Hu Jiao panicked instantly. Her mother never came to the university to find her, claiming she didn’t want to affect her studies. In reality, Hu Jiao knew her mother was afraid of embarrassing her. Hu Jiao didn’t think she cared about being embarrassed, but she never forced the issue. For her mother to come this early in the morning meant there must be an emergency!
Unable to wait for the elevator, Hu Jiao anxiously ran down the stairs. When she reached the entrance of the teaching building, she found not only her mother but also her counselor there, and the two were pushing something back and forth. Seeing that nothing seemed wrong, Hu Jiao finally breathed a sigh of relief and walked over, panting heavily.
Before she even got close, she heard the usually strict counselor actually blushing, looking embarrassed. “This won’t do. Just tell me where you bought them.”
Jin Laidi directly stuffed a plastic bag into the counselor’s arms. “The boss gave these for free! Hu Jiao told me how much you’ve looked after her. Our family is poor and we don’t have much to offer, so please don’t look down on a few buns.”
The counselor couldn’t help but swallow her saliva before remembering her professional poise; besides, if other students saw them pushing things back and forth, they might gossip. She said to Hu Jiao, “I met your mother at the school gate coming to see you, so I brought her in. Hu Jiao, do you need to request leave for this period?”
Hu Jiao thanked the counselor. Jin Laidi also hurriedly said it wasn’t necessary; she was just delivering breakfast and would leave immediately. Only then did the counselor leave, feeling reassured. Before departing, the counselor remembered something and said to Hu Jiao, “You don’t have class during the second period, right? Come to my office for a bit.”
After the counselor left, Jin Laidi looked flustered. “Little girl, did Mama cause trouble for you?”
Hu Jiao shook her head, tucked a stray hair behind Jin Laidi’s ear, and asked, “Are you off today?”
Jin Laidi shook her head and giggled as she pulled a bag of soup dumplings from her padded coat. The dumplings were slightly squashed, and the grease from the filling had seeped through the skin, making them look even more appetizing. The thin plastic bag couldn’t hold back the aroma. As soon as Jin Laidi pulled them out, Hu Jiao finally understood the counselor and involuntarily swallowed—so fragrant!
“Mama, have you eaten?”
“I ate, I ate!”
Hu Jiao took the bag, pulled out a dumpling, and stuffed it into Jin Laidi’s mouth. Jin Laidi choked for a second, unable to spit it out, and slowly began to chew.
Fragrant—it was so fragrant! Since she had come to Jiang City, her daughter had treated her to meat a few times, but she had never tasted anything this delicious! Jin Laidi was reluctant to swallow, saying slurredly, “So good. Mama will buy them for you again tomorrow! Go on, share them with your roommates.” She pushed her daughter, urging her to go back to class while she hurried to catch the bus to the construction site.
Hu Jiao called out to her mother as she ran off, wanting to tell her to stop working at the site after the winter break, but she ultimately kept it in. She just told her to stay safe. She needed to earn more money to rent a place during the winter break; then, mother and daughter would never have to return to that soul-crushing “home” again!
By the time Hu Jiao returned to the classroom, the teacher had already arrived. She stuffed the buns into her down jacket pocket and hurried in. She kept her head down and didn’t notice the teacher glancing at her. As she sat down, the lecture began. Sitting between her three roommates, Hu Jiao suppressed the urge to share and began taking notes.
Hu Jiao quickly found her rhythm and focused on the lecture, but the students around her suffered. Fangfang knew Hu Jiao’s mother had come to see her, and that the fragrance was emanating from Hu Jiao. She couldn’t focus on the lecture at all, stealing glances at Hu Jiao’s bulging jacket pocket—it must be something delicious! Even though she’d just had breakfast, she felt like she could eat a cow during an 8:00 AM class!
Not just Fangfang and the other two roommates, but even the students in the rows ahead and behind were whispering. A boy in the front row sniffed loudly and asked his neighbor, “Do you smell that? What is it?” A boy in the back row, who had intended to nap, was so stirred by the scent that his stomach growled; he kept drinking water, wishing he could skip class to find food.
Usually, the Advanced Mathematics teacher didn’t mind the students much, but today he frequently looked toward Hu Jiao’s direction. This made the boys around her and even her roommates afraid to speak; they sat quietly, staring at the teacher with “thirst for knowledge” in their eyes.
When the teacher turned to write on the blackboard, he felt a chill down his spine. Turning back to see those bright, focused eyes, he was moved: It seems everyone knows the final exams are coming and they’ve started studying seriously! Truly teachable!
The teacher lectured with passion. Before ending the class, he looked at their faces and said kindly, “While I can’t tell you what will be on the exam, I can tell you what won’t be.”
Amidst the chatter, Fangfang whispered, “Isn’t this teacher famous for being difficult and never narrowing down the exam scope? What happened to him?”
After class, remembering the counselor’s words, Hu Jiao pulled the buns from her pocket and gave them to Fangfang. “My mom bought these for me from the south of the city. Take them back and share them with Xiaojia and the others. The counselor wants to see me, so I’m heading there first.”
The buns smelled amazing, but business came first. This was the first time Hu Jiao had shared food with her roommates. Aside from her and Fangfang, Xiaojia and Chengzi were locals from Jiang City who often shared home-cooked food. Fangfang frequently bought fruit and snacks to share, while Hu Jiao had neither money nor a way to cook. Her roommates knew her situation and never demanded anything, saying her notes and tutoring were enough, but Hu Jiao still felt embarrassed. Consequently, she would often avoid their sharing sessions or just go to work. As the first semester neared its end, she felt more distant from them than at the start.
Hu Jiao was nervous; she feared they might look down on “street-side” dumplings but be too polite to say so. Letting Fangfang distribute them would save everyone from awkwardness. Hu Jiao left, but that bag of soup dumplings became the center of attention.
Fangfang didn’t expect such a reaction. As she, Xiaojia, and Chengzi walked toward the front row, Xiaojia clamored to eat one immediately, saying she’d endured the smell for a whole hour. Suddenly, they were blocked by a tall boy.
Damn, it was the “God of Academics” from their department!
Fangfang instantly turned shy, pulling Xiaojia’s hand away from the bag. Just as she was about to ask if her crush needed something, the boy pointed at the bag of dumplings and asked, “Classmate, where did you buy these?”
“…”
In Counselor Lu’s office, she placed four soup dumplings on her desk, rubbing her hands and giggling—her luck was great today. She’d received a gift from a parent, and she was alone in the office, so she didn’t have to share! The buns were so fragrant; she had smelled them earlier. They were a bit small, but that was expected of soup dumplings.
As soon as she popped one in her mouth and bit down, the savory juices filled her mouth. It was so delicious she slowed down her chewing to savor it—she had to ask Hu Jiao later where her mother bought them. Just as she was enjoying herself, someone patted her shoulder. Lu Sisi opened her eyes to see Teacher Zhou. Instinctively trying to hide the buns, she was still too slow to stop Zhou from grabbing one. “Lu Sisi, you’re eating alone! Where did these come from? They’re amazing!”
Lu Sisi curled her lip. “A student’s mother gave them… Hey, don’t look at me like that, I tried to pay her but she wouldn’t take it. I’m going to call her daughter over in a bit and give her something in return.”
Teacher Zhou asked casually, “Which student?”
“Hu Jiao.”
They both remembered Hu Jiao—good grades, tall and slender, polite. She had come to consult about student loans herself, and her family records only listed a mother. Teacher Zhou suddenly remembered something: “Do you know Hu Jiao works three jobs? I saw her at KFC at noon, then at a supermarket part-time in the evening, and one day I saw her handing out flyers at a primary school. Have you looked into her family situation?”
Lu Sisi looked at the buns and suddenly lost her appetite. “She never said anything. She only asked about loans and scholarships… Her mother’s clothes today looked like she worked on a construction site…”
Teacher Zhou fell silent, then quietly took another bun. “I remember she wanted to apply to stay on campus during the winter break. She wouldn’t do that if she wasn’t in real trouble. And she won’t be able to keep this up. Has the work-study candidate for the library next semester been decided yet?”
When Hu Jiao left the office, her hands were trembling. Teacher Lu said she would approve her request to stay on campus and that there was a work-study spot in the library for her. The counselor also explained various national aid policies and told her to focus on her studies instead of working three jobs. She called her mother to share the news, her heart leaping with joy.
Returning to the dorm, she found Fangfang and Xiaojia “fighting,” while Chengzi, seeing her mediation efforts fail, was busy taking photos of the soup dumplings. Seeing Hu Jiao, Chengzi pushed the two away: “There are only two left, and we said they’re for Hu Jiao. Don’t go too far!” It turned out the two thought the dumplings were so good they nearly fought over them.
Hu Jiao didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. “Don’t fight, let’s share them.” The three were overjoyed, chirping around Hu Jiao. The atmosphere in their dorm had never been better. Hu Jiao was extremely happy today. While the dumplings were delicious, the improved relationship with her roommates and the hope for her mother made her happier than eating a hundred dumplings!
But those dumplings really were good—better than any she’d had as a child. As Hu Jiao tossed and turned, unable to sleep, Chengzi suddenly said, “Jiao Jiao, are you free Saturday? Our dorm hasn’t gone out together yet.” This was the first time she’d be included in a dorm activity. “Sure! Should we go to the park in the city center? I heard there’s a lantern festival at night.”
Chengzi giggled. “Well, we want you to ask your mom where she bought those dumplings. How about you accompany me on a ‘foodie quest’ to find that stall?”
Early in the morning, Qiao Man sold two orders of buns. One was to Jin Laidi, and the other was to Shi Xiaozhao, who had worked overtime all night.
Shi Xiaozhao was telling Jiang Feng and Gao Dong about the homicide from last night. It wasn’t a secret anymore; the whole neighborhood knew, and the door had been broken down by neighbors and the local police. The news would likely spread through the south of the city today. It was the first time he’d seen such a cruel scene with his own eyes, and yet, while he was venting, his Brother Jiang Feng was actually joking with him.
“What’s wrong with these buns?” Shi Xiaozhao was listless, stuffing a mixed vegetable dumpling into his mouth. Man, these are good! Too bad he couldn’t stomach meat right now. “It’s thanks to these buns that I’m feeling alive today.”
Jiang Feng pinched a bun and examined it—the flavor seemed familiar. The first time he’d tasted this was in an alley nearby, where they caught that child-abductor dressed as a woman. At that time, the criminal had been kicked down by a very strong “man,” and there was a bun nearby with this exact fragrance. Thinking back, the buns he ate in the office yesterday had the same uniform pleats and similar angles; even the flour seemed to be the same brand…
Jiang Feng fell into thought staring at the soup dumplings. Gao Dong, lost his appetite from the talk, cleared his palate with some spicy pickles. He said to Shi Xiaozhao, “Ignore him, he’s having another episode. Why are you working like a draft animal as a freshman?” He chatted with Shi Xiaozhao, subtly avoiding the invitation to taste the buns.
Only Jiang Feng reached for the bag of meat soup dumplings again. Shi Xiaozhao tried to dodge, but failed. Jiang Feng pinched a bun and raised an eyebrow. “By the way, Xiao Zhao, tell your grandma to stop finding dates for me. I’m not the only single one in the compound.” He popped the bun into his mouth and gestured toward Gao Dong with his chin.
By the time they finished eating and chatting, it was 7:00 AM. They headed home together. Jiang Feng wanted to ask more about the bun stall, but he received a call from Captain Yan of the detachment and hurried back to work.
Gao Dong stood at the door and heard his mother scolding his sister: “You threw the meatballs I fried for you into the service area trash can! If your son hadn’t let it slip, I wouldn’t have known you looked down on them so much! Now you come asking for buns? We don’t have any!”
Gao Dong pinched the bridge of his nose. He must be hallucinating from the overnight train ride; why couldn’t he escape the topic of buns today? He didn’t expect that when he opened the door, he would see an even more surreal scene—his infamously picky nephew was huddled in a corner of the living room, silently munching on a large bun. His sister was smiling apologetically at their mother, and the two were tugging at the same plastic bag containing a few buns.
His sister and mother greeted him but immediately went back to fighting over the bag. His sister said playfully, “You know we can’t eat those fried meatballs, and you use good oil and meat—it’s a waste to let them spoil. I promise I won’t throw them away next time! You know little Tongtong doesn’t like to eat and vomits everything; he finally found something he likes, so just give them to me!”
No one paid attention to the child who hadn’t been home in a year. Only Tongtong, in the corner, held up a half-eaten bun. “Uncle, have a bun!” It was covered in the child’s saliva and was his least favorite filling—leek, egg, and shrimp. Gao Dong was genuinely repulsed. But his nephew was persistent, holding it up high and refusing to let go until he ate. Gao Dong picked a clean-looking spot and took a bite.
He chewed a few times and suddenly felt that leek, egg, and shrimp buns weren’t that bad… actually, they were quite good. He held his nephew’s hand and said, “Tongtong, let Uncle have another bite.” Tongtong couldn’t break free and burst into tears. Gao Dong looked up to see his mother and sister had stopped fighting; both were looking at him with disdain—a nearly thirty-year-old man stealing food from a child!
On her first day selling breakfast from the cart, Qiao Man hadn’t prepared too much. Perhaps because the scent was so enticing, or perhaps because she stayed the longest, she had a steady stream of customers. Some bought a few steamers at noon to save on cooking; others were drawn by the smell; some liked that they were fresh and not pre-prepared… After noon, Qiao Man closed the stall and went home.
She spent a long time doing the accounts and went to find Qi Dongmei with a frown. She was naturally bad at math, and with the added costs of the food cart, she was struggling. Seeing her, Qi Dongmei said, “I told you not to be in such a hurry. It’s getting colder, and they say it’ll snow the day after tomorrow. Going out early is suffering. Besides, can you feel safe leaving An’an home alone? An’an told me this morning that a man knocked on the door after you left. She didn’t know him—what if… ptui ptui ptui!“
“Xiong Mei and I have discussed it; we’re not in a hurry for the money. Don’t worry about our share of the breakfast profit for now; just consider it a loan to help you open your shop. If it’s not enough… I have some savings!” Qi Dongmei gritted her teeth at the last sentence, making Qiao Man feel a surge of warmth. She stopped Qi Dongmei from getting her savings, suppressing her emotions. “Alright! Don’t worry, Auntie Qi, I know what to do. I won’t go out so early anymore, but the stall must stay. I want to take over that shop before New Year’s Day, and it’ll cost a lot.”
Qi Dongmei sighed. “You have your own ideas, I can’t persuade you. Just don’t push yourself too hard; things are different now.” They called over Xiong Mei and calculated Qiao Man’s income for the day. To their surprise, it was quite good! Looking at the papers, Qi Dongmei sighed, “And here I was trying to give you advice. With this income, you’ll be able to take over that shop quite quickly.”
Xiong Mei also sighed and asked, “From what you said, you’ve already picked a shop? What do you plan to do? Still buns?” Qiao Man shook her head. “Stalls are fine, but a shop that only sells buns won’t make money. I want to open a snack shop. The profit margins are quite high, and it’s not as exhausting as making buns.”
Qi Dongmei hadn’t done business, but she had seen enough. “That seems true. And the food street is next to the primary school; with so many kids, sales will be great. Kids these days love snacks.”
With that settled, the three discussed the breakfast orders. “Qiwei Technology added another two hundred orders. Sister Xiong and I discussed it; we can’t keep doing this on a small scale. We need to rent a workspace and add more staff.” Qiao Man looked at the accounts and thought. “Rent one! Just set up a simple processing area, get the licenses, and run it as an individual business. This kind of shop isn’t for walk-ins, just orders, so costs are lower. When you get the licenses, look into it; maybe we can even handle their company’s lunch boxes! Right, President Xiong, President Qi?” The three laughed. Xiong Mei and Qi Dongmei were filled with drive. They never expected to become “Presidents” at their age!
As Qiao Man was leaving, Xiong Mei remembered something. “I heard Little Dong who sells porridge is quitting after the New Year. Can we take over her stall?” Qiao Man thought and said, “Sister Dong is selling her equipment; I promised to help her find a buyer. If needed, we don’t need her cart, but we can take her porridge equipment. I’ll think about it.” She felt it was a hassle and not very profitable, but if Sister Dong quit, there was no need to partner with anyone else.
Qiao Man slept all afternoon to catch up on sleep, then planned to pick up An’an and buy some groceries. Tonight, Xiong Mei had invited the kids for dinner; her sauerkraut was ready, so she was making sauerkraut and lard residue dumplings. Qiao Man planned to make two more dishes to bring over.
At school pickup, parents gathered at the gate. Qiao Man stood alone, not looking at her phone, standing straight and watching the children line up—she was quite an eye-catching figure. At dismissal, both parents and stall owners were waiting. Zhou Fenglan, who had argued with Qiao Man and Sister Dong earlier, was there with her husband. She sold small toys, and her husband sold fried skewers.
She spotted Qiao Man in the corner and nudged her husband, Wu Aimin, with her elbow. “See her? That’s the girl I told you about.” Wu Aimin was secretly mixing old oil into new oil. He glanced over and said, “She sold out that quickly?” Zhou Fenglan sneered, “Probably had no business at all. I told you young people can’t do business; all those fancy things are useless. She’ll lose everything soon.”
As she vented, a mustachioed man selling roasted sweet potatoes leaned in. “Who are you talking about?” Having an audience, Zhou Fenglan recounted the morning’s events with extra spice. The man thought and realized, “Was she the one selling from a foam box before?” Zhou Fenglan was baffled; Sister Dong hadn’t told her that.
The man continued, “I heard this girl is quite something. She used to sell from a foam box, and then she disappeared for a while. Now she’s leveled up with a food cart?! Selling buns must be profitable.” Seeing Zhou Fenglan’s interest, he stoked the fire. “If I had that skill, would I let her earn that money? Right, sister? I remember your cooking is great; those steamed dumplings you brought last time were authentic!”
Flattered, Zhou Fenglan’s mind began to race. Why shouldn’t she do it? She could steal the girl’s business and take a share of Sister Dong’s porridge trade too! Who told Sister Dong to side with that girl? Ten years of friendship couldn’t beat a girl she’d known for ten days? She whispered to Wu Aimin. He frowned. “Setting aside other things, how much would that cart and equipment cost? Can we earn it back without a steady income?”
Zhou Fenglan lowered her voice further. “I’ll trick her into only selling me the cart. I’ll sell buns here, you sell porridge. We’re closer to the school, and we’ll price everything a yuan lower. Are you worried we won’t beat her?” Her words moved Wu Aimin. They looked around and prepared to discuss it more at home.
The mustachioed man watched them and laughed internally: He’d told his brother not to worry about the bun stall stealing his shop’s business. Someone was going to deal with her. This couple was easily swayed; after some more “advice,” they’d surely go and set up elsewhere.