The once simple and unpretentious street food suddenly shed its mundane, everyday air, gaining an unexpected elegance, like the refined quiet of a scholar’s study.
At that moment, a young scholar in an indigo-colored robe was walking slowly from the street entrance.
He stood tall, with a handsome face, but his brows were furrowed with an inescapable worry—clearly troubled by some academic problem.
He was Shen Yan, a promising student at the Imperial Academy.
Yesterday, during a policy essay class, the professor had assigned the topic: “The Relationship Between Grain Transport and Prices in the Capital Region,” due in three days. Though the topic seemed ordinary, it was actually broad and complex. Shen Yan had pondered for half an hour with no clue, even forgetting to eat breakfast, his stomach empty but his mind increasingly restless.
The morning smells of Shui Gui Street were always a chaotic mix: the grease of fried cakes, the pungency of hot spicy soup, the stench of livestock… The overwhelming aromas only tightened Shen Yan’s frown. He simply wanted to get through the noisy street and find a quiet spot to think.
But just as he was about to round the corner, an unusual fragrance, unexpected and irresistible, reached his nose.
It was sweet, yet unlike the shallow sweetness of ordinary sugar cakes. It was rich, clean, carrying the natural fragrance of sun-dried grain, cutting through all the surrounding odors like a fresh breeze, dispelling some of the irritation in his heart.
Shen Yan’s steps unconsciously halted.
Following the scent, his gaze fell upon a modest stall tucked into the corner of the wall, simple to the point of seeming shabby.
A thin young girl was carefully wrapping plump, white buns in clean oiled paper. Her movements were not fast, but they were orderly, calm in a way that belied her age. Beside her, a smaller boy stood straight, like a little guardian protecting the stall.
Shen Yan’s attention ultimately settled on the buns wrapped in oiled paper.
Clean, neat, meticulous.
Out of place in the dirty, cluttered corner, yet somehow harmoniously fitting.
Su Qingyan immediately noticed the scholar stopping in his tracks. Sharp-eyed, she recognized the quality of his robe at a glance and the refinement in his bearing—far beyond that of an ordinary student.
Opportunity!
She picked up a small sample and took a couple of steps forward, her face lighting up with a perfectly balanced smile, her clear voice warm and inviting.
“Sir, please try one of our newly made brown sugar blossom buns—it will warm you up.”
Shen Yan instinctively raised his hand to refuse. He was fastidious and usually kept his distance from street food.
But when he looked up, his eyes met hers—black and white, crystal clear. There was no flattery or calculation, only calm confidence, as if she were offering not just a bun, but a treasured possession she was proud of.
Almost against his will, he reached out and took the small bun.
The moment his fingers touched it, he felt its warmth. Hesitant, he placed it in his mouth.
The next instant, his eyes widened slightly.
No roughness, no coarse bite—this bun was like a cloud without bones, melting the moment it touched his tongue. A rich, yet not cloying, brown sugar sweetness exploded on his taste buds. The flavor was deep and lingering, and on careful tasting, he could even discern the subtle sweetness of the grain itself.
A warm current slid down his empty stomach, instantly calming his restless mind.
“This…” Shen Yan’s face displayed genuine surprise. He savored the lingering flavor. “This bun… you can taste the wheat itself. Truly rare.”
Su Qingyan’s heart leapt. She knew she had picked the right person. A playful smile curved her lips as she spoke.
“Sir, you flatter me. I just put in a little care, nothing was cut corners. See, the bun’s exterior is chewy, yet the inside is soft—like a scholar’s character: outwardly upright, but within lies a world of elegance.”
Shen Yan was momentarily stunned. Then, the tension on his handsome face dissolved, and he laughed loudly.
“Excellent! ‘Tough outside, refined inside!’ Ha! Little lady, not only is your skill superb, but your wit is remarkable! For that phrase alone, I’ll buy your buns!” His hearty laugh drew the attention of passersby. “Give me twenty! I’ll take them back to my classmates so they can taste this ‘world of elegance!’”
“Twenty?!”
Across the street, Liu San-niang’s eyes nearly popped out. Her cloth fell to the ground with a slap. Twenty buns! A hundred wen! Just for this poor little girl’s white buns?
Su Mingxuan, who had been nervously clutching his coat, turned crimson with excitement, looking at his sister, then at the scholar, unsure where to put his hands.
Shen Yan’s reputation at the Imperial Academy was immense; a recognized prodigy, his actions drew attention. To buy buns on the street—twenty at once—instantly made him a living advertisement.
“It’s Scholar Shen Yan!”
“What’s he buying? Smells amazing!”
Several students who had been passing by immediately crowded around, curious.
“Scholar Shen, what is this that you prize so highly?”
Shen Yan handed a freshly wrapped bun to a classmate. “Try it yourselves. This is no ordinary thing.”
The student bit cautiously, and his reaction mirrored Shen Yan’s—eyes widening. “Mmm! Delicious! Soft and sweet! Melts in the mouth!”
With Shen Yan and his classmate’s endorsement, the remaining students had no doubts, eagerly reaching for their purses.
“What Scholar Shen chooses must be extraordinary! Little lady, I’ll take two!”
“I’ll take three!”
“And me! Pack me five!”
The crowd exploded. Dozens of students surrounded Su Qingyan’s tiny stall.
“Big sister!” Su Mingxuan exclaimed, pulling out the small coin pouch he had prepared, flustered as he collected money.
Su Qingyan took a deep breath, steadying herself. Her hands moved quickly and efficiently, taking buns, wrapping them in oiled paper, handing them to customers—her motions fluid, as if rehearsed a thousand times.
The ninety buns carrying the family’s hope dwindled visibly fast.
Across the street, Liu San-niang watched in envy, her eyes red with frustration, chest tight as if blocked by cotton.
She could not accept it and approached with her own greasy buns. “Gentlemen, try Liu’s meat buns! Thin skin, full filling, fresh from the oven!”
One student, savoring the sweetness of Su Qingyan’s bun, waved her off with disgust. “Go away! That greasy smell will ruin my bun! How can that compare to Scholar Shen’s ‘world of elegance’?”
“Exactly! Too vulgar!”
Liu San-niang turned red with embarrassment, retreating with her buns amid laughter, her powdered face blotchy, a comical sight.
Seizing the moment, Su Qingyan’s crisp voice rang out again, cutting through the noise.
“Gentlemen, don’t worry, there are plenty of buns! Tomorrow, there will be new varieties: besides the brown sugar blossom buns, there are sweet red bean paste buns, and savory pork buns—guaranteed with solid fillings and fresh flavors, sure to satisfy!”
“What? Pork buns too?”
“Red bean paste sounds good too!”
“Little lady, will you be here tomorrow? I’ll definitely come!”
These words fanned the excitement even further.
In no time, only a few buns remained in the basket.
“This last one is mine!”
“I paid first!”
Two students nearly came to blows over the final buns, faces red with anger.
Shen Yan laughed, diffusing the situation. “Don’t quarrel, brothers. Come again tomorrow.”
In less than an hour, all ninety buns were sold. Only a few spare sheets of oiled paper remained in the basket.
Su Qingyan glanced at the heavy, bulging coin pouch in Su Mingxuan’s hands. At last, her anxious heart settled.
She turned to Shen Yan, who had waited patiently, and bowed sincerely. “Thank you for your support today, Scholar Shen.”
Shen Yan accepted the bow calmly, replying warmly: “It is your skill that earned this praise. I look forward to your savory pork buns tomorrow—whether they too can carry such elegance.”
With a friendly nod to the siblings, he and his satisfied classmates departed.
Once the students vanished around the corner, Granny Lin pushed her drink cart over cheerfully, slapping her thigh.
“What a clever little girl! Today, you really set the street on fire!” She pointed at Liu San-niang’s tightly closed shop door, grinning widely. “See? That woman’s face is green! I’ve just watched a great show today, thoroughly delightful!”
Su Qingyan couldn’t help but smile. She efficiently packed up the wooden boards and cloth, slinging the now-empty basket on her back.
Though the stench of the slop Liu San-niang had dumped on the ground lingered, Su Qingyan felt even the air seemed fresher.
She took her brother’s icy little hand, still clutching the heavy coin pouch.
Su Mingxuan tilted his head up, cheeks red from the cold, eyes bright with awe and joy.
Su Qingyan ruffled his hair and whispered softly:
“Mingxuan, let’s go home.”