Chapter 21

The next day, Cao Simei woke up early. By the time Li Hehua got up, breakfast was already prepared, and Cao Simei was waiting for her to leave.

Seeing her enthusiasm, Li Hehua hurried through her morning routine, washing up and eating quickly. Then, each carrying two baskets of pastries, they set off for town.

Instead of rushing to set up their stall, Li Hehua first took Cao Simei to a crowded spot on the west side of the main street. Together, they chose a good location, arranged the baskets, and Li Hehua began calling out:

“Pastries for sale! Delicious and affordable red bean cakes and sponge cakes! Free samples available!”

Li Hehua was demonstrating for Cao Simei. After hearing the call twice, Cao Simei picked it up and began calling out in the same way.

Soon, curious onlookers gathered. Li Hehua offered samples of both red bean and chicken cakes to potential customers.

“Come on, everyone, try these! These are my family’s ancestral recipes—guaranteed delicious! If you don’t like them after tasting, you don’t have to buy!”

Her pastries were naturally delicious; no one who tasted them could resist. Most customers asked for one or two more pieces, and Li Hehua readily agreed. She bent down, picked up the oil-paper packages, wrapped the pastries, handed them over, and collected the money.

Once the first customer bought some, others followed. Li Hehua gradually stepped aside, letting Cao Simei take over.

Cao Simei was no stranger to hard work and quickly adapted. Mimicking Li Hehua’s movements, she wrapped pastries and collected money efficiently, her actions growing more practiced by the minute.

“Cao jie, you can manage here, right? I’ll go sell on the east side,” Li Hehua said.

“Go ahead, I’m fine here. We’ll head back together when we’re done,”Cao Simei replied while tending to customers.With that settled, Li Hehua carried her two baskets back to her usual spot.

By late morning, she had sold out completely. Slinging her empty baskets over her shoulder, she went to check on Cao Simei. Halfway there, she ran into her coming from the other direction.

“Sold out already?”

Li Hehua asked with a smile.

“We sold out! And so quickly too!”

Cao Simei beamed.

“Then let’s buy ingredients for more pastries and head back together,”

Li Hehua said.Today, she wasn’t just buying red beans and eggs. She also picked up ingredients for hawthorn cakes and lotus seed paste pastries—two new varieties she planned to debut the next day.

The hawthorns reminded her of candied hawthorns, so she decided to make some as well. Children loved them, and they were easier to prepare than pastries. Though candied hawthorns were common on the streets, she was confident hers would be far superior.

When they returned to the He household, Cao Simei’s eldest daughter, He Daya, had already prepared lunch. They sat down to eat immediately. For the first time, Li Hehua truly appreciated the comfort of having a place to call home. But thinking of her current situation, she sighed inwardly.

After lunch, she began preparing the pastries for the next day. She made red bean cakes, chicken cakes, hawthorn cakes, and lotus seed paste pastries. While processing the hawthorns, she set some aside specifically for candied hawthorns.

Cao Simei’s family was thoughtful. Believing Li Hehua’s recipes were family secrets, they consciously avoided the kitchen, afraid she’d think they were trying to learn her methods. Only Cao Simei came to help by tending the fire, sitting by the stove and chatting without ever glancing at the cooking.

If Li Hehua had known what they were thinking, she’d have laughed. She had no intention of keeping her recipes secret—otherwise, she wouldn’t cook so openly. If someone could learn just by watching, they deserved the knowledge.

When Li Hehua first began learning, her grandfather taught her the family recipes step by step. Yet even with guidance, her early attempts were lacking. Only through countless trials and refinement did she perfect the flavor.

She had long understood that cooking required talent and persistence. Some people simply weren’t cut out for the kitchen—no amount of teaching could change that.

While chatting idly with Cao Simei, Li Hehua’s hands moved skillfully. She mashed the hawthorn into paste, gradually mixed in flour, then added sugar water and honey water. The steps were second nature, and soon, neat cakes filled the cutting board, ready for steaming.

After another hour, the hawthorn cakes and lotus seed pastries were finished and left to cool alongside the red bean and sponge cakes.

Next, she made the candied hawthorns. She discarded any bruised fruit, cleaned the rest, skewered them—five per stick—and simmered the sugar syrup. When it foamed just right, she drizzled it over the skewers.

The finished treats sparkled beautifully.

“Sister, these look so clean and pretty! Not like the dark, sticky ones from the market,”Cao Simei exclaimed.

“That’s because some vendors use low-quality hawthorns and don’t wash them. Others mess up the syrup by overheating it. The kind of sugar also affects the taste,”Li Hehua explained.

“I never knew making candied hawthorns was so complicated!”

“Every dish has its own tricks. You have to cook with heart if you want it to taste good,”Li Hehua said. Once they cooled, she handed three skewers to Cao Simei.

“These are for your three kids. Take them home.”

“No, no. They’re worth two coins each. Don’t waste them on children—they won’t appreciate it,”Cao Simei protested.

“Let them have a taste. They deserve it. Don’t refuse—if you do, we’ll be strangers,”Li Hehua insisted, firmly placing the skewers in her hands. Seeing no way out, Cao Simei relented. She thanked Li Hehua and immediately took the treats outside.

Sure enough, cheers rang out moments later. Cao Simei’s youngest, Xiao San’er, rushed back in.“Aunt Hehua! Your candied hawthorns are delicious!”

Li Hehua turned to see him with syrup smudged around his mouth, happily chewing. His eyes sparkled with joy—the pure joy of a child eating something he loved.

Seeing him, Li Hehua thought of Shulin. Though they were both children, Shulin was so quiet and withdrawn, never smiling or speaking. The thought tugged at her heart.

She quietly wrapped two large skewers of candied hawthorns, two lotus seed paste pastries, and two hawthorn cakes in oiled paper, placing them in a basket.

They had made so many pastries that they needed eight baskets to hold them all. Lacking enough containers and manpower, Li Hehua followed Cao Simei to a local villager who wove baskets. They bought four extra-large ones—each woman would carry two. Though heavy, they could manage.

That evening, by the light of an oil lamp, Cao Simei counted the day’s earnings.“Hehua, I sold forty-four pastries—eighty-eightwen. You count it.”

Li Hehua took the coins, counted out eleven, and handed them over. “Cao jie, this is your pay. Thank you for your hard work today.”

Cao Simei beamed, carefully storing the coins in her purse.

“Thank you, Hehua!”

“You earned it. Tomorrow we’ll have two new pastries and candied hawthorns—more than double today’s batch. It might be a bit tougher,”Li Hehua warned.

“What’s a little extra work? I hope we sell even more—that means more money!”Cao Simei slapped her thigh with excitement.The whole family laughed.

…….

The next day, the two women carried their heavy baskets into town. Li Hehua immediately began advertising her new pastries. Curious customers approached, asking for details, and she patiently explained each one before offering samples.

The delicious flavors spoke for themselves. Wealthier families even bought a little of everything.

Everyone knew what candied hawthorns were, and children especially loved them. When they saw Li Hehua’s beautiful, glossy skewers, they begged their parents. Some relented and bought one, but after finishing, the children clamored for more, some even bursting into tears when denied.

Li Hehua was glad she had set two aside earlier, or her own little ones would’ve been left disappointed.

Business was booming, but with so much inventory, it took longer than usual to sell out. By noon, she had just finished when she went to restock, then headed west to find Cao Simei.

She spotted her still selling, though only a few skewers remained.

“Hehua, you’re done already? You’re faster than me!”Cao Simei greeted her.

“I just finished. I have more regular customers, so it goes faster. You’ll catch up with time.”

“I know. I’m nearly done too,” Cao Simei said.

Li Hehua couldn’t stop thinking about her Shulin. She turned to Cao Simei and said, “Cao jie, I won’t be going back with you. I want to go home and check on my child.”

Cao Simei, being a mother herself, understood the longing a mother felt for her child. Assuming Li Hehua was missing her own, she nodded understandingly. “Of course, you should go. Hurry back and spend some time with your little one. I’ll save you some lunch.”

Li Hehua thanked her and set off for Shangshui Village.