"Wait, Madam Li, you haven't finished speaking yet. What's missing? Could it be flower cakes? Those are just for everyday meals, not something you'd be happy to have at a formal occasion."

The sycophants rambled on and on before finally throwing the topic back to itself.

"It's not flower cake, it's birthday cake! The Yan family pastry shop in Jiangnan County is just a branch. The real main store is in Shuangqiao Town, Jiashu County. I heard it's run by a woman who makes all the pastries herself. Nobody else has ever heard of or tasted them. Moreover, her birthday cakes are very popular with the only daughter of the magistrate of Jiashu County. They're in high demand there. Anyone who gets to eat a birthday cake will be the envy of many."

"Yes, yes, I've heard that too. I wanted to find someone to help me buy one, but it turns out I have to pre-order, and the waiting list is until the end of the year. I've never seen anything that I can't buy even if I have the money."

"I've also made a reservation. Little Girls' Day is at the end of the year. When Little Girls' Day comes, I'll invite everyone to come and enjoy it together."

"That's great, I'll definitely go. I wonder if the magistrate has ordered a cake for the old lady."

"....."

The conversation then turned to the cake.

What kind of cake?

Suddenly, a majestic voice rang out from behind Yan Xia.

A man dressed in a royal blue official robe stepped forward with seven or eight officials.

"Mother, are you happy today?"

This man was none other than Magistrate Xu.

"Happy? What's there to be happy about without cake?"

Madam Xu was initially feeling incredibly pleased with the flattery from this group, but upon hearing that there was a cake she had never eaten before, she instantly felt as if her pride had been trampled underfoot, and her entire face fell.

The woman who had spoken out of turn turned pale and was almost too frightened to kneel down and kowtow to beg for forgiveness.

"Cake? What cake?" Magistrate Xu was completely bewildered.

"Your Excellency, the cake is sold by Yan's Pastry Shop. I heard that it can only be eaten on one's birthday. If you light candles and make a wish, and if you are sincere, your wish will come true. It is very popular among the nobles of Jiashu County," someone else explained for him.

"Oh, I haven't heard of that, Mother. If you want to eat it, I'll buy it for you next year."

No matter how considerate Magistrate Xu was, he was still a straight man and naturally didn't understand women's competitive nature.

As expected, Old Madam Xu snorted coldly.

The atmosphere was tense and frozen.

At this moment, Yan Xia stepped forward. "Greetings, Magistrate, and Madam Xu. Wishing Madam Xu a long and healthy life, as enduring as the moon and as rising as the sun, growing younger with each passing year!"

"Who are you?" Magistrate Xu asked blankly.

Old Madam Xu didn't even lift her eyelids, treating Yan Xia as if she were invisible.

"I am Manager Yan of Yan's Pastry Shop. Upon learning of Madam Xu's birthday, I specially brought a birthday cake from Jiashu County to offer my congratulations."

These words were spoken.

The surroundings became quiet.

Then, the sounds became a jumbled mess.

"Manager Yan? She's Manager Yan of Yan's Pastry Shop? Good heavens, she actually came in person. This box must contain the cake."

"Oh my, I knew our Madam Xu was lucky! This cake just grew legs and came running to us, haha."

"Madam Xu, we are fortunate to have you today. I must take a good look at what this birthday cake looks like and whether it tastes good."

"Quick, open it and take a look..."

“.......

Even the proud and unapproachable Old Madam Xu opened her eyes and looked over.

"Thank you for your courtesy. Please open it and let me see." She said to Yan Xia.

"Yes, quickly open it and let my mother see it," Magistrate Xu hurriedly said.

Yan Xia noticed that everyone's eyes were on her.

She slightly curled the corners of her lips and opened the box.

She took out the cake and placed it on the table in front of Madam Xu.

The cake had two layers. The first layer had several gold ingots on it, which looked real. Madam Xu's eyes lit up, and Magistrate Xu also smiled broadly.

The second layer is larger than the first layer, but no pattern can be seen.

Yan Xia quickly lit the candles.

Madam Xu was turning sixty when she gave birth.

Magistrate Xu was about the same age as her.

Therefore, the candle is represented by sixty characters.

"Next, I will sing a birthday song for the old lady. Please put your hands together, close your eyes and make a wish. Just think whatever you want. After you make your wish, you must not say it out loud, otherwise it will not come true. Then blow out the candles."

Madam Xu obediently did as she was told.

She held them in both hands.

It was placed on the table, its eyes tightly closed.

"May you enjoy longevity and happiness, and have a happy birthday! May you have peace and health every day, and may you enjoy good health year after year! Happy birthday........."

After more than two minutes, and several rounds of singing, Yan Xiage finally opened her eyes and blew out the candle.

"call--"

Yan Xia mentally ranted and raved.

That's incredibly greedy.

She showed no emotion on her face, and after pulling out two candles, she helped Old Madam Xu hold the bamboo strip.

"Next, please have Madam Xu hold the bamboo strip and pull it upwards."

Everyone was incredibly curious and drew closer.

Old Madam Xu was incredibly proud.

She obediently pinched the bamboo strip and pulled it up.

Two thin ropes were visible beneath the bamboo strip, with banknotes pasted on them.

The rope was pulled until Old Madam Xu got tired, and a total of ten ropes were pulled.

Each note has a face value of one hundred taels.

Including the gold ingots, it comes to nearly 1,200 taels.

That's a really big deal.

Magistrate Xu and his wife became even more amiable.

Especially Madam Xu, whose face was usually sullen, now had a smile on her face.

However, the deep wrinkles that have etched themselves down his face over the years make him look harsh and unapproachable.

Although Xu Wenyan had amassed a great deal of wealth from the people, it all had to be given as tribute. While others ate the meat, he only drank the soup. In addition, he had to support so many servants in his mansion, and his own son was a spoiled brat who spent money extravagantly.

He was also short of money.

Even if the Meng family sends money from time to time, who would complain about having too much money?

One thousand two hundred taels is no small sum; it's enough for his family to live on for several months.

You should know that the most gifts given today were only two hundred taels of silver.

Most of the gifts they sent were fabrics and jewelry, which were all given to his mother; he didn't need them.

The money was exactly what he wanted.

"It's just a little trick, I hope you like it, Madam. This layer of cake is for decoration. Although it's edible, it's still tainted with money, so let's just eat the second layer."

Yan Xia picked up the first layer and put it aside.

The second layer is also exposed to people.

On the enormous cake was a longevity peach, almost as big as the cake itself, with two lifelike cranes on top, made with incredible realism.

"Mrs. Yan, did you make this yourself?" Old Madam Xu was very pleased and asked, holding Yan Xia's hand.

"Yes, I made them all myself. I only feel at ease making cakes for Madam Xu myself."

Madam Xu grew increasingly fond of the woman before her.

"Come, Madam, please cut the cake. Cutting the cake on your birthday symbolizes spreading your good fortune to the world, so that others can share in your blessings."