Ji Rongxia had made only ten pancakes in total.

The remaining meat filling and dough were used to make pan-fried buns instead.

“Xia-ger, are these for us or to sell?” Gu Tangjin finished making pastries and came over. Seeing the pancakes and pan-fried buns ready, the air filled with the savory aroma of meat and dough—the smell alone made one’s mouth water.

Ji Rongxia said uncertainly, “Hmm, keep four for us and take six out to sell as a trial?”

“I’ll cut them in half—half a pancake for four wen.” Ji Rongxia calculated. These pancakes used more dough than meat filling, but baking them was too troublesome. Pricing them too low wouldn’t cover the cost of firing up the stove and baking—the firewood alone costs several wen.

“Alright. We’ve been selling pan-fried buns for over ten days now. It’s time to introduce something new.” Gu Tangjin agreed, coming over to help Ji Rongxia carry the pan-fried buns and cakes outside.

Guan Hongchi was also opening his shop. Seeing them come out, he glanced at their stall—still selling pan-fried buns, but now with a few strange-looking cakes added.

“New items today?” Guan Hongchi inquired warmly.

Ever since Ji Rongxia and Gu Tangjin started selling pan-fried buns, Guan Hongchi had gradually grown closer to them.

“Yes, we have flatbreads topped with meat. Half a piece sells for four wen.” Ji Rongxia emphasized the price.

Guan Hongchi relaxed at the news. Their family’s vegetarian noodles cost only five wen per bowl, so these pricier cakes wouldn’t steal their business.

Ji Rongxia’s stall hadn’t been set up long when Liu Dalang from the pastry shop arrived carrying a basket.

These days, they’d gotten into the habit of buying breakfast from Xia-ger. Take the pan-fried buns, for instance—they’d buy twenty wen worth, just enough for each member of their large family to have one. They’d eat them with congee or cornbread, wash them down with a sip or two of fruit drink, and it was absolutely delicious.

Of course, they didn’t buy pan-fried buns every day—they weren’t cheap. But they bought fruit juice daily.

“Whoa! Fresh pastries today? Smells amazing! How much per piece?” Spotting the new treat, Liu Dalang pedaled his way over and cut straight to the front of the line.

Lin Dongshan, who had been pushed aside, glared at Liu Dalang. Liu Dalang quickly bowed his hands in apology, grinning, “Whoops! I got so caught up in the pancakes that I didn’t see you. Sorry about that. You go ahead, brother.”

He deftly stepped back into line behind Lin Dongshan.

“Brother Liu, how old are you? Still so impulsive?” Diao Qiuyun brushed the hem of her worn blue cotton robe and smiled. Younger than Ji Rongxia, she came from a different background—the Diao family ran a general store, unlike these food vendors.

“Couldn’t resist the aroma of those cakes! Qiuyun, buying fruit drinks again today?” Liu Dalang chuckled.

“Mhm.” Diao Qiuyun murmured softly.

The Lius were considered well-off in Wuqu Alley, and the Diaos weren’t far behind. Yet the Diaos were notoriously frugal when it came to food, drink, and clothing. Diao Qiuyun, though in the bloom of youth, wore nothing but blue or gray cloth—garments that looked remade from old clothes, utterly lacking in brightness. If her family were truly strapped, it might be understandable, but they weren’t impoverished. The fruit drink was cheap, which was why Diao Qiuyun could afford to buy it daily.

“Two pan-fried buns, one flatbread, a bowl of fruit drink—extra vinegar on the buns.” Lin Dongshan, at the front of the line, realized Liu Dalang hadn’t intentionally bumped him and let it go, quickly placing his order.

He was at that age when he could eat anything. After a night’s sleep, his stomach was growling loudly.

Gu Tangjin and Ji Rongxia both recognized Lin Dongshan’s face. He was a regular at the stall, buying breakfast every single day.

Gu Tangjin wrapped the pancake, pan-fried buns, and fruit drink in a few quick folds of lotus leaf.

He even gave him an extra serving of fruit drink.

Lin Dongshan thanked him and headed to the Guan family noodle shop next door. Ordering a bowl of plain noodles there meant he could grab a seat.

Many people had been doing this lately, so Guan Hongchi cooked the plain noodles faster and faster. His bowl arrived swiftly.

Lin Dongshan couldn’t wait and started munching on the pancake.

The first bite revealed a crust that was crispy on the outside yet soft within, the meat filling richly savory and glistening with oil—utterly delicious.

Before his noodles even arrived, he’d devoured half the pancake. Lin Dongshan smacked his lips, feeling a lingering craving.

When the plain noodles came, he ate them alongside the pan-fried buns until he was full, yet still yearned for more of that pancake.

But breakfast had already cost him quite a few wen, and he simply couldn’t afford another half. Patting his belly, he resolved to come back early tomorrow for another pancake. Today, he’d head to the docks to find more work and earn a few extra wen.

With this thought, he stepped out of the noodle shop. Lin Dongshan couldn’t resist glancing back at the stall—only to find the pancakes had completely sold out!!!

“Mr. Gu, are the cakes sold out already?” Lin Dongshan called out.

“I only made six cakes today. They’re truly gone. But there are still plenty of pan-fried buns left,” Gu Tangjin turned to glance at him and said with a smile.

Hearing this, Lin Dongshan hurriedly asked, “Will you make these cakes again tomorrow?”

“These cakes are troublesome to bake. I’ll make them if I’m not too busy, but if I am, I won’t.” Ji Rongxia didn’t commit to making them tomorrow. The cakes sold well and were reasonably priced, but they were a hassle to make. Baking them daily would be too exhausting.

Lin Dongshan felt a pang of disappointment but could only say, “Then I’ll come back tomorrow.”

Diao Qiuyun watched Lin Dongshan’s reaction and pursed her lips. Were these meat pies really that delicious?

She swallowed nervously and hurried back to the Diao Family Grocery.

“I’m back! I bought two bowls of fruit syrup,” Diao Qiuyun called out. A short, gaunt man emerged, clad in a patched-up single-layer robe. His triangular eyes sparkled with shrewdness.

Shopkeeper Diao hurried over to take the small basket. Seeing the bowls brimming with fruit-infused syrup, his face broke into a broad smile.

“Excellent! The Gu family sure is generous despite their poverty—no sense of measure, but it benefits us. Dilute it with water, and we’ll have enough to drink all day.”

“Exactly! Such fine syrup for just one wen—we bought more, we saved more,” chimed in Diao Qiuyun’s mother, Yu Panlan, popping her head out from the kitchen.

Hearing this, Diao Qiuyun’s little face twisted, and she frowned. “Father, Mother, they’re honest merchants. How are they being ‘generous despite being poor’? You two should watch your words.”

“What do you know? Money is saved bit by bit. Our family’s livelihood was built by saving every single coin.” Shopkeeper Diao was stingy—not just with his family but with himself. At home, he wore tattered clothes, changing into fine garments only at the shop. The moment he stepped back into the courtyard, he’d strip them off, terrified of wearing them out.

Yu Panlan chimed in, “That’s for sure.”

No wonder they got along—they were both tightwads.

“Father, Mother, save that talk for when my brother returns. Tell him yourselves,” Diao Qiuyun shot them a glare.

Their family had clearly built this shop through her brother’s travels as a peddler.

Otherwise, with parents as stingy as they were, they’d never have achieved this.

“You… you child! What are you saying about your brother? He’s still traveling with his goods. Stop badmouthing him!” Shopkeeper Diao’s breath caught at the mention of his eldest son.

He himself had once been a peddler. When his wife gave birth to their daughter, she suffered a difficult delivery and never fully recovered. She could only manage light household chores. He had to raise both children while peddling goods. During the hardest times, he’d carry his child in a basket, selling while keeping watch to earn money for his wife’s medicine. Thankfully, his son was quick-witted. With his sweet talk, calling out “Auntie, Uncle, Brother, Sister” to attract customers, he managed to drum up quite a bit of business.

Later, when the son grew older, he began traveling to sell goods, and it was then that their family finally built up this business. Yu Panlan’s health also gradually improved.

“I’ll leave you now to change clothes,” Diao Qiuyun said, retreating indoors. She emerged in a pale yellow cotton dress, her entire appearance brightening and becoming more delicate.

“You stubborn child! I told you to wear your best clothes outside and save the old ones for home. Now you’ve done the opposite. What if people are saying I mistreat you? It’ll be hard to find a good husband for you.“ Yu Panlan’s face clouded with worry at the thought. She herself didn’t mind wearing dusty, patched clothes, but her daughter deserved to be well-dressed.

”These clothes were bought for me by my brother, not my parents. Besides, I enjoy wearing them at home. Out in public, with so many people around, they’d get worn out. What if someone sees me splurging and covets our family’s money?“ Diao Qiuyun said while combing her hair. ”Brother said he’ll quit peddling in two years, stay home, find a fulang, and live a peaceful life. When our family grows, it won’t be too late for me to dress up then.”

It wasn’t that she didn’t care about looking pretty. It was just that with only her and her parents at home, dressing up like a peacock would draw too much attention to their small general store. With her brother gone, she had to be careful.

Shopkeeper Diao pondered for a moment. Her daughter had a point. She was only thirteen this year. In two years, she’d be fifteen. By then, she could have a suitor lined up, and marrying off two years after that would still leave her just seventeen.

“Fine, fine. I can’t control you or your brother anyway.” Shopkeeper Diao gave up, heading to the kitchen to mix fruit drinks with water.

“Sigh, if only my brother’s fulang could bake half as well as Xia-ger. Those pancakes and pan-fried buns smelled so good today.” Diao Qiuyun swallowed, her mouth watering.

“You wish! The Gu family has their skills passed down through generations—not just anyone can marry into that. Sigh… seeing how you’re drooling, maybe… maybe you can buy a couple of pan-fried buns tomorrow.” Yu Panlan gritted her teeth. She still felt sorry for her daughter—just smelling them without being able to eat them must be agonizing. At least she hadn’t smelled them herself, so she didn’t have to dwell on it.

Shopkeeper Diao opened his mouth to protest, but his wife shot him a glare, silencing him.

“Mother, you’re really willing to spend it?!” Diao Qiuyun’s eyes lit up at the suggestion.

“Willing? Of course I’m willing! It’s only five wen.” Yu Panlan said this, but her face was twisted into an expression of pure reluctance.

Five wen could buy two coarse steamed buns!

“Then I’ll take you at your word!”

“Of course! Would your mother lie to you?”

Mother and daughter chatted and laughed. The family shared a few vegetable cakes with diluted fruit drink. Shopkeeper Diao and Yu Panlan headed to the shop to open for business, while Diao Qiuyun stayed inside weaving cloth. Her skilled work produced fabric sold at the shop, earning a decent sum of silver!

She thought about using her savings tomorrow to buy several extra pan-fried buns, letting her parents try them too. She just didn’t know when her brother would return. He loved sweets and would surely enjoy this fruit drink. But would the shop still be selling it when he came back…?

━━ 🐈‍⬛ ━━

“Chili! Chili! Chili!”

After a busy day, Ji Rongxia murmured silently before sleep.

“Do you really think muttering like that will work?” Gu Tangjin asked, torn between laughter and exasperation.

Ji Rongxia sighed with feigned solemnity. “Sincerity makes it effective. Please grant me chili peppers.”

Gu Tangjin tapped his finger against Ji Rongxia’s forehead.

“Ouch! You always hit my head—I’ll turn stupid!” Ji Rongxia muttered, rubbing his forehead.

Gu Tangjin raised an eyebrow. “Young Master Xia is so clever. Even if he gets a little dumber, he’d still be quite clever.”

Ji Rongxia’s face flushed slightly. He lifted his chin. “That goes without saying!”