Chapter 58 Chapter 58 This time, he wants her to be willing
Wu Jingxun and her family now live in Songzi Lane on the south gate of Tongcheng. Most of the neighbors in the lane are kind and honest people. One day, when Aunt Sun went out to get some water, she saw a tall, dark shadow standing at the door of the newly moved-in family, and her heart tightened.
The two new girls were both pretty, especially the fairer one, whose smile was prettier than the bougainvillea in her yard. Aunt Sun recalled the plate of sugar cakes she had personally brought her when they first moved in, and she still felt a little unsatisfied.
Such a good-looking, good-natured girl with great cooking skills makes all the unmarried boys in the alley impatient, and they are just waiting for the matchmaker to come and propose marriage!
The young man was acting furtively. Aunt Sun was convinced she could sense some malicious lust in his tall, dark figure. She didn't bother to throw the water away and walked forward with the basin in hand. "Hey! What are you doing standing there, young man?"
Pei Huaiguang had been standing at the door for a while, fine snowflakes falling on his almost still eyelashes, listening to the low coughs and voices coming from the small courtyard. His handsome face looked cold or he was in a bad mood, but under his pale complexion, the amber-like pupils had a kind of frightening hostility.
When Pei Huaiguang suddenly heard Aunt Sun's shouting, he felt even worse. He glanced coldly at the burly woman, then looked away without saying a word.
When Aunt Sun saw that handsome face, she was stunned at first, and then felt heartbroken.
Such a handsome young man, but he doesn't learn his lesson and wants to play with women like those playboys!
"We in Songzi Alley are all innocent people. We won't tolerate you doing anything wrong here!" Aunt Sun thought she spoke with great force. Looking at the young man's profile, which was colder and paler than frost and snow, she continued to persuade him earnestly, "I know Madam Wu is beautiful, and many young men in the alley like her. But none of them are as presumptuous as you. Aren't they all waiting for the New Year to settle down before proposing marriage? You dare to sneak in in broad daylight? You're lucky you met me today. If those gossipy women saw you, they'd make up all sorts of sour words! Madam Wu is already pitiful enough as a little widow. If you really like her, you should be more considerate of her..."
Aunt Sun's chatter fell into Pei Huaiguang's ears, with only a few key words remaining.
"A lot of people like her and want to propose marriage to her?"
Aunt Sun nodded as a matter of course. "Mrs. Wu is beautiful and kind, who wouldn't like her? It's a pity that her last husband was unlucky. If she wants to find another one, she should find someone with a strong physique who can protect her."
However, after knowing each other for a few days, the lady began to consider her sincerely.
Yes, as long as she really wants to make friends with someone, there is no reason why she can't succeed.
She was the only one who was rude to him.
The desire that was clamoring to see her and hug her seemed to be frozen by the wind and snow in an instant. Pei Huaiguang nodded slightly, said "thank you", and left alone.
This time, he wanted her to do it willingly.
Looking at the tall and slender back of the young man, Aunt Sun felt that she had some talent in being a teacher. Wasn't it that she could guide a good young man who was obsessed with beauty onto the right path?
Auntie Sun was just enjoying herself when the wooden door creaked open from the inside, revealing Cuiping's face, her nose red from the cold. Seeing Auntie Sun standing there alone, she was a little puzzled: "Auntie? Why do I hear a man talking?"
Aunt Sun opened her mouth, thinking of Pei Huaiguang's gloomy but handsome face. She thought that since he knew his mistakes and corrected them, she didn't want to ruin his image in front of Madam Wu. The two of them were a perfect match in appearance. If they got married in the future, who knows how cute their baby would be.
Thinking of this, she shook her head and said generously: "I pointed the direction to the passers-by, it's okay!"
Auntie Sun was their neighbor. She had helped them a lot when they first moved in. She was a talkative but warm-hearted woman. Luo Qing nodded when she heard this, though she wondered if asking for directions required so much back-and-forth. She didn't think much of it and simply asked Auntie Sun to wait. She ran back and brought her a plate of fermented rice cakes. Four plump, white cakes on a white porcelain plate decorated with blue and white patterns exuded a sweet aroma. Auntie Sun took one look and exclaimed, "No, no, no! I'm just passing by your door. How can I possibly take such good things from you?"
Aunt Sun repeatedly refused, but a soft female voice came from behind the door, spreading like spring water in this plain and somewhat dull alley. Pei Huaiguang, who was standing at the end of the alley and was about to get on his horse, froze.
"Auntie Sun, please take this back and give it to Sister Guo and the others to make them happy." Wu Jingxun had been ill for some time, and she had gotten better in the past two days. She was not idle either, thinking about what kind of business she would do in the future.
It is certainly not possible to live off the little money they have. If Cuiping meets someone she likes in the future, she will save a dowry for her so that she can marry off with honor.
Embroidery is very hard on the eyes, and Wu Jingxun doesn't want to see a scene where an old friend sees her familiar needlework and traces her back.
Fortunately, she still has a good cooking skill.
Maybe she should thank her mother?
Aunt Sun looked at the angel-like girl speaking softly to her, and her voice unconsciously softened: "How can this be so embarrassing? Sister Guo is young, there is no need for her to eat such delicious food..."
"Auntie, just consider it a favor. Cuiping and I are thinking of opening a shop and selling pastries in the near future. You and Sister Guo can try some of the food for me. If you like it, I'll be able to put my mind at ease."
The girl in front of her had a face as beautiful as a lotus and sincere eyes. Aunt Sun, who was entrusted with an important task, couldn't help but smile and happily agreed.
Pei Huaiguang heard their entire conversation, pastry shop...?
·
They say illness comes like a mountain falling, and passes like a thread being pulled out. Wu Jingxun drank a few doses of the new medicine prescribed by the doctor and soon recovered. However, Cuiping kept her from going to the kitchen. "My wife always says I'm impatient. What's wrong with you this time? If I wait until the shop is open and you fall ill again, with my limited cooking skills, I'm afraid those customers will be so angry that they'll throw their cakes at me!"
Hearing her say this, Wu Jingxun smiled. His face, which had become increasingly thin due to a serious illness, was shrouded in a faint sense of sadness, but his fox eyes were extremely bright, like two balls of black mercury kept in a jade pool.
Luo Qing's words made sense, so Wu Jingxun no longer insisted. He just took a pen and paper and slowly thought about what kind of snacks he should introduce in the bakery.
Tongcheng is located in the south, and judging by the aroma of cooking smoke curling up from the alleys every day, the people here tend to prefer sweet and strong flavors. Furthermore, Tongcheng is not a large area, so if she wanted to open a bakery, making the traditional delicate pastries would certainly not be possible. What kind of pastries and pastries are loved by women, children, peddlers, and hawkers?
Wu Jingxun thought for a long time, but did not put pen to paper.
Cuiping opened the curtain and came in. She saw her dazed with her chin in her hand. She picked up a pair of tongs and fiddled with the sweet potatoes buried in the charcoal basin. She smiled at her and said, "The sweet potatoes Aunt Sun sent are really big. After they are roasted, the inside is as sweet and sticky as honey. But my wife has just recovered. You can't eat too many sweet potatoes. Let's each have half."
Cuiping is now looking more and more like a housekeeper.
The flames in the charcoal basin caught the girl's eyes, and she suddenly remembered something: "Last time we asked Aunt Sun if there were any red dates left."
Cuiping thought for a moment and nodded, "My lady, would you like some red date porridge? I'll make some right away."
"Cui Ping, there's no wife from the Marquis of Pingning's mansion here now. It's just you and me. You don't have to be so polite." Wu Jingxun glared at her gently, got off the couch and put on his shoes. "I've been ill for so long, and you've been busy with everything inside and outside the house. I'm already very uneasy. I'll go."
Her voice was soft and warm, and Cuiping felt warm inside. She wanted to say something, but could only nod awkwardly: "Then put on more clothes before you go out."
Wu Jingxun smiled and nodded.
The sweet potatoes were almost baked, but the wife hadn't returned yet. Cuiping was about to get up to look for her when she saw Wu Jingxun walk in with a plate of jujube paste cakes: "Try some."
In the past, in order to please the master and Madam Tong, Cuiping worked very hard in the kitchen. She could easily make soups, dim sum, and stir-fries, but when she saw this plate of jujube paste cake that exuded the sweet aroma of dates, Cuiping's eyes still lit up.
"tasty!"
Seeing Cuiping was so happy that she didn't even care about the roasted sweet potatoes, Wu Jingxun's pretty lips curled up. She liked the feeling of being truly liked and recognized by others for the things she created with her own hands.
This kind of almost ecstatic satisfaction is something that the birds that were once trapped in deep houses and surrounded by women's books and teachings could never experience.
·
Wu Jingxun and Cuiping chose a date in the winter to open the shop. Cuiping hesitated and asked, "Madam, why don't we go to that fortune teller on East Street and have a reading done? We might open on an auspicious day. Maybe business will improve."
Wu Jingxun sat on a small stool, patiently removing the pits from a basket of red dates. Hearing this, he just smiled and said, "Are you worried that people won't like my cooking?"
She was indifferent to matters concerning ghosts and gods. During her most painful years, the statue of Guanyin was placed on a platform, looking down at her cowardly and incompetent appearance.
She had never experienced anything that could be called a blessing from Heaven.
...No, perhaps there was a moment when she was grateful to someone who had brought her hope of new life.
But in the end, all of it was gone.
Wu Jingxun calmly picked out the date pits with quick and skillful movements. The date pinched by her tender white fingertips was still plump and clean.
Cuiping listened to her question and quickly shook her head, saying in a positive tone, "How could it be! Your cooking skills are so good! Look at Aunt Sun and the others, they always praise it. When the shop opens, there might be a line outside the door!"
Wu Jingxun was amused by her slightly exaggerated tone. Although she had a plain face and black hair, and no gold or jade in her hair, she was still radiant. When she smiled like this, a glow appeared in the small room.
"I hope so." Wu Jingxun put aside the gloomy emotions brought about by past experiences. She looked at the clear sky outside the house, and a faint thought floated across her mind, which had not yet completely calmed down.
I wonder if this winter in Jinling will be particularly cold.
·
On the fifteenth day of the winter month, a dim sum shop called Lao Huai Ji opened on a street not far from Songzi Alley. Wu Jingxun didn't want to use his own name for the shop, so he named it after the large locust tree in the yard. And surprisingly, Lao Huai Ji sounded like a decades-old establishment.
Aunt Sun and several neighbors who had received a lot of snacks from Wu Jingxun in the past came over to support her.
On the way here, my neighbor Yunniang was a little worried: "Isn't Madam Wu going to set the price too high? Here in our small place, it's hard to tell what good ingredients are used. I'm afraid she's too naive and will make some expensive snacks to sell."
A few people nodded in agreement. They had some good feelings towards this neighbor who had just moved in, and were willing to spend a few dozen copper coins to join in the fun. If it was too expensive, they would still grit their teeth and buy one or two pieces to make things look more presentable, but they were not happy about it in their hearts.
When they went there, there were only a few people in front of Lao Huai Ji. Seeing that there was a new shop here, they curiously peeked in, but when they smelled the rich and sweet aroma in the house, they realized that they were short of money and were afraid that they could not afford it, so they quickened their pace and left.
It’s also nice to go home and eat bean rice.
Aunt Sun walked in holding her granddaughter Guo Jie'er and saw that the small shop was tidy and clean. As soon as they entered the house, the sweet aroma that made people's stomachs rumble became stronger.
The adults were fine, but Sister Guo and the other children couldn't help but hold their growling stomachs and started crying out for hunger.
Wu Jingxun exchanged a few pleasantries with them, brought a plate of brown sugar crispy cakes, and patted Guo Jie'er's head: "Good child, eat quickly."
Aunt Sun felt a little embarrassed when she saw this. She quickly took out some copper coins from her purse and counted them out to her. "In the past, it was just neighbors giving each other gifts, but today is your grand opening day. This plate of pastries uses a lot of brown sugar. We can't be so shameless as to eat and drink for free. The price is what it is. You can't cheat me!"
Without the adults' permission, Guo Jie'er could only suck her fingers and stare at the plate of fragrant brown sugar biscuits with her big eyes.
Wu Jingxun nodded slightly. "A pound of brown sugar pastry is 45 wen. We just opened today, so we're giving you a 20% discount on all pastries for the next three days. This plate is half a pound, so after the discount it's 18 wen."
Only forty-five cents per pound?
Aunt Sun and the others looked at each other in surprise. You know, one or two ounces of brown sugar now costs them fifteen cents, not to mention that each bucket of white flour costs forty-five cents. The price set by Aunt Wu can only be said to be fair.
Tongcheng has recently been recruiting workers to rebuild the Lingqu Canal. Most of the men in Songzi Lane have gone there to do hard labor. They go out early and come back late every day, and can take back more than 100 coins in wages a day.
Thinking of their husbands who were tired, dark and thin, and looking at their children's eager faces, the women waved their hands and said, "Give us half a pound of pastries too!" The New Year is coming soon, so it would be nice to buy some pastries to sweeten the husbands and children. If the year is better, it would be nice to buy some to treat guests.
There were not many people in the shop at that time. Wu Jingxun kept Aunt Sun and the others and made them a pot of red date tea. He nodded slightly at their praise and returned to the kitchen.
Wu Jingxun had fallen in love with this small shop at first sight. Besides the suitable price and location, the fact that the back kitchen and the front hall were directly connected was also a plus.
Aunt Sun and the others were chattering about family matters, while Sister Guo and several other children were sitting in a row on the steps with their pastries in their hands. Passersby would walk by and smile when they saw the little radish heads sitting obediently in a row.
Then their attention was drawn to the things the children were holding in their hands.
Hmm...what smells weird?
More and more people were attracted by the children sitting in rows eating pastries. As a result, the adults were smiling and carrying big and small bags of pastries home, while the children who were squeezed into the corner and had to squat in the corner to eat pastries dared not say anything.
Humph, take another one while A Niang and the others are not paying attention!
·
Pei Huaiguang brushed off the snow and entered the study.
There were several oil-paper packages quietly placed on the table. The weather was cold, and the rich sweet fragrance faded a little as the heat cooled down. But when the young man's tall and strong fingers slowly untied the rope, the aroma of the cakes still captured his whole mind in an instant.
Even though the servants tried their best to hurry from Tongcheng to Jinling, the cakes and pastries still became cold and hard when they were delivered to Pei Huaiguang.
The young man with bright eyes and eyebrows seemed unaware of this and didn't even ask for tea. He ate all the snacks in the oil-paper bags with an expressionless face.
...He had also eaten the snacks she made herself, which were even better than these.
It's just that the snacks, chicken soup, and porridge were hot at that time, but the look in her eyes and the smile on her lips were cold.
Pei Huaiguang took a handkerchief and wiped his hands. He was so full after eating those cold and hard cakes that he felt like vomiting, but the fire in his heart was burning more and more.
Take it step by step.
He warned himself in his heart.
But it was really hard for him to endure.
Pei Huaiguang spent several days with a gloomy face. The Queming Guards, who had just been reorganized by him, saw that the commander had a cold face every day, and they didn't even dare to go forward to congratulate him on his promotion.
Until a secret letter was delivered to Pei Huaiguang at full speed.
A little light finally appeared in the young man's cold pupils.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
