Two days later, the Lu family next door had a happy occasion. They’d posted a “Closed on XX” notice a day in advance. After finishing breakfast service today, Chen Qiaolian made a special trip to the Tang household to share the happy news.

“Auntie, you know my eldest son is about to get married, but since the big day is coming up, I had to let you know in advance. Please come over for a glass of celebratory wine when the time comes.” Chen Qiaolian beamed with joy as she shared the news.

Tang Xianling offered his congratulations from the side, thinking to himself, “Could my family take a day off too?” Boss Tang’s reasoning was a bit flimsy, but he was confident: after all, he was going to the wedding banquet!

Of course, that was just a thought—closing the shop was out of the question. His mother was particularly driven by her “business spirit.” She said that even taking weekends off was already too lax; unless there was a major emergency, the shop absolutely must not close. If they closed for no good reason—especially if they did it often—even the most loyal customers would eventually lose interest, no matter how much they loved the food.

Tang Xianling took the lesson to heart; his mother’s reasoning was spot on.

He had a “golden touch,” but he couldn’t let that make him arrogant or conceited.

With no land or fields to rely on, the family depended entirely on the patronage of their customers, who were, in a sense, the very source of their livelihood. When conducting business, Tang Xianling could be firm at times, but that depended on whom he was dealing with. Toward regular customers, he was always accommodating, grateful, and patient.

If someone is unreasonable or makes a fuss, he sometimes speaks his mind a bit more bluntly. But he doesn’t go so far as to snap back at them.

Mr. Tang is actually a really kind man.

“But are you planning to host a banquet? In the alley?” Jiang Yun asked.

Chen Qiaolian: “That’s right. My courtyard is small, and there’s no room to set it up in the alley. I’ve hired a cook from Bajiao Lane to prepare the food. We’ll be setting up four tables. There won’t be many guests—just my uncle’s family and a few neighbors from our lane. You’re welcome to come and have a glass of wine.”

Four tables—that certainly wouldn’t be enough to host the whole neighborhood; it’s just the few families close to the Lu family.

“You’ve really gone out of your way as a mother-in-law, even hiring a cook to prepare the food,” Jiang Yun replied, returning the compliment. “I’ve known Dalang since he was a child, and I’ve never seen anyone as good as him. He’s down-to-earth and hardworking, filial to his parents, and loving toward his younger siblings. Any woman who marries into your family has truly landed in a nest of blessings…”

Tang Xianling hurried into the kitchen; he was afraid he might burst out laughing if he heard his mother praising him so highly.

It wasn’t that the Lu family was bad in any way—they were just an ordinary family—but the way his mother was praising them, it was as if they were the best in the world. Tang Xianling was sorting through the vegetables in the kitchen while whispering to Tieniu: “I wonder who Mom learned this from. She’s got such a sweet tongue these days.”

“Ask her yourself later,” Tieniu said.

Tang Xianling: “Mom’ll get embarrassed.”

Never mind. Anyway, she’s just praising Aunt Chen in front of her own family. It doesn’t matter if she’s exaggerating a bit—it’s a joyous occasion, after all. It would be no fun at all—that would be so boring.

Even through the kitchen door, Aunt Chen’s laughter was so loud she had to cover her mouth to stifle it.

Before long, Aunt Chen left. Jiang Yun still had a broad smile on her face. As she went into the kitchen to lend a hand with the prep, Tang Xianling said, “Mom, there’s no rush—it’s still early. I’m making lunch.”

It’s hot out, and sometimes he gets tired of eating out, so he cooks for himself.

For lunch today, they were having cold noodles. He’d left a pot of boiling water out all morning; the noodles were cut very thin, then rinsed in cold water. He sliced cucumbers into thin strips, fried some peanuts, and served them with the radish he’d pickled himself—it was incredibly refreshing.

Tang Xianling was craving some braised meat—actually, braised beef—but beef was hard to come by these days and very expensive; only high-ranking officials and the wealthy could afford it, and slaughtering a cow requires approval from the relevant government department.

He didn’t know which department was responsible for this, but in any case, there were no shops specializing in beef in either the East or West Markets. Venison has a texture similar to beef, so the wealthy mostly ate venison, which was the most expensive meat, followed by lamb, then poultry, and pork.

He was thinking of braising some tenderloin or duck to serve over cold noodles.

“We probably won’t get to eat at their banquet; just having a drink and giving a token of respect will do,” said Jiang Yun.

Tieniu was pounding garlic, thump, thump, thump.

Tang Xianling’s hand paused as he passed the noodles. “Why can’t we attend the banquet? It’d be perfect before noon—right after breakfast, and we wouldn’t even have to cook.”

“What nonsense are you talking about?” Jiang Yun grew a little flustered. She glanced at Tieniu first; seeing that he didn’t seem suspicious, she quickly covered herself: “You still don’t understand these things—”

Tang Xianling: “I’ve been married twice already and still don’t get it? Mom, you’re even stumbling over your excuses now.”

Jiang Yun was flustered and at a loss for words. Finally, she could only say, “Weddings are usually held in the afternoon, around dinnertime.”

“The midday banquet is for the bride’s family to host a farewell feast.”

Tang Xianling expressed his regret: “Then I won’t be able to make it to the banquet; the evening meal will be in full swing by then.” He added, “Mother, you should go. We can handle things at the shop. It wouldn’t be right for none of us to attend the ceremony.”

Jiang Yun had intended to refuse, but after hearing what Wu-ger said, she realized he might be right.

The two families had once been on good terms, but later fell out; now they were on good terms again, and the two families often visited and helped each other out. Since the other family’s eldest son was getting married and had personally come to their door to notify them, it would indeed be inappropriate if no one from her family attended.

“Then I’ll go,” Jiang Yun said.

“Let me know how the banquet goes later. I didn’t get to eat, so I’d like to hear about it.”

Jiang Yun smiled. “Sure.” If the shop didn’t need Wu-ger, she would’ve sent him and Tieniu to the banquet instead. But for now, she was the only one who could go.

Huangfu Tieniu had been pounding garlic for quite a while, and it was finally ready. Tang Xianling glanced at Tieniu; he always felt that Tieniu was well aware of “certain things”—never mind, he’d think about it later.

“I’ll heat up some oil, pour it over the raw garlic, and it’ll be ready to eat.”

Next came the noodles. Thin strands of cold noodles were arranged at the bottom of the bowl, topped with emerald-green cucumber strips, Chinese cabbage leaves, peanuts, and some shredded chicken. All three of them at home loved to add a bit of garlic paste and rice vinegar, then mix it all together. One bite was refreshing and appetizing—it was absolutely delicious.

Tang Xianling finished a bowl of noodles and lay sprawled under the veranda, lost in thought. Tieniu was still on his second bowl. As he munched on peanuts in the palm of his hand to neutralize the garlic taste in his mouth, he said lazily, “Could we plant some kind of climbing vine on the roof of this veranda? Once it grows, it’ll block out the sun and keep things nice and cool.”

“It’ll attract bugs, too,” Jiang Yun said.

Tang Xianling: “True, and we’d have to tend to them.”

Now it was Jiang Yun’s turn to hesitate. “Actually, I don’t mind the upkeep. It’s just a small space anyway. If you like the idea, you and Tieniu can go to the East and West Market this weekend, look at a few different varieties and seeds, and plant them when you get back.”

“Hehehe, sure, Mom,” Tang Xianling agreed immediately. Mom was trying hard to change, too.

Two days later, the Lu family’s shop closed. Early in the morning, someone arrived pushing a handcart to deliver tables, chairs, and stools—a set of equipment for the cook at Bajiao Lane. It included four round tables, matching round stools, and some cooking utensils.

The cooks made their living by catering for weddings and funerals.

In the large and small neighborhoods of Fengyuan City, the wealthy were still in the minority. Most were ordinary folk like the Lu family, living in small courtyards. If there was a joyous occasion—a wedding or a daughter’s marriage—and the courtyard was too cramped, or they lacked the necessary equipment, the hosts would spend money to hire outside help. The caterers would handle the banquet, including the tables, stools, bowls, and chopsticks.

If the host family purchased the ingredients themselves, they would only pay for the cook’s services and the rental of tables and chairs. If they relied entirely on the cook—entrusting him to buy the ingredients as well—the cost would naturally be higher, and some families were wary that the cook might skim off a cut for himself.

The Lu family bought their own ingredients and paid the caterer only a service fee.

Aunt Chen mentioned that renting this set of four tables and hiring the cook would cost two taels of silver, with one and a half taels going toward the cook’s wages. She implied that she found the price a bit steep.

Tang Xianling said nothing, but privately thought it was reasonable.

Labor is cheap, but a banquet chef is a skilled worker. For a four-table banquet, one chef brought two apprentices with him; they had to work all day, starting to set up the venue early in the morning.

Leaning against the gate of the courtyard of the Lu Family, they first set up the four tables, then fetched water to wipe them down. “Auntie, my master asked me to ask you—why didn’t your family buy any spices?” The younger apprentice went inside to ask the host.

Chen Qiaolian thought the spices were too expensive and felt a bit stingy; she had originally planned to get by without them if possible.

“Surely we can manage without spices, can’t we?”

The young apprentice went back to relay the message, but from the doorway came his master’s scolding: “I’m here to cater this banquet! If we skimp on this and the food turns out bad, it’s my reputation that’ll suffer—and the three of us will be left out in the cold!”

Chen Qiaolian heard this from the courtyard; she realized he was taking a roundabout way of scolding her, and her face instantly flushed crimson.

Lu Dalang hurried out to calm the cook down, while Father Lu said to his daughter-in-law in the courtyard, “It’s a joyous occasion—this is the one day we shouldn’t skimp on.”

“I just thought it was so expensive… Oh dear, it’s my fault. Is it too late to go buy it now?” Chen Qiaolian was a bit frustrated too, wondering what she’d been thinking—she’d simply dismissed it as too expensive without a second thought.

Before long, a voice came from the courtyard gate: “I’ve sent my apprentice to run an errand. I’m afraid if I leave it to you, you might not recognize the right one and buy the wrong thing.”

“Do you think he might be skimming some money off the top?” Chen Qiaolian whispered to her husband; she didn’t feel comfortable letting the cook’s apprentice handle the purchase. Father Lu thought she had a point. “Erlang, you go buy it.”

It was his older brother’s wedding day, so Lu Erlang had naturally come home. Upon hearing this, Lu Erlang immediately nodded in agreement. “Don’t worry, Mom and Dad. It’s still early. I can read. I’ll ask the head cook what spices we need, and if that doesn’t work, I’ll write them down and go buy them.”

“Right, right, right. Erlang can read—he definitely won’t buy the wrong things.” Chen Qiaolian was delighted. Her two sons each had their own talents.

It was early morning, and the entire Tang family was busy in front of the shop. They hadn’t heard the commotion in the back alley, but when they went to fetch water that morning, they saw the cook and his two apprentices arriving to help out, and they couldn’t help but remark on it.

Tang Xianling’s main concerns were: what kind of banquet it would be and how many dishes there would be.

The master chef was somewhat dark-skinned, weathered by smoke and fire, not very stocky, and a bit short. The two apprentices, however, were well-nourished—thirteen or fourteen years old, slender in build but with round faces. One had a few pockmarks on his face, while the other had small, narrow eyes.

Tieniu went to fetch water and returned to tell him that people from the Lu family had arrived.

Tang Xianling took a moment out of his busy schedule to ask the cook what dishes were being prepared. “Who are you from Mr. Tang’s place next door? His younger brother?” Chef Tian asked. Tang Xianling chuckled, “You’re complimenting me on looking young—thank you.”

Chef Tian realized who he was and was taken aback. “You don’t look very old, but you’re an excellent cook. I haven’t tried your food myself, but I’ve heard people talk about it—they all say your takeout meals are delicious.”

“I’m a latecomer to the trade—I don’t have much knife work, but I’ve put some thought into the seasonings.”

Chef Tian looked at the young man in front of him for a moment and said, “Everyone raves about the food you make, so you must have a natural talent for it. If my own Da Yuan and Xiao Mi were even half as good as Mr. Tang, I wouldn’t have to worry.”

“The kids are still young; just teach them a bit more.” Mr. Tang nodded, acting like a grown-up, and changed the subject, asking Chef Tian how many dishes he was preparing today.

Chef Tian:?

“The client wants six dishes. I thought that might be a bit sparse, but since they’re the ones buying the ingredients, I won’t say much more.”

Tang Xianling: “Six dishes, huh? Six dishes aren’t too few—as long as they’re delicious, that’s all that matters. Given the current circumstances, six dishes are plenty!”

The two exchanged a few casual words, but both had work to attend to. Tang Xianling still had to prepare for the morning business. By the time his shop opened and he started selling pot-buns, he hadn’t even noticed the commotion in the Lu family’s alley behind him. By the time the pot-buns were sold out, and he’d sold half of the fried pancakes, around 9:30, Lu Sanniang came looking for him, asking to borrow a mule.

Since the back gate was locked and the distance was far, the young girl ran to the front shop. With customers coming and going, Tang Xianling was busy at the time and assumed Sanniang wanted to buy a pastry or something. When he asked, the girl said she wanted to borrow a mule.

Before she could finish speaking, Lu Sanniang’s face flushed bright red with embarrassment.

Tang Xianling thought to himself: How could the Lu family send a young girl to borrow such a large item? She’s so shy, and everyone in the shop is watching.

“Mother, take Sanniang from our house, unhitch the mule, and have her brother come pick it up.” Tang Xianling didn’t ask for details; he just smiled and said, “Is there a big celebration at your house today that they’re too busy to handle it themself, so you sent her to run an errand? Go on, don’t delay things.”

Upon hearing this, Jiang Yun said nothing more and called for Sanniang. The two of them headed into the shop.

Tang Xianling glanced at Tieniu. “I’ll take the liberty of borrowing your mule—” 

“What do you mean by ‘mine’? It belongs to our family,” Huangfu Tieniu said.

Tang Xianling: Hehe.

If there hadn’t been so many people around, he would have surely come out with a witty retort: “True enough—you’re all mine, let alone the mule!”

What a pity, what a pity.

In his heart, Boss Tang shook his head in deep regret; with the shop so crowded, he’d missed a golden opportunity to tease the innocent Tieniu.

Before long, the woman returned.

“Not too busy, right?” Jiang Yun asked, worried that the shop might be overwhelmed in her absence.

Tang Xianling was at a loss for words, “Mom, it’s only been a short while. Tieniu and I can handle it.”

A customer waiting for his jianbing guozi chimed in, “If you’re too busy, Boss Tang, you should hire someone. You’ve got two people working at your evening food stall—why don’t they come help out in the morning?”

“We can manage breakfast at home—actually, I’m the one who has to make it,”

Tang Xianling replied. There wasn’t much work to do, like washing dishes, wiping tables, or sweeping the floor.

A little while later, Lu Erlang arrived, this time asking Tieniu to teach him how to ride a mule.

Tang Xianling: …

You’re really leaving it to the last minute—even at the eleventh hour.

The Lu family next door had a donkey, which they usually used for hauling goods and grinding grain. The donkey was short and didn’t move very fast; it wasn’t as tall or swift as a mule. The men in the Lu family were all on the shorter side; Lu Erlang was only fourteen or fifteen years old, standing about 1.65 or 1.66 meters tall.

Climbing onto the mule was indeed a bit of a struggle.

When Tang Xianling rode the mule and dismounted, Tieniu had to give him a lift. Naturally, he was tall—taller even than the Lu family’s men.

“I’m truly sorry,” Lu Erlang said awkwardly, not knowing what to say. He couldn’t very well admit that he’d tried using a stool but still couldn’t get on. The Tang family’s mule was gentle enough, but it was as big as a horse. Just looking at it scared him—he was afraid of falling and breaking his leg, so how could he possibly dare to ride it?

Tang Xianling looked at Tieniu. “Why don’t you give it a try?”

If he taught the Lu family man to ride a mule and he fell off, whose responsibility would it be?

“Let’s go.” Huangfu Tieniu nodded, leading Lu Erlang through the gate of his own courtyard and into the back alley.

Chef Tian was arguing with Chen Qiaolian, Father Lu: “…The spices were right, but we bought too few. You said six dishes, but I told you the spread would be too sparse. You said it didn’t matter. Now you’ve got half a side of pork—I don’t know how much seasoning it’ll take to remove the gamey smell—plus some potatoes, eggs, and Chinese cabbage…”

Chen Qiaolian said, “The Tang family next door can turn pork into all sorts of dishes—they can make several different ones.”

“That’s him.” Chef Tian, stumped and growing angry, shouted, “Pork is cheap. Your banquet spread is already meager—you’ve got to serve something else. If the pork ends up tasting gamey after cooking, how will anyone eat it?”

“If you’d told me earlier that it was all going to be pork, I wouldn’t have taken this banquet job.”

Father Lu: “How dare you speak like that?”

Chen Qiaolian was also annoyed that Chef Tian kept harping on the “meager spread,” making the neighbors laugh at her family.

She said, “There’s still a chicken. And now we’ve added the dishes you mentioned—buying chicken and fish.” All of these are expensive ingredients.

“Your chicken is too skinny. After plucking it, there’s barely a palmful of meat left—how could that be enough for four tables? We need to go buy two more chickens right away. The chickens need to be scalded, plucked, and prepared, and the fish need to be gutted. If we delay, it won’t turn out well.”

Chef Tian fell silent. The main issue was that although he’d originally suggested adding dishes and the host had agreed, they’d been whispering behind his back, implying that his last-minute additions were just a way to make a quick buck.

That’s why he’d gotten so worked up.

“They say they were whispering behind my back, but the sound still reached my ears—it wasn’t meant for my ears!”

Huangfu Tieniu walked over, and the commotion in the courtyard died down. Lu Dalang thanked him profusely and even slipped some wedding candies into Tieniu’s hand. Huangfu Tieniu casually accepted them and tucked them into his chest, then asked what they wanted to buy, listing everything off in one go.

With outsiders present, the Lu family still had some pride, so they let Chef Tian take the lead.

“We can buy chicken right here on the main street, but for fish, we’ll have to go to the West Market. And we’re short on vegetables—potatoes and Chinese cabbage just won’t cut it for a banquet. We’ll have to buy winter melon, eggplant, zucchini, spring onions,

garlic, and cilantro at the West Market.”

Chen Qiaolian quickly said, “We have scallions and garlic at home.” 

“That’s not enough,” said Chef Tian.

Huangfu Tieniu nodded, thought for a moment, and said frankly, “Erlang, come with me. I won’t handle any money. I’ll wait at the entrance to the West Market to watch over the mules.”

“Alright,” Lu Erlang agreed.

Chef Tian glanced at the man speaking—presumably Mr. Tang’s husband. He was young and handsome, and clearly had his wits about him. No matter how close the two families were, since he’d come to help, it was best if he didn’t handle any money.

Chen Qiaolian felt a bit awkward and said politely, “I’m confident you’ll help my family.” 

“It’s fine, Auntie. This way is faster.”

Huangfu Tieniu said gently.

Huangfu Tieniu first motioned for Lu Erlang to mount the mule. Lu Erlang hesitated a bit, but in the end, Huangfu Tieniu climbed up first and pulled Lu Erlang to sit behind him. With the wicker basket on his back, Lu Erlang nearly lost his balance, but Huangfu Tieniu tightened the reins and said, “Sit tight, hold on to me. Let’s go.”

By the time Tang Xianling had finished his morning business, his family’s Tieniu still hadn’t returned.

???

“I’ll go check on him,” Tang Xianling said.

Jiang Yun called out to her Wu-ger, “They’re busy with the wedding; the courtyard’s probably in chaos. Let’s not go just yet.” Tang Xianling stopped in his tracks and looked at his mother.

Jiang Yun continued tidying up as she spoke: “Today, the Lu family is marrying off their eldest son and has even hired a caterer—money is flowing out like water. They’re a frugal family; if they start haggling over money, with an outsider standing there, would you even feel comfortable haggling?”

Tang Xianling shook his head, feeling embarrassed.

His mother was quite experienced in practical matters.

“I’ll listen to you, Mother. So, should we cook lunch or buy it?”

Hearing Wu-ger’s question, Jiang Yun felt too lazy to move. “Just buy whatever you want to eat. When Tieniu comes back, we can buy more or have him grab something ready-made on the street—it’ll taste better that way.”

“Actually, I’m craving cold noodles. We’ll make them another day.”

The mother and son tidied up the shop and closed the door. Jiang Yun picked up the lunchbox to go buy food. She hadn’t used to interact much with others—even a verbal spat with the Zhao family’s mother-in-law would turn into a physical fight. But since learning from Xiangping, who’d told her she needed more practice, her insults had started to flow more smoothly.

But one shouldn’t go around cursing people for no reason.

Jiang Yun loved going to the shops on the street to buy food and striking up conversations with people. The biggest event on the street today was the Lu’s eldest son getting married, and all the neighbors were talking about it.

“They even hired a caterer—that really shows respect for the bride’s family.”

“That’s for sure. The Lu family seems to be quite frugal, but they’re really splashing out on their eldest son’s wedding.”

“It’s no wonder the couple is trying to save money—they have a second son, and I hear it costs quite a bit to grease the wheels and get Erlang an apprenticeship at the pharmacy.”

“The old couple just loves their kids. The eldest has the steamed bun shop, and they still have to buy land and a courtyard for the second son. Parents are all like that—children are debts, and we’re here to pay them off.”

Zhou Xiangping happened to be passing by with a lunchbox; she was bringing food to her husband. Upon hearing the conversation, she

chuckled and raised her voice slightly, saying, “That’s all nonsense. If they didn’t have children, the adults would be the ones rushing

to find a doctor to treat their ailments.”

The guests sitting inside all chuckled at this.

“Oh, Xiangping!” Jiang Yun hurried out to greet her. She’d been thinking just a moment ago that those words were wrong—that children were debts. The children she’d raised weren’t her debts; rather, she was the one who’d let them down.

The two exchanged pleasantries at the door, but Jiang Yun didn’t say much, afraid of delaying Xiangping’s meal delivery.

“We’ll catch up later at the Lu family banquet,” Zhou Xiangping said cheerfully.

Jiang Yun: “Did Qiaolian invite you too?”

“She came by my house early to buy meat and mentioned it offhand. I didn’t have the heart to refuse, but since it’s just me, there’s no way I could ask the whole family to come eat just for the gift money.”

Zhou Xiangping said.

In truth, there was another reason.

When Chen Qiaolian was buying meat and haggling over the price—saying she needed a lot for her eldest son’s wedding banquet and asking if the seller could give her a discount—Zhu Si suggested rounding down the price. Chen Qiaolian didn’t respond but instead invited the couple to the banquet.

Zhou Xiangping took charge and said, “In that case, we’ll throw in another cut of meat and some meat bones as a gift.”

In any case, the price couldn’t be lowered any further. The Tang family bought a lot of meat, and they came every day, yet even Mr. Tang didn’t haggle the price down this much. Chen Qiaolian saw that it really couldn’t be reduced any further, so she agreed—an extra piece of meat was better than nothing at all.

This cut of meat, with the bones attached, had plenty of meat on it—mostly fatty.

Zhou Xiangping planned to go to the banquet empty-handed that afternoon. Since she was going alone, bringing her whole family would make her look out of place. Besides, she’d been to banquets before; bringing others would just mean spending more on gifts, which wasn’t necessary.

Jiang Yun nodded repeatedly. “I’m coming alone, too.”

“Oh, your shop will be busy at that time.” Zhou Xiangping had an idea and smiled, “Let’s go together—it’ll be nice to have someone to talk to.” 

“You’re absolutely right.”

Jiang Yun’s meal was ready, so she went inside, grabbed the food box, and headed home.

Tang Xianling noticed his mother was all smiles after buying the meal—clearly, she’d gone out just for the fun of it. By the time the mother and son were halfway through their meal, Tieniu finally returned.

“You’re all red from the sun.” Tang Xianling put down his chopsticks to greet him, bringing him a towel and a basin of water.

Huangfu Tieniu chuckled, “I’m dark-skinned—no redness.” 

“Nonsense,” Tang Xianling said, pushing his clothes aside. “Let me take a look.”

Huangfu Tieniu bent over to let his husband examine him. Tang Xianling pulled his sleeve aside and took a look. “It’s not a sunburn. It looks like a mark—” 

“Oh, right. Lu Erlang bought some red paper, and it must have rubbed off on my arm in the heat.” Huangfu Tieniu remembered.

Tang Xianling: “That’s what I thought. I wondered why there was a red patch on your shoulder and arm.”

Tieniu washed up, scrubbed himself clean, and told his mother there was nothing wrong, so she shouldn’t worry. Jiang Yun brought Tieniu his meal from the kitchen; she’d bought plenty, so she’d set a portion aside for him.

Out on the veranda, Huangfu Tieniu pulled a piece of candy wrapped in red paper from his pocket and handed it to his husband.

“Lu Dalang just gave me this wedding candy. Here, have some.”

He looked at it—it was hot outside, and the red paper had melted, staining his palm red.

Huangfu Tieniu frowned slightly, unwrapped the paper, and found that the yellowed malt sugar inside had also turned a mottled red and yellow. He immediately shoved the piece of candy into his mouth and mumbled, “I’ll eat it. I’ve tried it before—it doesn’t taste good.”

“……” Tang Xianling was amused by Tieniu’s reaction. “I’m not that picky—it’s just malt sugar that’s been dyed.”

Tieniu had thought the wedding candy would bring him some of the couple’s good fortune and luck, so he’d saved it especially for him. But when he saw the candy wasn’t very good, and worried it might make him sick, he shoved it into his own mouth instead.

In short: his whole heart belongs to him!

Huangfu Tieniu held the candy in his mouth—the sweetness was faint—and said earnestly, “You really are a snob.” 

“……”

Mr. Tang: Running back and forth, running back and forth—his innocent Tieniu is actually saying sweet nothings now! It’s making his cheeks flush with embarrassment.