Since Yun Qingyi intended to run a business, her first priority was still taking good care of her family.
Every morning, she rose early to prepare the ingredients. She personally packed the two lunch boxes for her father and elder brother.
Today’s breakfast was tofu pudding and fried dough sticks.
Her father preferred his tofu pudding sweet, while her brother liked his savory, so she seasoned each portion according to their tastes.
For lunch, she packed half a roast duck, three fish balls, and two seasonal vegetable dishes.
On the top layer, she placed a plate of flower pastries for them to enjoy as snacks.
Ever since Yun Qingyi had taken over preparing their lunch boxes, her father and brother looked forward to leaving for work every day, their spirits lifted.
Because she had instructed them to eat the food while it was still warm and not to open the boxes until mealtime, they always had to suppress their curiosity and wait until lunch to unveil the surprise.
No matter what Yun Qingyi prepared for them, father and son were convinced that their meal—no, their two meals—would be the envy of everyone around them.
After seeing them off, Yun Qingyi busied herself preparing for the day’s stall.
Just as she had done when working as a front-of-house manager at Fish Flavor Pavilion, she personally supervised every critical step, from the moment the food left the kitchen to the moment it was sold.
In addition, over the past seven days, she had sent someone every day to Master Yin, the craftsman, to ask about the progress of firing the ceramic tricycle. She had even gone to inspect it herself once. The servant she sent out today returned with the news that Master Yin was delivering it.
By the time Master Yin arrived, it was already noon.
When Yun Qingyi saw the exquisitely crafted ceramic tricycle, she was overjoyed.
She invited Master Yin to stay for lunch, specially adding two extra dishes, and even packed a food box for him to take home.
After seeing him off, she loaded the freshly baked flower pastries into the cargo bed of the tricycle and covered it with a piece of silk.
Once everything was in place, she sent someone to invite the Fifth Prince to the Yun residence.
When the Yun family’s messenger arrived at the Fifth Prince’s residence, he had just finished the last slice of roast duck.
Thinking the Yun family had sent him more food, he was delighted at first, only to discover that the messenger had come empty-handed.
Though somewhat disappointed, his curiosity was piqued when he heard that Lady Yun had invited him to her residence. He was convinced it must be something extraordinary—something too inconvenient to deliver directly to his manor.
He readily agreed and, as usual, headed straight for the back gate of the Yun residence.
Yun Qingyi received him in the pavilion in the rear courtyard.
“Your Highness previously paid a deposit for the flower pastries. The pastries are now complete, but a mere box of pastries hardly matches the value of a gold ingot from Your Highness. I therefore commissioned this special gift and hope Your Highness will accept it.”
The Fifth Prince stepped forward and lifted the silk covering.
His eyes immediately lit up.
No little boy could resist the allure of a vehicle, and Yun Qingyi understood that perfectly.
“Lady Yun, you have put great thought into this. This item is exquisite. My gold ingot was truly well spent. May I ask what it is called?”
Yun Qingyi had not thought about that.
She certainly could not tell him it was called a “tricycle.” That would hardly do justice to its elegance.
After a moment’s thought, she replied, “This is a carriage called Wind-Chasing Phantom. Your Highness once mentioned losing a wager involving a cart of pastries. Would this cart of pastries satisfy you?”
“Satisfied? More than satisfied—a thousand times over! In that case, I shall gratefully accept it.”
The Fifth Prince covered it again with the silk cloth and instructed his attendants to carry it away with great care.
After getting into his carriage, the Fifth Prince did not leave by the back gate as usual. Instead, he ordered his entourage to head to the front entrance of the Marquis of Zhenyuan’s estate.
He formally presented his calling card and, after announcing his arrival, strode through the front gate with measured steps.
The Marquis of Zhenyuan, Mo Yuxuan, was practicing swordsmanship in the rear courtyard. Seeing the Fifth Prince arrive, he sheathed his sword.
“What brings you here today?”
“Aren’t we brothers? Can’t I visit my cousin without a reason?”
When Mo Yuxuan saw that he had no intention of explaining, he turned to resume his practice.
Realizing he was about to be ignored, the Fifth Prince dropped the joking tone.
“There is indeed a reason. That day, I lost our wager and owed you a cart of pastries. I’ve come today to honor my word. An emperor’s promise is golden, and a gentleman never goes back on his word. As a prince, I certainly cannot break mine.”
At last, the tides had turned. The Fifth Prince had finally won back a point.
Hearing that it was a cart of flower pastries, Mo Yuxuan showed little interest.
There were only a dozen or so people in his household. How long would it take them to finish an entire cart of pastries?
Besides, he already received freshly made flower pastries from Lady Yun every day. Why would he want to eat leftovers?
“Consider the cart of pastries received. There’s no need to deliver it. Keep them for yourself if you enjoy them.”
The Fifth Prince refused to give up.
“Are you certain you don’t want to take a look, Cousin? You may regret it.”
Mo Yuxuan had always indulged his younger cousin.
“Since you’re so eager for me to see it, I’ll take a look. Let’s see what kind of cart of pastries could possibly make me regret refusing it.”
The Fifth Prince had the item carried over and gestured grandly.
“Please, Cousin.”
Seeing that it had to be carried in, Mo Yuxuan immediately suspected the Fifth Prince was trying to game the wager.
But the moment the red silk cloth was lifted, his astonishment was no less than the Fifth Prince’s had been.
No boy could resist the allure of a vehicle—especially one with a design he had never seen before.
“This carriage is called Wind-Chasing Phantom. If you don’t want this cart of pastries, I’ll take it back. But let me be clear—the pastries are yours, the carriage is mine. After all, what I lost to you was pastries.”
Mo Yuxuan wanted the carriage as well.
“Both the pastries and the carriage stay. Without the carriage, there is no cart of pastries. Without the pastries, there is no cart of pastries either.”
The Fifth Prince inwardly lamented his mistake.
Why had he shown off the Wind-Chasing Phantom in front of his cousin?
Too careless again.
Mo Yuxuan kept both the carriage and the pastries. Still, since the Fifth Prince had come all this way, he could not let him leave empty-handed.
He packed a box of the flower pastries the Yun family had delivered that day and gave it to him in return.
That was adding insult to injury.
You already have pastries, and you’re still bullying me like this!
After seeing the Fifth Prince off, Mo Yuxuan carried the Wind-Chasing Phantom into his study and ran his hands over it again and again.
He marveled at its design and admired its craftsmanship.
Picking up one of the pastries, he took a bite.
It carried the familiar taste of the Yun household.
With these two delights combined, this cart of pastries was truly one of a kind.
Had his cousin not loved showing off so much, he might have missed out on it entirely.
Mo Yuxuan was still immersed in admiring the Wind-Chasing Phantom when Mo Yu, standing outside the door, could no longer resist the aroma of the pastries.
“General, you gave today’s pastries from the Yun residence to the Fifth Prince. What am I supposed to eat today?”
Mo Yuxuan told him to take a plateful and bring some for Mo Wen as well.
Receiving the general’s tacit permission, Mo Yu produced two large plates from behind his back and hurried inside, grabbing pastries with both hands.
Watching through the crack in the door, Mo Wen felt both speechless and grateful.
After all, his share of the pastries had also been given away, and he wanted some too—but he had never dared ask the general for them.
As they emptied two plates of pastries, the bottom of the cargo bed gradually came into view, revealing the character “Yun” engraved in seal script.
This surprised Mo Yu even more.
The Yun family could not only make pastries—they could make vehicles too?
Lady Yun was not only beautiful and kindhearted; her talents extended far beyond cooking. Every now and then, she revealed another pleasant surprise.
As expected of the girl he had admired for more than ten years.
She was truly a hidden treasure.
His taste had always been excellent.
Otherwise, why had no one else noticed how remarkable she was?