As the crispy, fragrant Mung Bean Filling touched her tongue, the young woman narrowed her eyes in satisfaction. She had always loved soft, aromatic pastries, yet most offerings in this town were either cloyingly sweet or too coarse to swallow comfortably.
She let the small piece of LvDouBing linger in her mouth, carefully comparing the textures of the two pastries. The Hongdou Bing was soft and sweet with a glutinous texture, while the LvDouBing was flaky and delicious. Though their appearance wasn’t as refined as those from proper pastry shops, their flavor surpassed even what her own family’s shop sold.
“Is Madam satisfied?” Shen Zhihe, standing behind the stall, had been watching the woman’s expression closely. Seeing her show clear approval, she seized the opportunity to press forward.
Hearing this, the woman pointed with her pale, delicate fingers at the pastries before Shen Zhihe. “Wrap up five of each kind for me.”
Shen Zhihe immediately beamed with delight. Worried she might not sell everything on her first day, she had made only ten of each pastry to test the waters. With two pieces already used for sampling, and now this young lady buying ten pieces alone, selling the remaining eight today shouldn’t be a problem.
“Right away! Please wait a moment. Each pastry costs three coins, so thirty coins total.” Shen Zhihe pulled open a drawer, took out a sheet of oiled paper, and was about to wrap both pastries together when she paused.
The woman before her wore fine clothing and was accompanied by two attendants – clearly a young lady from a wealthy family.
Considering this, she took another sheet of oiled paper and separated the LvDouBing from the Hongdou Bing, packing them in two separate parcels.
After accepting the payment from the woman’s attendant, Shen Zhihe handed over the pastries.
She had thought her separate packaging would please the woman, but instead the lady wrinkled her nose and lifted the packages disdainfully by their strings.
“Shopkeeper, you should consider ordering some elegant wooden boxes. That way, when people buy them as gifts, it would be much more presentable.”
The woman seemed to be waiting for someone and wasn’t in a hurry to leave. Perhaps having enjoyed Shen Zhihe’s pastries so much today, she felt inclined to offer some advice.
Speaking thus, she familiarly walked around the stall and immediately spotted plump, jade-like, adorable Shen Zhian sitting obediently on a low stool behind the cart.
Her eyes lit up at the sight of the child clutching a Xiao Long Bao as large as his palm, eating with such enthusiasm that oil covered his mouth.
The aroma of meat made the woman, who had risen early to travel, lick her lips. She turned to Shen Zhihe, “Shopkeeper, what is this food? Could I have some?”
“Apologies, but the Xiao Long Bao are completely sold out today. You…” Before Shen Zhihe could finish, she saw the woman’s eyes redden as she gazed at her pleadingly.
Her heart clenched. The woman was exceptionally beautiful, and her teary-eyed appearance was truly pitiable. Remembering how the woman’s earlier suggestion had resonated with her own thoughts, and wanting to chat with her further, Shen Zhihe sighed helplessly.
The crowd around them had dispersed, leaving only a few people standing before the stall eating the complimentary pastries. Within moments, Shen Zhihe’s plate of sample pastries was empty.
Seeing that Shen Zhihe wasn’t paying attention to them, the remaining people exchanged glances before quickly disappearing into the flow of pedestrians on the street.
At the moment, Shen Zhihe had no time to deal with those people, especially since the young lady playing with Shen Zhian behind her was eagerly waiting to be fed. She had no choice but to take out her own rations and steam them over the stove.
“Doll, what’s your name?” The young lady reached out and pinched Shen Zhian’s chubby cheek. The soft, smooth texture made her narrow her eyes in delight—this pair of siblings was unexpectedly good-looking.
Shen Zhian glanced at Shen Zhihe not far away, his little chubby hands nervously clutching the hem of his clothes. “My name is Shen Zhian.His soft, tender voice lifted her spirits. Smiling, she pulled Shen Zhian into her arms, secretly wishing that her elder brother’s children were as well-behaved.
“What did you mean earlier, my wife?”” Shen Zhihe, noticing Shen Zhian’s bewildered expression, curled her lips into a smile and asked casually.
“My name is Zhou Ying—just call me A Ying. No need for such formalities.” Zhou Ying’s eyes swept around and landed on the elderly man’s stall selling oil cakes. She released Shen Zhian, dragged over a low stool, and sat down without a trace of ladylike grace.
“Earlier, I heard those people call you Shen Xiaoniangzi? To be honest, my family also runs a pastry shop, but the pastries are far too sweet—nothing like yours, which are just right. During festivals, people often order gift boxes from our shop. Your pastries are so delicious; if you could offer gift boxes, they’d surely sell well.”
Shen Zhihe stared at Zhou Ying in astonishment. Logically, as someone in the same trade, they should be competitors, yet she had so easily admitted that her family’s pastries weren’t as tasty.
Noticing Shen Zhihe’s surprise, Zhou Ying chuckled lightly. “Are you wondering why I’m telling you all this?”
A chilly wind rustled, and wisps of white steam rose from the steamer perched on the iron pot. The three of them huddled behind the cart to escape the cold.
“Simply because I like you and your brother. Also, in a few days, my family is hosting a tea banquet. Could I invite you to prepare some pastries for it?” Zhou Ying smiled, unsure why she felt such an instant connection with Shen Xiaoniangzi despite it being their first meeting.
The sudden invitation caught Shen Zhihe off guard. Gazing into Zhou Ying’s expectant eyes, she felt puzzled—why her? They had only just met.
Just then, the Xiao Long Bao steaming in the pot seemed ready. Shen Zhihe immediately abandoned her thoughts and decided to fill her stomach first. She quickly stood up, retrieved the Xiao Long Bao from the pot, and eyed the four remaining ones on the plate, along with two eagerly waiting mouths behind her.
After a moment’s thought, she took the leftover Wonton Skin from earlier, scooped a ladle of Bone Broth into a clean pot, and once it boiled, she casually stretched the Wonton Skin and dropped it in.
In no time, the rich aroma of the Bone Broth filled their nostrils. Zhou Ying, who had been teasing Shen Zhian, stood up at the scent.
She peered into the pot and saw the stretched Wonton Skin rolling in the milky-white broth.
The stove fire was blazing, and in less than half an incense stick’s time, the Wonton Skin was cooked. Shen Zhihe scooped it out, then, after a thought, took three eggs. She couldn’t skimp on her own food, especially since she had some silver on hand now.
Her gaze fell on a brown jar. She scooped out a spoonful of Lard and placed it in the iron pan used for pancakes, watching as the creamy white Lard slowly melted.
The aroma of lard gradually wafted through the air as Shen Zhihe cracked three eggs into the sizzling oil. With a sharp “sizzle,” the translucent egg whites quickly solidified, and soon, under Shen Zhihe’s deft movements, both sides of the eggs turned golden brown.
The fragrance of the fried eggs, infused with the rich scent of lard, made Zhou Ying’s mouth water uncontrollably. It wasn’t that she had never eaten fried eggs before, but on such a bitterly cold winter day, enjoying a steaming bowl of bone broth paired with crispy, golden fried eggs was truly one of life’s greatest pleasures!
With the first bite, the outer layer of the fried egg was delightfully crisp, while the inside remained perfectly runny.
“A Ying, Father and Mother have been waiting for you at home for so long. How could you start eating out here?” A familiar voice sounded from nearby.
Shen Zhihe looked up and saw a familiar face. No wonder this girl seemed to come from a good family yet treated others with such warmth—it turned out she belonged to the same Zhou Family as Zhou Yao.
If she could work at the Zhou Family making pastries, it would be an excellent opportunity. Not only would the pay be generous, but the Zhou Family also had a stellar reputation in town. If she could use this chance to successfully host that tea banquet, she would surely make a name for herself in the area. Perhaps by next year, she could even afford to lease a shop of her own.
Lost in her thoughts, Shen Zhihe seemed to envision a steady stream of silver coins flying toward her and couldn’t help but chuckle aloud.
“Shen Xiaoniangzi?” Zhou Yao looked puzzled. He had just heard Zhou Ying’s request to invite Shen Zhihe to their home to help prepare for the tea banquet. However, with less than five days until the event, the pastry menu had long been finalized. Changing chefs now would likely be too late—this girl really did come up with ideas on a whim.
“Ah, what is it, sir?” Shen Zhihe, snapping back to reality, noticed Zhou Yao’s hesitant expression and felt her heart sink, guessing that the tea banquet opportunity had fallen through.
“A Ying just invited you to our home to assist with the tea banquet preparations. Are you willing? If so, I will send someone to pick you up tomorrow morning.” Zhou Yao maintained a calm expression as he pried Zhou Ying’s pinching fingers from his waist. The words of refusal had rolled on his tongue but were swallowed back.
He thought to himself, This girl really doesn’t hold back—my waist is probably bruised now. Well, since both my parents and that little ancestor adore Shen Xiaoniangzi’s skills, I might as well indulge her whims. Otherwise, who knows what fuss she’ll kick up when we get home.
Hearing this, the gloom in Shen Zhihe’s eyes instantly vanished, replaced by a sparkle of gratitude as she glanced at Zhou Ying, who was winking at her. “I would be more than willing.”
After a moment, she hesitantly added, “May I bring Zhi An along? There are no elders at home, and I worry about leaving him alone.”
Zhou Yao turned to look at Shen Zhian, who was sitting obediently nearby, his round eyes fixed on Zhou Yao with a pleading gaze. Zhou Yao’s heart softened, and he sighed inwardly. This child seems as endearing as his elder sister. My elder brother and his wife’s child is still with them in the prefecture and won’t be back for some time. My parents have been eyeing other people’s children with envy lately—perhaps letting Shen Xiaoniangzi bring this boy along would cheer them up.
“Of course, that’s fine. If there’s nothing else, Shen Xiaoniangzi, I’ll take A Ying home now and send someone to fetch you tomorrow morning.”
Watching Shen Zhihe shake her head, Zhou Yao then led Zhou Ying toward the east side of the city. Only when the group disappeared into the bustling crowd did Shen Zhihe withdraw her gaze. Excitedly, she pulled Shen Zhian into an embrace. The Zhou Family’s Tea Banquet required careful preparation—tomorrow she would visit the Zhou residence to see what ingredients were available, aiming to make a stunning impression.
“Shen Xiaoniangzi, is it true that the Zhou Family has invited you to prepare their Tea Banquet?” A woman selling Oily Shortcakes leaned halfway out from her stall. She had always looked down on Shen Zhihe, believing her only drew customers due to her novel dishes and considerable charm.
If asked why she thought so—ever since Shen Zhihe set up her stall here, the woman had noticed most patrons were young men, with few young women among them. Weren’t they drawn by her looks rather than her skills? What a joke! This young girl appeared no older than fourteen or fifteen—what culinary skill could she possibly possess?
But now things had changed. The Zhou Family had visited her humble stall twice, and today they even invited her to prepare their Tea Banquet—an event attended by the town’s most prominent families. If she made a name for herself there, her future would be boundless. It was time to build a rapport with Shen Xiaoniangzi in advance.
“It should be true,” Shen Zhihe replied with a light smile. She picked up a wooden board and wrote in large characters with a piece of charcoal: “Family matters—closed for five days starting tomorrow.”