Sifang Town was a small settlement with only a handful of streets. The food stalls were clustered along South Gate Street near the town entrance and in Lihua Alley through the center. Lin Yue and his companion now stood at the entrance of South Gate Street.

Though not a market day, the street remained lively yet uncrowded, allowing the two to proceed with their carrying poles.

Shen Lingzhi carried two buckets of diluted bayberry juice, while Lin Yue carried a bucket of water for washing dishes. Having arrived in haste today, they hadn’t had time to prepare bowls for the plum juice, so they’d have to use the ones from home for now, letting customers drink first before leaving. On the other side was another wooden bucket holding bowls and chopsticks, topped by a small wicker basket filled with snacks.

It was Shen Lingzhi’s first time selling goods in town. Listening to the surrounding cries of vendors rising and falling, he opened his mouth but couldn’t bring himself to shout out. Looking frustrated, he said, “Brother, I feel a bit embarrassed.”

Lin Yue cleared his throat. “It’s fine. Watch me.”

Lin Yue’s face lit up with a crisp smile. His round eyes scanned the passing crowd as he called out in a clear voice, “Come see, come see! Sweet and sour, freshly brewed bayberry soup! Cool and refreshing, sweet bayberry soup! Just one copper coin per bowl!”

“Also available: smooth, sweet, and chewy red bean cakes! Packed with sugar and made with pure glutinous rice flour—just two coins each! Two coins each! Buy two for only three coins! Passersby, don’t miss out!”

Lin Yue walked slowly while hawking his wares. Unfortunately, though people stopped to look, none approached to ask. Having nearly covered half the street, Shen Lingzhi grew worried—would they sell out? But seeing Lin Yue’s enthusiastic hawking, he didn’t dare ask. Instead, Lin Yue spoke first.

“Why the long face? We’ve only just started. It’s normal not to sell anything yet. We’ll probably have to make several rounds just on these two streets. Plus, we still need to check out the residential area by North Gate Street. We’ll definitely sell them.”

Shen Lingzhi didn’t know how Lin Yue had sensed his unease, but hearing those words eased his worries. He nodded. “Okay, I understand. Brother, I’ll help you hawk the wares. We’ll definitely sell them.”

Lin Yue: “Great! Just don’t push yourself. If you feel shy, that’s okay. We’ll be doing this many times, so practice makes perfect. Even if you never get comfortable shouting, I’ll be here.”

Since they were on the main street, they didn’t say much more. Carrying their poles, they continued walking forward.

Lin Yue didn’t hawk continuously. He’d shout twice, pause to catch his breath, walk a few steps, then start again. After about a dozen strides, their first customer finally approached.

“Young man, how much for these red bean cakes? Might I take a look first?”

The inquirer was a middle-aged man, lean in build but well-dressed. His cotton garments were clearly new, instantly perking Lin Yue up.

“Two wen each,” Lin Yue replied, lifting the wicker basket and lifting the burlap cover to show the pastries. “Look, these were freshly made this morning. The crust is crispy, and the filling is soft and sticky. They’re perfect with tea or plum juice.”

As the man reached out, Lin Yue hastily stepped back. “My apologies, but it’s not proper to handle these pastries directly. If you’d like some, I can wrap them in oil paper for you. Or you could use these two sheets of oil paper to touch them indirectly.”

The man instantly grew furious, glaring at Lin Yue sideways. “What? Look down on this old man? A few things like these? I wouldn’t even bother picking them up off the ground. Looking at your stuff is me doing you a favor.”

Lin Yue: “Really? We’re not even related. Why would you do me a favor? There’s no need.”

Lin Yue’s smile remained unchanged as he replied, “You’re overthinking it. That wasn’t my intention. It’s just that things you put in your mouth should be handled with care.”

“Hmph. Look at you—you couldn’t cook anything decent if you tried. I’m not buying today. Get out of my way.”

The three stood right in the middle of the road, their dispute visible to passersby. Small groups of onlookers began gathering, drawn to the commotion.

Lin Yue grabbed Shen Lingzhi by the arm and pulled him back. Once Shen Lingzhi took a step backward, Lin Yue spoke up, “Business is about mutual consent. If you don’t want to buy, then don’t. Why speak so harshly?”

“How did I speak? How did I speak? Don’t push your luck!”

Seeing the crowd swell, Lin Yue had no desire to argue further. Raising his voice, he declared, “You’re a man of principle. Getting into a dispute with a youngster like me would only bring shame upon you. As for which words were inappropriate, well, it was the remark that I couldn’t make delicious food. I may lack other skills, but my pastry-making craft is renowned far and wide.”

He spoke with his head held high, his entire demeanor like a proud little swan.

Among the onlookers eager for a spectacle, a medium-built man fanning himself chuckled, “Is what you say true, young man? Come now, I’ll pay three coins for two to try. If they’re not tasty, with all these people watching, your business will suffer.”

Lin Yue showed no sign of fluster, deftly wrapping two red bean cakes with one hand. “Thank you for your patronage. As for the taste, you’ll know once you try them.”

The man was straightforward, promptly handing over the coins. He tore open the oil paper wrapper and popped a cake into his mouth.

While he was still chewing, the people beside him couldn’t wait. “Hey, don’t just eat! How does it taste? Tell us already!”

“What’s the rush? I paid for it, can’t I savor it properly? But this young man’s pastries are truly delicious. They’re just as good as those from Yang’s Pastry Shop.”

“Is that so? Then I’ll take two myself. Saves me the trip to Lihua Alley.”

“These pastries are a bit small, though. Three wen for two seems a bit steep.”

Lin Yue hadn’t expected things to turn out this way. No longer paying attention to the man, he began cheerfully serving customers.

“Auntie, don’t be fooled by their size—they’re packed with filling inside. You won’t be disappointed.”

“Here you go, your two red bean cakes. Take care.”

“Lingzhi, quickly serve this lady a bowl of bayberry soup.”

Shen Lingzhi was secretly watching the gaunt man from earlier. His face had turned almost green with anger. He glared back and forth at them several times, apparently holding back from cursing further only because he was wary of the crowd of onlookers.

Hearing Lin Yue call him, he hurriedly set down the bucket and quickly washed the bowl. “Coming, coming! Sister, your bayberry soup.”

Soon after, Lin Yue raised his basket and gestured. “Thank you all, uncles, aunts, brothers, and sisters. We didn’t make many pastries today, and they’re all sold out now. We’ll be back here tomorrow afternoon, selling pea pudding and mung bean cakes. We hope you’ll come back and support us!”

“It’s been years since I’ve had pea pudding. Young man, save me two portions. I’ll come buy them tomorrow.”

Lin Yue looked in the direction of the voice and replied earnestly, “Certainly! Auntie, if your home is in town, just tell me which alleyway later, and I’ll hawk my wares there tomorrow.”

“That’s wonderful! My place is right next to Lihua Alley. I’ll be waiting for you tomorrow.”

Lin Yue smiled back. “Alright, you can count on it.”

Few people bought the bayberry soup—only three bowls had sold so far—but Lin Yue was already very satisfied. This was his first time in town, and within just a quarter of an hour, he’d earned thirty wen.

As the crowd dispersed, the slender man vanished completely. Lin Yue turned to Shen Lingzhi and whispered, “Lingzhi, let’s make two more rounds and head home.”

Shen Lingzhi, still buzzing with excitement, instinctively asked, “Why? We sold out the pastries so quickly today. If we keep going, we might even finish the plum soup.”

Lin Yue shook his head. “Not selling everything isn’t the issue. We had a conflict with someone today. It’s better to head back early.”

Shen Lingzhi’s excitement instantly faded. He lowered his voice, too. “Brother, could he come after us?”

Lin Yue chuckled softly. “Nothing like that. Don’t overthink it. I’m just being cautious.”

“Alright, let’s hurry then.”

Lin Yue set down the bucket and offered his hand to Shen Lingzhi. “Let me carry it. You rest for a bit.”

Shen Lingzhi waved his hands repeatedly. “No need, Brother. The buckets were on the ground just now. I’m not tired. Let’s keep moving.”

With that, he strode forward, calling out softly, “Plum juice! Delicious plum juice! Come and see!”

Lin Yue couldn’t help but chuckle as he quickened his pace to catch up.

Perhaps all their luck had been used up today. After circling the town, they hadn’t sold a single bowl of plum juice.

Lin Yue gazed at the scorching sun overhead and muttered to himself, “This shouldn’t be happening. It’s so hot—how could we not sell any plum juice?”

But Lin Yue’s inner thoughts couldn’t change reality. After circling the town again, half an hour passed, and they’d only sold two bowls.

Lin Yue sighed. “Lingzhi, let’s head back. It’ll only get cooler later, and we’ll sell even less. Might as well go home and work.”

Shen Lingzhi heard his sigh and comforted him, “Brother, don’t be upset. Let’s think of another way. If this doesn’t sell, there’s always something else. Pastries, for instance, sell really well.”

Lin Yue’s mood shifted as quickly as it had arrived, his mind already turning to something else.

He’d often thought about visiting a temple to pray, and there happened to be an Earth God temple right in town. He decided he absolutely had to go today.

“Lingzhi, let’s go to the Earth God temple to pay our respects.”

Shen Lingzhi had heard his mother mention the temple before, but had never been. Now he was quite enthusiastic. “Is it far? Do we need to buy incense? Shall we go now?”

Lin Yue nodded. “Not far. It’s right on our way back, very close to the town gate. We do need incense, but there’s a vendor right next to the temple. We can buy it there.”

With the thought of visiting the temple on their minds, both men quickened their pace. Lin Yue, however, hadn’t forgotten to hawk his wares.

“Sweet and sour bayberry soup! A big bowl for just one wen! Come check it out!”

In his good mood, Lin Yue’s shouts grew louder, calling out to every passerby.

“Auntie, fancy a bowl of fresh bayberry soup?”

“Hey, sister! Fancy a taste of this sweet and tangy bayberry soup?”

Surprisingly, it worked. He sold another bowl on the way to the Earth God Temple.

The town’s Earth God Temple was small, tended only by an old temple keeper who also sold incense and candles. Despite this, it remained fairly well-attended, drawing at least one visitor daily. Few bought incense, though—most brought their own.

When Lin Yue arrived, he spotted the old temple keeper dozing with his eyes shut. Feeling mischievous, he bellowed, “Old man, we’ve got a visitor!”

Though advanced in years, the temple keeper remained spry. He sprang to his feet instantly. “Good heavens, you little rascal! What’s all that shouting for? You gave this old man quite a fright!”