When they arrived home, the siblings washed their hands and immediately began working.
Tang Mu originally intended to do most of the work himself, but after rolling up his sleeves, he saw that his A-jie had already started kneading the dough.
The Northern Border region was accustomed to eating flour-based foods, and every household had a Pottery basin for kneading dough. Tang Wan washed the Pottery basin clean, dried it with a cotton cloth, then poured in the newly purchased Corn flour, Corn grits, and Wheat flour in specific proportions. She sprinkled in some salt and mixed everything evenly with chopsticks.
Seeing Tang Mu approach, she naturally instructed: "Heat some water first."
Tang Mu obediently went to light the Stove.
Tang Wan was naturally more accustomed to modern kitchen stoves, but she wasn't unfamiliar with the use of this earthen Stove. This wasn't due to her original experience, but because her profession in Huaxia had been as a streamer. In the era of intense competition for viewership, she had tried every possible niche to go viral. Initially filming daily life of ancient commoners, later researching cuisine, she had even done topics related to time travel. For a period, she specifically rented a small courtyard in the countryside and used an earthen Stove for some time.
Tang Wan scooped some water and quickly cleaned the iron wok, then heated about a third of a wok of hot water.
Making corn cakes didn't require fermentation. She added hot water to the flour mixture gradually, kneading it bit by bit into a dough.
Watching from the Stove, Tang Mu couldn't help but feel surprised.
He felt his A-jie worked with unusual organization today. Her pace wasn't particularly fast, yet there were no wasted movements. When the flour was properly scalded, she seemed to just casually press and knead it, and a smooth dough formed in the basin.
The dough was then transferred to the cutting board, where Tang Wan skillfully rolled it into a strip, quickly pinched off evenly sized Dough portions, and arranged them neatly.
Leaving a little water in the wok, Tang Wan placed a Bamboo sieve over it. She rolled the Dough portions into balls, then flattened them with her palm to create palm-sized Dough cakes, sticking them around the wok edge in concentric circles.
Using low heat for slow cooking, the cakes gradually released their fragrance as they cooked, their bodies slightly expanding. Tang Wan then flipped each cake over, revealing beautifully golden-brown crispy crusts on the flipped sides.
When both sides had turned golden and the cakes were fully cooked, the courtyard filled with the distinctive sweet aroma of baked cakes, emitting a rich corn fragrance.
Tang Mu, who had been sitting by the Stove, found himself standing by the wok at some point, staring blankly at the transformation of these cakes.
As if immune to heat, Tang Wan quickly removed all the finished cakes and tossed them into a nearby Bamboo basket to cool.
"Want to try one?" She took a cake, tore it in half, and offered one piece to Tang Mu.
Tang Mu accepted it and couldn't resist smelling it first: "So fragrant!"
The freshly torn cake steamed hot, almost burning his hands, but Tang Mu couldn't bear to put it down. He tentatively took a bite.
The outer crust was crispy and golden, while the inside remained fluffy and soft. It tasted wonderfully sweet and delicious!
"A-jie, how did you make it so well today?" Being with his sister, Tang Mu spoke his mind without reservation.
Tang Wan paused for a moment, suddenly realizing that she apparently hadn't been skilled at cooking before.
Despite appearing like a national treasure-level master recreating various classic dishes in her viral videos, she had actually learned to cook properly thanks to modern educational resources.
Losing her grandfather, being separated from her brother, and going alone to a strange, different world – that was when her true growth began.
Those matters couldn't be shared with Mu Ge'er, so she smiled evasively: "Practice makes perfect, after all, I've made plenty before."
A-jie had indeed made cakes many times before, but she never appeared as effortless as today—either flustered or producing dough cakes of uneven sizes and shapes.
However, Tang Mu was now largely captivated by the sweet aroma of the corn cakes and didn't ponder her words deeply, merely nodding as he said: "So delicious! I never knew grits cakes could taste this good!"
"These aren't really grits cakes, considering how little grits we used."
Tang Mu thought this made sense. Their family had been accustomed to frugality—when would they ever spare so much refined flour? Grits cakes were inherently difficult to make; perhaps adding refined flour made them somewhat easier?
This train of thought reminded him of the Chen family, and he snorted: "A-jie, just thinking that we no longer need to scrimp and save for the Chens actually makes me feel quite pleased!"
Tang Wan responded with a smile: "In that case, their decision to break off the engagement might have been a good deed after all."
But Tang Mu couldn't bring himself to smile, worrying instead: "Then what about A-jie's marriage prospects?"
The Northern Border had many military households and few scholars, with fewer formalities than other regions. It was common for women to remarry here, but still, being jilted never looked good on one's reputation and would inevitably lead to disadvantages when discussing future marriages.
Tang Wan, however, wasn't concerned: "I'm only fifteen, what's the rush?"
Tang Mu countered: "How can we not rush? In two more years, the government will assign you a marriage partner. Then you'll have to marry whomever they choose, with no say in the matter."
Tang Wan froze.
She suddenly remembered—this was indeed a real policy.
The Da Yong Dynasty was a new regime established after over a decade of warfare. Prolonged conflicts had drastically reduced the population, leading the state to implement strict marriage laws to boost birth rates.
If women remained unmarried by seventeen or men unwed by twenty, their parents would be held accountable.
Though Tang Wan had no parents, if she reached seventeen unmarried, the authorities would forcibly arrange a marriage for her.
Tang Wan, who had remained single through two lifetimes: …
Perhaps influenced by Huaxia culture, she somewhat doubted whether fifteen or sixteen-year-olds were truly mature enough—physically and mentally—to shoulder the responsibilities of starting families, building careers, and raising children.
But being fundamentally ancient in origin, she didn't feel particularly resistant to the idea.
Her previous lifetime's single status was purely due to being too busy and lacking suitable partners. As a streamer with secrets, she had exhausted all her energy just establishing herself in an unfamiliar world.
Since things stood thus, it seemed this matter needed to be added to her agenda.
But with two years remaining, there was no need for immediate urgency.
Finishing the half cake in her hand, Tang Wan relaxed and told Tang Mu: "Let's cook the remaining cakes together!"
This time Tang Mu helped, but striving to make his cakes as perfect as A-jie's—uniform in size and thickness—slowed his progress. He felt he had barely made any before all the cakes were neatly arranged in the pan.
Since these were gifts, they needed more. Tang Wan prepared another batch of dough.
The two basins yielded about forty cakes.
For the gift recipients—the Shen, Ge, and Lu families—she counted ten for each household, stacking them neatly in three large pottery bowls placed in a bamboo basket. After adding the purchased three portions of pork belly, she covered everything with a clean cloth, making the contents invisible unless uncovered.
The remaining ten-plus cakes were kept for household consumption.
These pancakes were made without oil, and with the low temperatures of early spring, they should keep for a few days.
"Let's go, we'll deliver them to Grandpa Shen and Ge Shenzi."
"Alright!"
Ge Sanniang's home was nearby, just west of the Tang residence, separated only by a courtyard wall.
Tang Wan and Tang Mu first called out at the gate. Soon, footsteps sounded from the yard. Ge Sanniang lifted the door curtain and emerged. Seeing the siblings, she smiled: "What brings you two here?"
She ushered them inside, looking at Tang Wan with concern: "Come sit. Has Wan Niang recovered? It was truly frightening a few days ago, I was worried sick for you."
"Thank you for your concern, Auntie. I'm fully recovered." Tang Wan sat down naturally, smiling: "I heard from Tang Mu about what happened earlier. We're grateful for your and Grandpa Shen's help. That's why we made some pancakes today, bringing some for you and Brother Rui to try."
Chen Rui was Ge Sanniang's son, just sixteen this year. He had recently inherited the Military Household status and was usually stationed at the military camp, rarely home. Ge Sanniang occasionally sent him food through others.
Hearing they came with gifts, Ge Sanniang immediately waved her hands: "We're neighbors, no need for such formalities. You two children have it hard enough. Now that you've finally gotten your money back, you should save it properly, not spend it recklessly."
Tang Wan smiled: "Don't worry, Auntie, we're not being wasteful. It's just… we haven't had a proper full meal in quite some time, so we made a bit extra today."
Hearing this, Ge Sanniang felt a pang of sadness in her heart.
Living right next door, she knew better than anyone how these two children had struggled through Old Tangtou's illness until his passing.
As she spoke, Tang Wan had Tang Mu bring over the basket. She removed the cover cloth and took out a bowl of still-steaming pancakes, then produced a three-catty piece of pork belly.
Ge Sanniang's eyes widened: "Child, what is this?"
Noticing an empty bowl on the table, Tang Wan familiarly transferred the pancakes into it, smiling: "If not for you and Grandpa Shen backing us up, Mu Ge'er wouldn't have been able to retrieve the money so smoothly. This is just a small token of our gratitude."
Ge Sanniang initially refused firmly, but seeing Tang Wan's sincere intention to give, she finally stopped protesting and accepted with a sigh: "Since you're so thoughtful, I'll accept this gratefully. If you need anything in the future, just call out. I may not have great capabilities, but I'll definitely help however I can!"
Tang Wan repeatedly expressed thanks, then stood up: "Well, Auntie, we won't keep you. We still need to visit Grandpa Shen's house."
Ge Sanniang watched the siblings leave the courtyard gate, feeling somewhat emotional.
She had originally worried that after Old Tangtou passed, these young ones would have a hard time. As neighbors, she thought she'd need to look after them more. But these past couple days made her realize she might have underestimated them – both siblings seemed much more mature in their actions than before.
With no elders left in the family, the young ones had to stand on their own feet quickly, didn't they?
Then again, this was the Northern Border – survival here required this way of living.
She couldn't help but think of her own husband who died in battle, her expression growing distant. After entering the house, she absently picked up one of the corn pancakes the siblings brought, took a bite, and paused in surprise.
Her melancholy thoughts instantly vanished. Ge Sanniang tore off the pancake's crust, carefully tasting it, wondering: How did they make these pancakes?
They don't look particularly special, yet they're so delicious?
The Shen family courtyard, meanwhile, was much livelier.
Old Shen's two sons were both married, and at this moment two young children were squatting under the eaves playing jackstones while his wife was washing clothes by the well.
Tang Wan led Tang Mu into the courtyard and cheerfully explained their purpose for visiting. Shen Laotou laughed heartily and said, "Silly girl, why stand on ceremony with us?"
No sooner had he spoken than the two children, who had been playing enthusiastically, came pattering over upon hearing there was tasty food. Their pairs of bright black eyes fixed unblinkingly on the bamboo basket in Tang Wan's hands, gazing at the stack of fragrant, golden corn cakes.
Seeing this, Tang Wan couldn't help smiling as she crouched down to ask them, "Would you like to wash your hands and come eat some cakes?"
Hearing this, the two children immediately looked down at their dusty little hands, then at the cakes, and without hesitation dropped their stones to run toward the well in the corner of the yard. They urged their grandmother, who was washing clothes there, to scoop water for them to wash their hands. Their little faces got splashed with water droplets, and they giggled happily while washing.
Soon, they came scurrying back, each carefully holding a cake to eat.
"Wow, so delicious!"
"The outside is crispy, and the inside is sweet and soft! Grandpa, you should try some too!"
Old Shen had initially been dismissive, thinking they were just ordinary corn cakes—nothing special. But when his granddaughter unexpectedly stuffed a piece into his mouth, he casually chewed and was met with the crisp sound of the toasted crust giving way to a fluffy, soft interior carrying the distinct aroma of corn grits. It was neither rough on the throat nor hard to swallow.
He paused in surprise, looked at Tang Wan, and couldn't help laughing: "Well now, you've got quite the skill, girl!"
Tang Wan's eyes curved happily: "I'm glad you like it! This was my first time making them. Next time I'll make something else for you to try."
As she spoke, she also brought out the cut piece of pork belly from the basket and handed it over with both hands: "And this, to add a dish for the children."
Seeing the sparkle in Tang Wan's eyes, Old Shen knew she wasn't just being polite, so he didn't refuse and accepted it with a smile.
With the gifts delivered, the siblings didn't stay long. After saying goodbye, they headed next to the Lu family.
Watching them leave, Old Shen remarked to his wife washing clothes by the well, "That girl is even more thoughtful than her grandfather was back in the day. Very sensible."
His wife wrung out the wet clothes and nodded in agreement: "I've heard both children can read and write. What could be better than that? The Chen mother and son really lack judgment…"
Most residents of Su Bei Camp were military households conscripted from various regions. While many in the ranks could wield blades, few could wield brushes. Lao Tangtou had served as a clerk in the army for most of his life. After retiring, he helped neighbors write and read letters. Because of this, he gained considerable reputation in several nearby alleys and throughout Huai Rong County, as everyone relied on his writing to communicate with relatives back home.
This was also why so many neighbors silently showed support when Tang Mu went to seek justice for his sister.
It was all goodwill accumulated over the years.
The siblings left the Shen family courtyard and made their way to Blue Stone Alley.
The Lu family lived in Blue Stone Alley, and their friendship had also formed because Tang Wan's grandfather often helped their family with letters.
However, while the Lu family knew where the Tang home was, the Tang siblings had never been to the Lu residence. By the time they asked for directions and found the house, it was almost noon.
It was only when they reached the door that Tang Wan suddenly remembered: "What if Second Brother Lu isn't home?"
Tang Mu also froze for a moment.
Lu Zheng appeared to be around seventeen or eighteen years old, having already inherited the Military Household status. That day, he had been on his way back from the military camp when he happened to see Tang Wan fall into the water and promptly rescued her.
"He's not home, but it should be fine. Let's leave the gifts with his family first, then ask when he'll be back so we can thank him in person next time."
"That seems to be the only way for now."
Blue Stone Alley was predominantly inhabited by Military Households of slightly higher ranks, and the houses here appeared more spacious compared to those in Elm Tree Alley.
Though not by much.
Huairong was a newly established military settlement, where houses were allocated compactly. With the population growing year by year as families expanded, the area had become somewhat crowded.
The siblings stopped at the entrance of the Lu residence. Tang Wan raised her voice and asked, "Excuse me, is this the home of Lu Zheng, Second Brother Lu?"
Footsteps echoed from inside the house, and a woman dressed in a slightly worn jacket and skirt emerged. She frowned at the siblings standing at the door and asked, "Who are you?"
Author's Note:
The male lead appears in the next chapter [Let me see]