Wen Ranran pushed her cart back, gazing at the bustling streets filled with lively chatter and laughter. She couldn’t help but smile along with the cheerful sounds of pedestrians.
She loved this kind of vibrant, busy life—it made her feel particularly purposeful!
The summer evening breeze carried a sweet fragrance, and Wen Ranran found herself drawn to the enticing aroma. Following the scent, she arrived at a pastry shop—the same one she had passed by last time when taking Third Uncle to the City Patrol Supervisor.
A sudden idea flashed in her mind, and she excitedly patted her forehead: she could promote her desserts at restaurants and teahouses! Moreover, to stand out, she needed to sell something unique.
With this thought, Wen Ranran parked her cart and stepped into the pastry shop. Unsure of what desserts were popular in this era, she decided to look around first before deciding what to sell.
The shop assistant greeted her with a warm smile: “What pastries would you like, miss? Our Zao Hua Su, Jiao Yan Su, and Dou Sha Su are freshly baked and still warm!”
She stood quietly in the shop, observing that most of the items were traditional flaky pastries, along with some steamed cakes like Gui Hua Gao, Lü Dou Gao, and Ding Sheng Gao.
Staring at these various traditional pastries, Wen Ranran was reminded of her childhood.
She hadn’t been naturally interested in cooking. Her Master never forced her; he always said that one must love their work to excel at it, and he had put considerable effort into sparking her interest in the craft.
Back then, her Master took her out to eat every day, traveling far and wide to sample local delicacies. When they were short on time, he would take her to Bei Dao Village to buy pastries. Her favorite back then was Zao Hua Su—the flaky crust melted in her mouth without being dry, the jujube filling was rich and fragrant without being overly sweet, and it was utterly delicious.
But her Master, worried that too much sugar would harm her teeth, limited her to just one piece a day. This intense craving for Zao Hua Su gradually planted the idea in her mind: “I’ll make my own Zao Hua Su and eat as much as I want!”
When her Master found out, he naturally taught her everything he knew. He even called in his younger apprentice—the renowned pastry master, Master Lu—to supervise and practice with her.
The first pastry she learned to make was Zao Hua Su. From then on, she fell completely in love with cooking, enchanted by how ingredients transformed into delicious creations in her hands.
Yet… she still never achieved unlimited access to Zao Hua Su. Her Master remained deeply concerned about maintaining her healthy teeth.
Wen Ranran sniffled, her eyes growing warm. She would never forget those warm evenings when her Master firmly held her hand, their two shadows—one large, one small—stretching long across the ground. She would playfully hop on his shadow while he chuckled and asked, “What pastry would our Ranran like to eat today?”
The shop assistant, noticing her prolonged silence, called out: “Miss?”
Wen Ranran snapped back to reality, wiping the tears from the corners of her eyes and offering an apologetic smile to the assistant. “Please pack seven pieces of Zao Hua Su and seven pieces of Jiao Yan Su for me.”
“Right away!”
The assistant’s hands moved with practiced skill, deftly wrapping the pastries in oiled paper and tying them with red string as if performing a dance.
“Here you go, miss! Come back again if you enjoy them!”
Wen Ranran took the pastries, and a rich jujube aroma wafted toward her. It felt as if she had been transported back to her childhood.
Master had painstakingly cultivated her talents, so she must carve out her own place in this unfamiliar era. Only then would she not fail Master’s expectations!
Wen Ranran had visited every pastry shop with storefronts along the street, and just like the first one, they all sold flaky pastries and steamed cakes. Some were savory, some were sweet, but essentially they were all variations of the same theme. The expensive ones were more exquisitely crafted, while the affordable ones were simpler in presentation, but fundamentally they were just different packaging for the same contents.
Modern times offered abundant information and a wide variety of desserts. As long as she could create them, they were bound to be popular.
Ingredients weren’t a problem either. The dietary customs of nomadic peoples around the world had developed in remarkably similar ways, with many ingredients being interchangeable substitutes. For example, clarified butter could replace butter, and could even be whipped into cream. All-purpose flour and low-gluten flour could also be converted interchangeably, thus making many Western pastries and modern desserts achievable.
Even an oven wasn’t an issue. The wisdom of the ancients was boundless—a clay oven would suffice!
Cookies, egg tarts, cream puffs, chiffon cakes, muffins…
Rolled cakes, date puree cakes, shortbreads, glutinous rice balls, all kinds of chewy glutinous rice treats…
She possessed the conveniences of modern times, so she must make the most of them!
First things first, tomorrow she would find someone to build a clay oven at her home!
The next morning, the dew was heavy, and the air was sticky and humid, making people feel rather uncomfortable.
But the customers at the jianbing stall paid no mind to this minor annoyance, each eating with great relish.
Dong Shu chewed on the sweet and spicy juicy dried tofu and couldn’t help but exclaim, “Wen Xiaoniangzi! How is it that I never get tired of your jianbing?”
“Right?” Zhu Zi mumbled through a mouthful of jianbing, his words unclear as he agreed, “I look forward to this jianbing every single day!”
Wen Ranran’s eyes curved into crescents as she let out a hearty laugh, “That’s because I figure you all must be getting tired of eating the same thing, so I keep switching up the fillings. That way, you naturally don’t get bored of it!”
“To keep customers coming back, I’ve put a lot of thought into it!”
Dong Shu laughed and pointed at her, saying, “Look at what a clever girl you are! You’re a natural-born businesswoman!”
Wen Ranran handed the last portion of jianbing to a customer with a smile, then turned and walked over to Dong Shu, grinning as she spoke, “Uncle Dong, you’ve seen so much of the world, I’d like to ask you something. Do you know any craftsmen who specialize in building stoves and ovens? I want to build a, uh… that kind of oven for baking pastries in my yard.”
She didn’t know what a clay oven was called in this era, so she had to gesture while explaining.
Upon hearing this, a glint suddenly flashed in Dong Shu’s eyes. He proudly patted his chest and gave her a mysterious smile, “Wen Xiaoniangzi, guess what I used to do?”
Wen Ranran looked at his beaming face, her heart filled with both shock and delight, “Uncle Dong, don’t tell me you’re an expert in this field?”
“Aiya!” Uncle Dong waved his hand grandly, his expression full of smugness, “I wouldn’t dare call myself an expert, but eight out of ten pastry ovens on this street were built by me!”
Good heavens, a perfectly matched specialty, as serendipitous as receiving a farming game care package! Wen Ranran didn’t beat around the bush either, smiled and said, “Then if Uncle Dong is free today, why not come to my house to take a look? I’ll cover your meals, and I promise I won’t shortchange you on the wages!”
Upon hearing “meals included,” Uncle Dong couldn’t help but swallow hard. Without even thinking, he readily agreed, “It’s settled then!”
Wages or no wages didn’t matter; it was just that the “meals included” condition was too tempting! Too irresistible!
“Since I’m working the night shift today and have the afternoon free, I’ll go back with you later to take a look. Don’t even mention payment – since you call me Uncle, how could I take money for helping my own niece build a stove?” Dong Shu chuckled, his sun-darkened face gleaming under the sunlight, his eyes simple and clear.
Wen Ranran felt touched and quickly responded, “That won’t do. Business is business. If you’re like this, I won’t dare ask for your help next time.”
Dong Shu took out his tobacco pipe, took a couple of puffs and smiled, “Then you decide what to pay. I’ll just focus on getting your stove properly built!”
“Alright!” Wen Ranran cheerfully agreed, promptly packing up her stall before heading back with Dong Shu.
Chatting with Dong Shu along the way made the journey much livelier than when she walked alone.
“Ranran’s back!” Shen Shi was waiting for her daughter at the door as usual, but was surprised to see her returning with an unfamiliar man. “This is…”
“This is Dong Shu, one of my regular customers. I’ve invited him today to help build a stove at home.” Wen Ranran smiled at Dong Shu, then introduced him, “Dong Shu, this is my mother.”
Looking at the gentle woman before him, Dong Shu sensed an air of nobility he hadn’t encountered before, likely not from an ordinary background. After a moment’s consideration, he smiled honestly and addressed her as “Madam.”
“What madam am I anymore.” Shen Shi smiled as she welcomed him in. “Thank you for supporting Ranran’s business when she’s out working.”
As she spoke, she moved a chair over. “Please sit and rest. I’ll get you some water.”
“This is too kind…”
Wen Ranran added, “Do rest, Uncle Dong. You’ll have plenty to do later!”
Dong Shu felt warmed by their hospitality and settled comfortably into the chair. Having worked through the night, he was truly exhausted!
Liang Shi came out upon hearing the noise and saw a sweaty stranger sitting in the courtyard, covered in dust from head to toe, looking utterly filthy.
She snorted coldly, walked over and stood still, her eyes scanning up and down the shabbily dressed man with disdain. Assuming her Countess’s airs, she said contemptuously, “San Yatou, don’t just bring anyone home.”