Hi, this is Astacia, thanks to readers for the support, and also, sorry for not being able to upload the past weeks. Me, Apple, and Kuroo, the other two translators of this site, along with the admin, went to Thailand for Songkran. We went there early so that we could visit lots of places, thought we would have the energy to upload or schedule chapters, turns out we did not. No worries, we owe you six chapters each for the past two weeks and this week’s as well so we will be uploading them in twos per day until Friday. Thanks for your understanding!

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As the first light of dawn broke, the Shen family’s small courtyard was already bustling. Of the five family members, two were washing up in the courtyard, two were preparing breakfast in the kitchen, and one had just gotten up and was heading out with a shoulder pole to water the vegetables.

Lin Yue and Shen Lingzhi had already made up their minds: before the autumn harvest, as long as business was decent, the two of them would go to town every day to run a small business.

Yesterday’s sales of bayberry soup hadn’t been great, and carrying the bamboo pole was somewhat tiring. After discussing it, Lin Yue and Shen Lingzhi decided that for the next few days, they would only sell pastries. They wouldn’t need to carry the bamboo pole; instead, they would tie straps to a wicker basket and sling it over their shoulders—it would save energy and be more convenient.

Shen Lingzhi got up early to tend the fire and cook breakfast. After the family had eaten, the Shen couple went out to work in the fields as usual, and Shen Huaizhi also grabbed his bookbox and prepared to leave.

Before leaving, Shen Huaizhi instructed them, “If you’re coming back late today, wait for me at the town entrance so I can pick you up. It’s not safe to walk home late at night.”

Lin Yue felt a little guilty. During dinner yesterday, he and Shen Lingzhi had been careful not to mention the altercation they’d had with someone, but when he got carried away talking to Shen Huaizhi that evening, he’d completely forgotten about it.

Shen Huaizhi hadn’t said anything at the time, only asking if they’d come out worse for wear. It wasn’t until just before bed that he mentioned he’d pick them up starting tomorrow. They’d just had a row, and Lin Yue was exhausted; he’d mumbled a couple of protests before falling asleep. He’d assumed Shen Huaizhi would have forgotten about it by this morning, but it turned out he’d held back until Shen’s parents had left the house before bringing it up.

Seeing Shen Lingzhi frantically winking at him, Lin Yue felt even more guilty. He could only give Shen Huaizhi a discreet look, signaling him to step outside so he could handle the situation.

Actually, Lin Yue wasn’t opposed to Shen Huaizhi picking him up, but since Shen Huaizhi didn’t get home until dusk every day after school, why go through the trouble?

Lin Yue thought this, and said it just as he thought it, growing more and more convinced as he spoke. “We go to town every day after lunch. If business is good, we’re back in just over an hour. By then, it’s barely the fourth hour of the day. If I had to wait for you to pick me up in town, I’d have to wait at least an hour and a half—that’s such a hassle.”

Shen Huaizhi wasn’t swayed by his reasoning. “I won’t go every day. I’ll only go on the days you come back late.”

Lin Yue immediately replied, “Don’t worry. No matter how business goes, we’ll be back in two hours at most. I guarantee we’ll be home before you get there. If we’re not back by the time you arrive, I’ll agree to let you come pick us up.”

“Alright then. It’s getting late; I’ll be heading out now.” With that, Shen Huaizhi strode out.

Lin Yue stood there dumbfounded. He couldn’t shake the feeling that he’d walked into a trap. Could Shen Huaizhi have gone to all that trouble just to make sure they came back early?

Never mind. It wasn’t a big deal anyway. He’d better start thinking about what pastries to sell today.

Pea paste was a must. The peas he’d soaked last night were already simmering in the pot, but Lin Yue felt a twinge of regret—cooking peas was relatively fuel-intensive. He decided to put this treat on hold for now and focus instead on pastries that were quick and easy to make yet still delicious.

She recalled the pumpkin and jujube glutinous rice cakes she’d made for Lin Yang back home, and Lin Yue’s eyes lit up. Not only were they sweet, fragrant, and soft, but they were also simple to make. Plus, she had several old pumpkins at home—one would be enough for several batches. The only downside was that jujubes were a bit pricey, but even without them, plain pumpkin glutinous rice cakes would be quite good.

“Lingzhi, go light the fire on the other stove. I’ll grab a mature pumpkin. Today we’ll make pumpkin glutinous rice cakes and sweet pea paste—those two treats will be enough for us to sell.”

Shen Lingzhi nodded. “Got it, Brother. You go ahead.”

“Alright.”

Lin Yue picked out a small pumpkin, washed it, and scooped out the pulp. He didn’t throw away the pulp either; he’d pick out the seeds later to roast and eat as a snack.

To save firewood, Lin Yue deliberately cut the pumpkin into small pieces. It didn’t take long to cook once it was in the pot. The pot of peas was still bubbling away, but the pumpkin was already taken off the heat. He didn’t waste the remaining firewood either; Lin Yue carried up half a kettle of hot water to keep it warm. It was hot out, and working all day without a sip of water was unbearable.

Lin Yue left half of the cooked pumpkin in the pot for lunch and scooped out the other half to make snacks.

For pumpkin glutinous rice cakes, you have to use plenty of glutinous rice flour to make them taste good. Plus, these snacks don’t keep well, and Lin Yue was worried they’d go to waste if they didn’t sell. About thirty of each kind would be just right.

When it came time to add the glutinous rice flour, Lin Yue called Shen Lingzhi over. “Come here quickly and give me a hand.”

Shen Lingzhi didn’t move closer, however. “Brother, you do it. If you need me to fetch something or anything else, I’ll come over then.”

In those days, recipes were heirlooms. Of course, everyday peasant dishes like braised cabbage and stewed tofu didn’t count, but recipes for dishes like Stuffed Bamboo Shoots with Crispy Fish Bones or Oven-Baked Chicken were family secrets—rarely shared with anyone outside the immediate family.

Shen Lingzhi understood this principle well. His mother had also warned him not to get too close when Lin Yue was making pastries, and to be careful even when assisting—not out of formality, but to maintain proper boundaries.

Lin Yue hadn’t given this a second thought. For one thing, less than half of his culinary skills came from his mother, Zhou Wenlan; the rest were a mix of his own experimentation and lessons from the village uncles and aunts—especially an elderly woman of the same Lin surname. She claimed to have worked in the kitchens of wealthy households in her youth and possessed exceptional culinary skills; in fact, she was the one who first taught Lin Yue how to make pastries.

Aunt Lin taught him everything by word of mouth. She didn’t just teach him—she taught all the village children who liked to visit her, and even kids from other villages who tagged along when visiting relatives in Yushui Village. Aunt Lin would casually pass on her knowledge to them, and she never forbade them from sharing it with others, so naturally, Lin Yue did the same.

Seeing Lin Yue’s firm resolve, Shen Lingzhi hesitantly brought up the matter, then added with a smile, “Brother, why don’t I go help fetch a bucket of water? You’ll definitely need water to make pastries.”

Lin Yue furrowed his brow, then relaxed it after a long moment. Speaking in a measured tone, he said, “It’s just a simple pastry recipe—why go to such lengths to avoid it? I’ll tell Mother when she returns at noon. Besides, this business is here to stay. If you don’t learn, how can I manage it all by myself?”

Shen Lingzhi hesitated, wanting to speak but holding back. Brother Lin Yue had already been very kind to him; he couldn’t be greedy. Yet he worried about Lin Yue’s workload and found himself at a loss for what to do.

Lin Yue shook his head lightly, his face brimming with confidence, and said casually:

“Besides, we don’t make that many varieties anyway—at most seven or eight. That’s not even a third of what I know. So what if you learn? Right now, with the small volume, I can barely manage on my own. But what if our business takes off? If we end up renting a stall to sell pastries in the future, how could I possibly handle it all by myself? Are you going to wait until then to learn? Making pastries isn’t hard, but it takes practice to make them taste good. Just listen to me.”

Shen Lingzhi had never been one to make big decisions. Since Lin Yue had married into the family and had been by his side ever since, she was now speaking to him with heartfelt sincerity. Shen Lingzhi couldn’t think of a rebuttal for a long while and hesitantly agreed.

Lin Yue, however, gave him no chance to change his mind. She stepped forward, pulled him over, and began teaching him while mashing the pumpkin.

“Whether these pumpkin glutinous rice cakes turn out delicious depends mostly on the quality of the pumpkin. The ones from our farm turn out soft and sticky when cooked, and they taste great in pastries. Then there’s the ratio—the amount of glutinous rice flour should be twice that of the pumpkin…”

Lin Yue’s hands never stopped moving, speaking very slowly. He kept glancing at Shen Lingzhi as he spoke, waiting for Shen Lingzhi to nod before moving on to the next step. He had deliberately set aside a small portion of the mashed pumpkin in a bowl for Shen Lingzhi to follow along, and when steaming them, he made sure to keep them separate—intending to save Shen Lingzhi’s batch for his own family to eat. After all, it was his first time making pastries; he simply had to let Shen Lingzhi’s parents try them.

By the time the steamed pumpkin glutinous rice cakes were ready, the peas had also cooked. Since the pea paste needed to cool and set, Lin Yue had Shen Lingzhi watch for now, promising to teach him next time.

As noon approached, Song Xunchun and Shen Zhengchu returned, carrying bamboo baskets on their backs. Shen Lingzhi rushed over in a single bound and recounted this morning’s events to Song Xunchun word for word.

Song Xunchun listened with an almost expressionless face. After a long moment, she let out a soft sigh, a smile returning to her face as she said, emphasizing each word: “Your brother Lin Yue treats you well. You must remember this. I won’t go so far as to say he’s done you a favor, but you must regard him as your own brother. Mother’s skills are nothing special, but if you can master even a third of your brother Lin Yue’s craft, it will be more than enough to last a lifetime. Even after you’re married, you’ll be able to earn some silver with this skill. Mother has a selfish motive here—I won’t stand in your way this time, but I’ll find ways to make it up to him later.”

“Oh, and since you’re learning a trade, you shouldn’t take any money from selling pastries. But I’ve come to understand your brother Lin Yue’s temperament a bit—he won’t agree to not take a single coin. So, depending on how business goes, just take a coin or two. I’ll go talk to him about this. Having your brother marry him is a blessing for our family.”

Shen Lingzhi nodded repeatedly, then, feigning maturity, admonished her, “Mother, you must be good to Brother Lin Yue. You can’t be a wicked mother-in-law.”

Song Xunchun, who usually indulged him, couldn’t help but give him a light slap on the head. “What nonsense are you talking about? Do you really think your mother is that kind of person?”

Shen Lingzhi scratched the back of his head and chuckled twice, then ran back to the kitchen to help serve the dishes.

After the meal, Song Xunchun took Lin Yue straight to the main hall. Without going into details, she had managed to get Lin Yue to agree to the financial arrangement. At that moment, their thoughts were in perfect harmony: Well, we’ll make up for it later by giving Brother Yue and Lingzhi a little extra—maybe sewing a new outfit or buying some jewelry.

Since lunch had been early today, it was just past noon when Lin Yue and Shen Lingzhi arrived in town. As they’d promised their auntie yesterday, the two headed straight for Lihua Alley.

“Pea pudding—smooth and sweet pea pudding! Two wen per piece, or two pieces for three wen!”

Yes, the price was still two wen per piece. Lin Yue mulled it over; at this price, it could still be considered a specialty. Later, they could adjust the size of the pastries based on ingredient costs—the pea pudding, for instance, would be made much larger.

After all, they had plenty of molds at home—all made by Shen Huaizhi through a village carpenter. There were square ones, round ones, and even simple flower-shaped ones. Several molds cost only three wen, and that was only because Shen Huaizhi insisted on paying and asked for a few extra. Otherwise, for such simple work, the carpenter wouldn’t have wanted to charge a thing.

Before they’d even called out twice, the woman from yesterday pushed open the door and came out, saying in a rush, “Coming, coming! You young men are here awfully early. The little one at home was just thinking of you when he heard your calls. Is it still two pieces for three wen?”

Lin Yue smiled and stepped forward. “That’s right. Do you want two, Auntie?”

The woman, holding a bowl, glanced down at the pea-flavored pastries Lin Yue was holding. They were much larger than yesterday’s red bean cakes. Her face immediately lit up with joy. She waved her hand generously and said, “We have a lot of kids at home. Two won’t be enough. Give me six.”