Wei Qingshan still had to report at the City Defense Office early in the morning, so before daybreak, the few of them went to the shop.

Wei Qingshan also helped chop the meat and knead the dough. It was still early, and Tuan-ger hadn’t even woken up yet, so they simply brought the bamboo basket and let him sleep inside while the four of them busied themselves in the back of the shop.

Lin Yu didn’t dare hire anyone yet. He only had about sixty taels of silver left, and the household still had daily expenses like firewood, rice, oil, and salt. If business wasn’t good and he had hired someone only to have no work to give them, that would be a waste. It was better to wait until business picked up before hiring help.

When the sky brightened, the first batch of buns came out of the steamer. Wei Qingshan took a few buns with him to the City Defense Office for roll call. The shop was officially open now, with the freshly embroidered banner hanging by the door and a small sign inside listing the different fillings of their buns. Anyone who could read could tell what they sold at a glance.

Shi Xiaoliu brought a tray of buns to the front counter — a counter specially made for displaying buns. Underneath it was an iron pot filled with warm water to keep the buns from going cold.

The shop was open, but even though people were passing by on the street, no one came in. It was early morning, and most households were out buying vegetables. All the other shops on the street had already opened their doors, but not a single person walked into theirs.

Lin Yu grew a bit anxious. “Xiaoliu, move the stools and steamer baskets outside and sell from the doorway, just like we used to do back in the town.”
“Alright.”

The two quickly carried things outside. As soon as they opened for business, Shi Xiaoliu stood at the door to call in customers, but still, no one came in. He found it strange — why wouldn’t anyone stop by?

They placed the steamer baskets at the entrance, and Shi Xiaoliu started hawking loudly, “Fresh buns for sale! Hot and steaming big buns! Meat buns, bamboo shoot and meat buns, locust flower and meat buns—”

Only after shouting like that did someone finally come to buy, but business still wasn’t very good. On this street alone, there were already several vendors selling buns from carrying poles.

Even so, Shi Xiaoliu called out tirelessly, and in the end, they managed to sell five baskets’ worth. By noon, one basket of buns was still left unsold.

Lin Yu sat in the shop holding Tuan-ger and coaxing him. The customers who bought buns all just took them and left; no one came inside to sit. Lin Yu began to regret it a little — business was poor on the first day. Perhaps they should have just rented a smaller shop; it would have been cheaper.

Seeing that it was getting late and there weren’t many customers left, Lin Yu told Shi Xiaoliu to pack up the stall. Shi Xiaoliu wiped the sweat off his forehead and said, “Lin Ama, there are so many people on this street, but why isn’t our business as good as when we were in town?”

Lin Yu also didn’t know. “It’s just the first day. Once we have returning customers, things will get better.”

Shi Xiaoliu thought so too. Maybe people just hadn’t tried their buns yet — once they did and found them tasty, they’d come back.

It was almost noon now, and one basket of buns was still unsold. The weather was hot, so they couldn’t keep them overnight or the filling would spoil. “Xiao Liu, you know where your Uncle Qingshan is working, right? Take a basket and bring the leftover buns to him to eat.”

Lin Yu knew that Wei Qingshan was a zongqi in the City Defense Office and had twenty subordinates under his command. Since the buns couldn’t be sold anyway, he figured it would be better to send them over — at least others would remember Wei Qingshan’s kindness.

“I know. I’ll take them there right away,” said Shi Xiaoliu, as he placed the steaming hot buns into the basket.

Lin Yu reminded him twice, “Come back early for lunch.”

“Alright!”

Lin Yu and Zhao Yueniang went home first to prepare the meal, while Shi Xiaoliu carried the basket of buns on his way to deliver them. He asked around for directions before he finally found the place, but when he reached the gate, the guards didn’t let him in. Shi Xiaoliu smiled and said he was looking for Wei Qingshan, that he was delivering food for him.

He lifted the cloth covering the basket and offered one to the guard. “Here, try one. It’s a meat bun.”

The guard took a bun and went to call for Wei Qingshan. Shi Xiaoliu, being a young ger, stood at the entrance looking particularly eye-catching. A group of burly men came and went, glancing at him from time to time. But Shi Xiaoliu wasn’t afraid at all. He glared right back at them. “What are you looking at!”

“Yo, this little ger’s got quite the temper, hahaha!”

A few of them laughed and teased among themselves. Shi Xiaoliu glared at them fiercely. Just then, Wei Qingshan came out and happened to see the scene. He flicked his whip, snapping it once — those teasing soldiers immediately shut their mouths and hurried away.

Though Wei Qingshan hadn’t been in the City Defense Office for long, many people already knew him. He could fight well, hit hard, and besides, he was a zongqi. Ordinary soldiers wouldn’t dare provoke him.

Shi Xiaoliu handed over the basket with a grin. “Uncle Wei, Lin Ama sent this over. These are the buns we didn’t sell this morning.”

Wei Qingshan took it and said, “Alright, go back quickly.”

“Okay.” Shi Xiaoliu glared once more at the men who had teased him earlier, then turned and ran off swiftly.

Only after seeing Shi Xiaoliu disappear into the distance did Wei Qingshan walk into the courtyard. The men were lining up for food — each squad had its own assigned dining area. The food in the City Defense Office couldn’t compare to what they had at home. It was mostly plain buns and stewed vegetables with thin slices of meat — tasteless, really, wasting the few bits of meat that were in it.

The soldiers’ stipends weren’t much either. Some had families to support, others were better off and didn’t depend on the official meals, buying better food outside instead. But most of them still ate the free rations here.

Wei Qingshan took an empty bowl, filled it with food, and grabbed two steamed buns. The food here definitely couldn’t compare to Lin Yu’s cooking — as long as it filled his stomach, it was enough.

With the basket in one hand and his bowl in the other, Wei Qingshan sat down at the long wooden table. He lifted the cloth covering the basket. “One each.”

Everyone’s eyes lit up when they saw the plump, white buns. Those sitting closest to Wei Qingshan immediately reached out and took one, biting into it eagerly. “Mmm! It’s meat!”

When the others heard that it was meat-filled, they all came over to grab one too. Only Zhou Bao didn’t move; he stirred the bland food in his bowl, refusing to take a bun. He was unconvinced by Wei Qingshan — even though Wei Qingshan had beaten him last time, he still refused to accept him. If not for that fight, maybe he would’ve been the zongqi.

His lackey, Xiao Luzi, nudged the basket toward him. “Brother Bao, eat one — it’s meat.”

“Get lost. Eat, eat, eat — that’s all you know. You lot get bought over by one lousy bun.”

Zhou Bao’s voice wasn’t quiet, and everyone at the table heard it. But most of them came from humble households and still had to feed their families with their stipends. Being soldiers might sound decent, but their lives weren’t necessarily better than merchants’. And this was a meat bun! Who would refuse something like that?

Although everyone fell silent, the sound of them eating buns didn’t slow down at all. “Zongqi Wei, where’d you buy these buns? They taste way better than the ones from elsewhere.”

“From Lin’s Bun Shop on Shili Street.”

“The buns there are really good! I just happen to pass that street on duty — I’ll buy some tomorrow.”

Everyone nodded in agreement. The buns Zongqi Wei had bought were delicious. There were still two left in the basket, so Wei Qingshan pulled it over and ate both himself. His little husband’s cooking really was the best.

After that meal, everyone’s attitude toward Wei Qingshan improved noticeably. Only Zhou Bao still kept a cold face, but Wei Qingshan didn’t care. As long as he did his job properly, that was enough.

When Wei Qingshan got off duty, Lin Yu told him that business at the shop hadn’t been good. Wei Qingshan held Tuan-ger in one arm and wrapped the other around his little husband’s shoulders. “Take it slow. It’ll get better later. Didn’t you send the buns to me today? Everyone said they were delicious.”

“Really?”

“Mm, really. Would I lie to you?”

Lin Yu finally felt a little relieved. The rent for the shop was expensive, and if business stayed bad, they wouldn’t even recover their costs. Lin Yu decided to keep selling for a few more days, and then make some other foods to sell alongside. Maybe that would improve business.

The next morning, just like before, Wei Qingshan helped chop the filling in the shop before leaving. Shi Xiaoliu carried the buns to the front to sell. Business seemed a bit better than the day before — even armored patrol soldiers came by to buy buns. Shi Xiaoliu was startled, thinking something had happened at their place.

Xiao Luzi, who had eaten the buns Wei Qingshan brought yesterday, happened to pass by the same street that morning. He bought four buns — since Zhou Bao hadn’t eaten any yesterday, he bought two for him.

It turned out the filling was locust flower. That flavor wasn’t common, no wonder he hadn’t figured it out yesterday. Xiao Luzi ate two buns on his way back, leaving two for Zhou Bao. He swallowed hard; if he’d known they’d be so good, he would’ve bought an extra one.

When he saw Zhou Bao, he handed the buns to him. “Brother Bao, eat up. I bought these.”

Since they were from Xiao Luzi, Zhou Bao didn’t refuse and started eating. “You got them from that Lin’s Bun Shop?”

“Mm. I thought they were really good, so I went to buy some more today. Aren’t they tasty?”

Zhou Bao nodded. “Mm, it’s pretty good.”

“I think so too. Turns out it’s a newly opened shop. No wonder I hadn’t noticed it before. The ones I bought today have locust-flower filling. The shopkeeper sure has clever ideas—it’s really tasty.”

Zhou Bao finished the two buns in just a few bites, then tossed a few copper coins to Xiao Luzi. Xiao Luzi exclaimed twice and waved his hands. “Brother Bao, what are you doing? It’s just two buns.”

“Take it.”

Zhou Bao smacked his lips as he walked off. It was quite delicious—he would go buy some himself tomorrow. The two buns Xiao Luzi brought him today weren’t enough to fill the gap between his teeth.

He knew Xiao Luzi’s family wasn’t well-off, and that he still had an old mother to support, so he gave him the coins.

The shop’s business was better today. Although no one went inside, almost all the buns they made had been sold, and only a few were left. Lin Yu was quite happy. Even though they were still losing money after paying rent and costs, business was improving day by day—slowly but surely.

“Lin Ama, there are five buns left.”

“Let’s keep them for our lunch.”

The few of them closed up the shop and went home. Lin Yu carried Tuan-ger, while Shi Xiaoliu followed behind, carrying the basket that Tuan-ger had slept in when he couldn’t wake up in the morning.

Since business had been good today, Lin Yu made three extra steamers of buns the next morning. Little by little, if they kept it up, they would eventually have returning customers. As usual, Wei Qingshan helped chop the meat filling before heading off to report for duty at the city defense post.

Yesterday, Zhou Bao had eaten the buns Xiao Luzi bought for him and thought they were delicious, so he came again today to buy some.

“Shop assistant, give me five buns.”

“Right away.”

Shi Xiaoliu quickly wrapped up the buns Zhou Bao ordered. Zhou Bao muttered, “Your shop only sells buns—why do you need such a big storefront? You barely earn a few copper coins for one bun. Can you even make a profit?”

Lin Yu was inside the shop coaxing Tuan-ger. When he saw that the customer was a city patrol officer in armor, he was extra polite—after all, Wei Qingshan worked at the city defense post too. “This big brother is right. We’re planning to add some other foods, we just haven’t decided what yet. Once we figure it out, we’ll put them up for sale.”

Zhou Bao saw the pretty little husband sitting inside the shop, holding a plump baby boy in a bellyband. The little boy, seeing his little father talking to Zhou Bao, grinned wide enough to show his gums.

Zhou Bao’s hands itched. “This little boy isn’t shy at all.”

“Mm, he’s rather bold.”

Zhou Bao bought the buns and left—he still needed to report for duty. He finished the buns on his way, trying other flavors today, and found that all of them were quite good—far better than the ones sold by the small street vendors he’d tried before.

Zhou Bao was a tall and stout man with two sons at home, aged six and three, who made such a racket every day that his head ached.

When he came to buy buns today and saw little Tuan-ger wearing only a bellyband, he couldn’t help but feel delighted—hey, here was a child who wasn’t afraid of him!

He had a fierce-looking face and a beard, and his two boys had both been afraid of him since they were little. Whenever they saw him, they would burst into terrified wails. It was rare to see a child unafraid of him, and he found it truly endearing.

Lin Yu’s bun shop business gradually improved, and soon they had regular customers. Now, they could sell sixteen steamers’ worth of buns in a day. Lin Yu calculated that even selling sixteen steamers a day, their monthly net profit only barely covered the rent—not even counting the cost of ingredients. They were still losing money.

Lin Yu wanted to add other foods to the menu, but he hadn’t decided what yet—and with Tuan-ger keeping him busy all the time, he hadn’t been able to work it out.

Still, the bun shop’s business was growing day by day. There was even a city patrol officer who came every day to buy buns, and Lin Yu had gotten familiar with him over time.

The reason was simple: while other customers bought their buns and left, this particular patrolman would stay to tease Tuan-ger for a bit before going, only leaving after the baby laughed.

Zhou Bao liked eating Lin Yu’s buns—and he liked teasing Tuan-ger even more. Sometimes he would tell other people to come and buy, saying there was a bun shop that made really tasty buns. Wei Qingshan had heard about it too, though he hadn’t expected Zhou Bao to be so fond of their buns.

Zhou Bao liked Lin Yu’s buns, but not to the extent of boasting about them to everyone. What he really liked was seeing Tuan-ger. He worried that if the shop lost too much money and closed down, the owner might take his family and leave—and then he wouldn’t get to see that little one anymore.

Now, patrol officers often came by to buy buns. Those big men ate a lot, buying four or five buns each time, and Lin Yu’s shop was no longer losing money.

One day, as Lin Yu sat inside the shop, he overheard someone say, “So this is the bun shop Zhou Bao was talking about. He’s right—it really is different from the others.”

That was when Lin Yu realized it had been that patrolman named Zhou Bao helping to spread the word. He was very grateful. When Zhou Bao came again, Lin Yu had Shi Xiaoliu give him two of the new soy-sauce meat buns he had made.

Lin Yu came over carrying Tuan-ger. “Patrolman Zhou, try my new bun recipe. If it sells well, I’ll start offering it tomorrow. Also, thank you for bringing people over.”

Zhou Bao chuckled twice. “It’s just because your buns taste so good.”

He took a bite of the new soy-sauce meat bun and gave an approving hum. “Delicious! Lin Fulang really has skillful hands.”

This bun was something else—the meat filling was distinct and fragrant, not like the regular fresh-meat buns, and the juices had almost seeped through the skin of the bun.