two of them work together efficiently, serving the baked buns to customers.

These baked buns looked freshly baked, with a bright color and glistening with oil. Wei Yao's eyes flickered slightly, and when she heard the diners calling her Madam Chen, she also called out, "Madam Chen, I'll buy one too."

"Good morning, sir. A baked bun from my shop costs eight coins, and it's filled with sweet red bean paste. I'll charge you eight coins! If you like it, please come again!"

"Uncle, please come again if you like it!" The chubby boy, having received the money, also chimed in with a smile.

Wei Yao was unconsciously amused by the child's sweet, childish shout, but before he could say anything, he was pushed out by the others, along with the donkey.

He had no choice but to leave first, then looked down at the still slightly warm red bean pastry baked bun in his hand.

Eight coins isn't expensive.

His shop had many exquisite pastries that sold for a hundred coins a box, but he had never seen such a pastry before. He took the baked bun, pulled the donkey, and walked out, taking a bite as he went.

His eyes lit up instantly.

The outer layer is crispy at first, then you get the very soft and fluffy texture of this baked bun, but after chewing a couple of times, it also has a bit of chewiness.

It only contained a layer of red bean paste, but it was soft, fluffy, sweet, and not greasy. The more he ate, the more he nodded in approval. It's not easy to make red bean paste this well.

Wei Yao was a connoisseur; he even employed two pastry chefs in his shop. But after taking a bite, he felt that the skills of those two experienced chefs, accumulated over many years, were not as good as those of the young Mrs. Shen.

He finished his meal in a few bites and wanted to go back and ask more, but with so many people around and so many opinions, and with his important guest's goods in hand, he could only turn back and gaze deeply at Chen Miao, who was still busy.

He memorized her appearance, thinking that he would come back and ask her again after the morning market closed—he had an impulsive thought in his mind: would this Miss Shen be willing to work as a pastry chef in his shop?

Wei Yao's pastry shop was quite successful, owning two shops in Tonggu Lane on Jinliangqiao North Street. However, with the increasing number of pastry shops around, many of his regular customers were taken away by other shops, and his business gradually declined. He was helpless and anxious.

That's why he personally came out to deliver the goods today. Firstly, to appear serious, and secondly, to bribe the purchasing managers in those secluded mansions in order to win back these valuable customers.

But if there were such unique and delicious pastries for sale... hope couldn't help but gleam in Wei Yao's eyes.

Wei Yao walked faster and faster. Once he delivered the goods, he would definitely come back and persuade this Shen Niangzi!

Meanwhile, Shen Miao was unaware that someone wanted to recruit her. While making scallion pancakes, she also had to pack a large red bean bun for the old lady in front of her who was with her grandson.

After paying, the old lady led her grandson, who was clinging tightly to her leg, to the other side to eat. She first broke off a piece for her grandson, and then quickly broke off a piece for herself to eat as well.

Oh dear, I only managed to grab one piece during the tasting earlier, but this time I got to enjoy it much more. Hmm... not bad. The red bean paste is soft, sweet, and melts in your mouth as you bite into it. This baked bun is excellent; even an elderly person like her with bad teeth can eat it.

Her picky grandson had already finished a large piece and was tugging at her trouser leg anxiously, saying, "Grandma, I want more, I want more." So the old woman broke off another piece and fed it to her grandson. The two of them squatted by the bridge pier and finished the whole thing.

Even after finishing their meal, they were still not satisfied, and their little grandson also complained that he wasn't full yet. This was the first time the child had ever had such a big appetite!

The old lady was both surprised and delighted, and quickly pulled her grandson along to squeeze into the small pancake stall. In just a short while, the red bean pastry baked buns that had been piled high on the table were almost gone, with only four or five left. The old lady hurriedly said, "I want two more!"

***

As the morning market was closing and the sky was already bright, minor officials in Bianjing City were raising bamboo poles to extinguish the candles in the crane-shaped stone lanterns lining the streets. Xie Qi changed his clothes and, together with his mother, Lady Xi, rode in a carriage across the Jinliang Bridge to the outer city to pick up the six gifts that the Cui family had sent back.

After returning to Bianjing, he only told his parents about his cousin's serious illness, as his uncle had told him, and kept quiet about the rest. His parents assumed that he was upset because of his cousin's inexplicable illness and the annulment of their engagement, so they not only comforted him, but also sent someone to the Cui family to handle the annulment of the engagement, without letting him know or worry.

Everything's taken care of today; I just need to pick up my things.

Seeing Xie Qi's blank face, Madam Xi gently comforted him, "Ninth Brother, what I gain is my fortune, what I lose is my fate. You've been plagued by bad luck since childhood. When you went out to see the lanterns on the Imperial Street as a child, the lanterns would always burn; when you went to play at Jinming Lake, you would always fall into the water; when you went on your studies, you would always be cheated or robbed... There has never been a time when everything went smoothly. Your mother was worried at first, but now I've gotten used to it. Your marriage has been bumpy, so your mother isn't too surprised, and you don't need to take it too seriously. Besides... the old family servants I sent to Chenzhou all said that when they saw Wan Niang, she was pale and lying on the bed, her body as thin as paper. She really looked like she was seriously ill and couldn't be cured. Your aunt and uncle broke off the engagement for the sake of the friendship between the two families, and they didn't ruin our family's reputation. They even returned double the betrothal gifts. It was a good breakup, so you really don't need to be sad."

Xie Qi's brows twitched. His cousin was still alive?

Judging from this description, it seems she lost the baby, but it's not too bad that it survived. He will keep this secret for the rest of his life, so his cousin might have peace for the rest of her life.

His expression, which had been gloomy for many days, immediately relaxed, and he finally showed a slight smile: "Mother is right."

Xie Qi had exceptionally beautiful features, with slightly blunt corners and round, dark eyes. Therefore, whenever he smiled, he appeared exceptionally gentle and had the magnanimity of a gentleman.

Xi patted the back of his hand. Seeing that the carriages had reached Jinliang Bridge and were becoming congested and slow, and that the aroma of various foods was wafting to the side of the carriage, she blinked and tentatively asked, "I've been so busy today that I haven't even had breakfast. My stomach is rumbling. Why don't you have some with me?"

Xie Qi nodded and casually said, "Alright, it is only right for me to eat with my mother."

Lady Xi smiled slightly and beckoned to the servants outside the carriage.

She had actually asked the servants around Ninth Brother and learned that he had only eaten a few bites this morning before putting down his chopsticks, which is why she said that.

He then ordered his servants to quickly go to the market and buy some things, not refusing anything, as long as it looked clean and tasted good.

The carriage crawled slowly through the crowded streets like a tortoise. Soon, a tapping sound came from the side of the carriage, and servants brought in bundles of various items, including sweet fermented rice balls, fried dumplings, zongzi with pickled meat, and flatbreads...

Xie Qi looked at each one, but found them all a bit greasy and not to his liking. However, when he met his mother's eager gaze, he reluctantly chose one that looked more appealing: a long, golden-brown steamed bun.

This is something I've never seen done before.

This steamed bun is quite different from the usual ones. It has a slightly charred crust on top, and I thought it was filled with meat. But when I took a bite, the crust was sweet, fragrant and soft, like biting into a cloud. There was no greasy meat filling inside, but a refreshing and smooth red bean paste filling.

The red bean paste was just the right amount of sweet, neither bland nor cloying, complementing the flaky crust perfectly and creating an unexpectedly delicious flavor. His taste buds, which had been dormant for so long, were awakened, and he took another bite. This time, the bean paste had some slightly uncrushed particles, adding a bit of chewiness.

"Mother, this is quite good. You should have some of these baked buns too." Xie Qi handed the remaining buns from the oil paper package to Madam Xi. "I wonder which family makes these? I've never had such skill before. I didn't expect these buns filled with red bean paste to be baked so well."

Lady Xi also tasted a few bites and nodded repeatedly, "It's quite good." She then lifted the curtain and asked the servant who had gone to buy breakfast, even thinking about the religious ceremony being held at home, "These baked buns taste good. Which family makes them? Go and ask them later if they'd be willing to make more. Did they use any lard when they made them? Your grandfather's death anniversary is approaching this year, and I'm worried that we don't have enough vegetarian dishes for the ceremony. Perhaps these can be used instead."

The servant replied with a smile, "They're an acquaintance! Madam also tried their cooking yesterday! The pancakes that Third Brother sent back yesterday were also from this shop, called Chen Ji Pancake Shop. The young lady who makes the pancakes is so beautiful that some people jokingly call her the Pancake Beauty!"

When Madam Xi recalled the pancakes she had eaten yesterday, which were indeed exceptionally delicious, she smiled and said, "What a coincidence! Go and ask if they can make 450 steamed buns for the three-day ceremony." She then instructed her servant to immediately return and inquire.

In the time it took to say a few words, Xie Qi had already finished a whole roasted bun with tea, which made Xi Shi smile even more broadly.

Ever since Ninth Brother returned from Chenzhou, he had lost his appetite. The first day, he ate a few bites but vomited. The doctor examined his pulse and said that the journey had been arduous, causing his spleen and stomach to become imbalanced. There was no other way to cure this illness; they could only gently nurture him, coaxing him to eat a few more bites, and once his appetite returned, he would be fine. So the Xie family's cooks tried their best, but to no avail.

Amitabha Buddha, now this child is finally happy.

"I have troubled my mother; it is my fault." Noticing Xi Shi's gaze, what else did Xie Qi not understand?

He said this with shame, and got up to bow.

Madam Xi quickly waved her hand: "Why are you being so formal in the carriage? You're such a young man, yet you act like an old scholar and a pedant. I really can't stand the way you two, father and son, always want to bow."

The Xi clan of Huainan, from which she was born, was a rare aristocratic family in the Song Dynasty that rose to power through military merit and was not purged, a family that "shared the world with the literati." As a result, the Xi clan developed a straightforward, pragmatic, and unconventional temperament and disliked following formalities.

The Xie family's carriage finally crossed the bridge and gradually drove out of the crowded throng. The driver put the carriage back on the shaft, and the horse was able to trot along the carriage frame. Soon, it disappeared outside the south gate.

Shen Miao, who was just about to pack up her stall, looked at the wealthy servant who had suddenly appeared before her. She stared at his opening and closing mouth with surprise, as if she were looking at a living god of wealth.

"Greetings, Madam Shen. My master ate your roasted buns and said they were delicious. He sent me to ask if you can make 450 buns in the next two or three days?"