Chapter 37

Early in the morning, Li Hehua set up her stall. It was still quite early, and people on the street were just beginning to arrive for the market fair.

Since there wasn’t much to do yet, Li Hehua sat at a table and started planning her idea of selling breakfast. She had been thinking about it for a few days now.

Lately, to accommodate Cao Simei and Da Ya selling pastries, she had been setting up the stall quite early each day. But it was still hours before lunchtime when customers typically arrived, leaving most of the morning idle. If I’m just sitting here doing nothing, I might as well sell breakfast—like buns, steamed rolls, soy milk, that sort of thing. It wouldn’t affect her lunchtime sales, and she could earn a little extra on the side.

Just as she was thinking through the logistics, Cao Simei sat down beside her.

Li Hehua assumed she was just here to rest. Smiling, she poured her a cup of water. “Caojie, have some water before you get back to work.”

Cao Simei took a sip, set the cup down, and seeing that no one else was around, reached out to pat Li Hehua’s hand. She smiled and said, “Hehua, I wanted to talk to you about something today.”

Seeing her cheerful expression, Li Hehua laughed and asked, “Are you going to tell me some good news?”

Cao Simei grinned even wider. “Of course it’s good news! Let me tell you…” She leaned in and whispered, “I want to introduce you to someone. He’s from our village, very honest and hardworking. His first wife…”

Before she could finish, Li Hehua quickly interrupted, “Wait, wait, Cao jie—what are you talking about? Why are you suddenly trying to set me up with someone? I haven’t thought about remarrying at all!”

She was genuinely stunned. Just last night, she had been telling Xie Saozi that no one would try to set her up—yet here it was, happening already! And she really had no intention of looking for a new partner, so she didn’t even want to hear about it.

But Cao Simei didn’t agree at all. “Hehua, how can you say that? You’re still young. Are you planning to live alone for the rest of your life? That’s silly. You’ve got a long road ahead—how can you walk it alone? Listen to me, I won’t steer you wrong.” She gave Li Hehua’s hand a firm squeeze. “Just hear me out. Once you know what this man is like, you’ll be interested.”

Before Li Hehua could object again, Cao Simei launched into her pitch. “This man—his first wife passed away from illness three years ago. They spent a lot on treatments, and he never gave up on her, never complained. He truly has a good character. Unfortunately, she didn’t make it, and he’s been single ever since.”

Seeing how invested Cao Simei was, Li Hehua knew there was no stopping her, so she decided to just sit quietly and listen, planning to reject it afterward.

“He has no parents, so there would be no in-laws to deal with. He’s hardworking and honest—exactly the kind of man who would cherish his wife. And with your situation, that’s the kind of man you need. As for being a stepmother, don’t worry—he only has one daughter, and she’ll be marrying off in a few years. If you have a son later, everything will be yours. You won’t be treated unfairly.”

Li Hehua: “……”

Seeing her remain silent, Cao Simei urged, “Hehua, I really just want you to have someone to rely on—someone who understands and supports you, so you don’t have to shoulder all the hard work alone. I know it’s not easy for a woman to remarry, and that’s why I wouldn’t set you up with just anyone. I’ve been thinking this through, and this guy is genuinely good. Just meet him, okay? You’ll see I’m right.”

Li Hehua knew Cao Simei meant well, and she appreciated her concern. But she really had no desire to marry anyone—unless she fell for someone herself and truly wanted to be with them. Otherwise, she was fine on her own. After all, she had Shulin with her.

“Caojie, I know you’re doing this for me, and I’m really grateful. But look—I’m running my own business, my life’s going pretty well, and I’m not worse off than anyone. I feel good about where I am now, and I really don’t want to remarry. So please, can we let this go?” She tugged on Cao Simei’s sleeve playfully, trying to act spoiled.

Cao Simei frowned and sighed. “You’re really stubborn, aren’t you? Fine, fine. I won’t push you. Just think about it a bit. Who knows—maybe you’ll change your mind in a few days. If you do, just let me know. I’ll arrange a meeting for you.”

Li Hehua laughed and replied perfunctorily, “Okay, okay. If I change my mind, I’ll come to you first.”

“You…” Cao Simei shook her head, half exasperated, half amused.

Nearby, Dahe was wiping tables and happened to overhear part of the conversation. Realizing his mother was trying to introduce someone to Aunt Hehua—and that it was someone from their own village—he couldn’t help but ask, “Mom, who are you introducing to Aunt Hehua? How come you never mentioned it before?”

Cao Simei waved him off with a stern face. “Shoo, shoo! Kids shouldn’t be meddling in adult matters. Go do your work!”

Dahe pouted and scratched his nose as he went back to wiping tables.

Li Hehua also scratched her nose, feeling like she had just dodged a bullet. Hopefully, that would be the end of it.

But she didn’t dwell on it for long. Soon enough, her mind had shifted back to her breakfast business plan.

She and Xie Saozi already made buns and steamed rolls each night, so expanding into breakfast wouldn’t be hard. They’d just need to make extra portions and add some soy eggs, soy milk, or pancakes. Even if the breakfast items didn’t sell in the morning, they could still be sold at lunch. Plenty of dock workers didn’t splurge on small eats but would buy plain buns or mantou instead.

Moreover, after eating, many people who came off the boats would buy dry rations to take with them. Some had even told Li Hehua they wished they could take fried rice, noodles, or dumplings on board, but those dishes weren’t convenient to carry or store. Dry food was still the best option.

Li Hehua asked around and learned that some boats wouldn’t dock again for ten or fifteen days. During that time, everyone had to rely on dry rations. While these kept hunger at bay, they were unpleasant to eat, and after a few days, became hard to stomach. But there wasn’t much choice—without dry rations, they’d go hungry.

Li Hehua saw a clear business opportunity.

In this era, dry rations were limited and often extremely dry and hard to eat. What if I made something new—something tasty and filling that could still be taken on the road? If she could sell that, customers could pick up a portion when they came to her stall, and laborers could buy them instead of hot meals. It would be cheaper and more convenient.

These rations could be made in advance and wouldn’t delay her other work at all. The more she thought about it, the more excited she became. Dry rations, after all, just needed to be portable and free of soup or sauce. There were many options that could meet those requirements and were simple to make.

While continuing her daily prep, she brainstormed ideas for tasty, filling, portable foods.

By the time she packed up that afternoon, she had already made her decision.

She would make roujiamo—meat-filled flatbread sandwiches with veggies—wrapped in oil paper, ready to grab and eat. Much tastier and more nutritious than the hard biscuits most people carried.

She would also make sauce-scented pancakes (jiangxiang bing). These were delicious, handheld, and perfect for any meal of the day. Best of all, both items were simple and inexpensive to prepare. Their cost-effectiveness meant they could be sold cheaply, which would attract more customers. Though they wouldn’t last as long as hard biscuits, their flavor made them ideal for the first few days of travel.

That night, Li Hehua got to work. She made a full basket of each and finished surprisingly quickly.

The first to taste them were Xie Saozi and Shulin. After one bite, Xie Saozi gave a big thumbs-up. “Delicious! Little Sis, this is amazing! I’ve never had anything like this before. What is it?”

Li Hehua replied, “The one with the filling is called roujiamo, and the other is jiangxiang bing. I made them to sell—since so many people are always buying rations for the road, I think these would be perfect.”

Xie Saozi nodded enthusiastically. “Yes, yes! Great idea! Where else can you find dry food this good? If I were traveling, I’d definitely buy this to take along.”

Encouraged by the praise, Li Hehua turned to check on Shulin. The little one was quietly munching away on a roujiamo, taking big bites. She crouched beside him and asked, “Shulin, is it yummy?”

He blinked once, then opened his mouth wide and took a huge bite, eyes squinting in delight.

That was clearly his way of saying: Super tasty!

Li Hehua beamed. She had no idea when he learned this way of expressing himself—it was a little different from his usual reserved style. He’s getting more expressive—how adorable!

It must be thanks to that talkative little Gu Jin Zhao. Spending more time with him was clearly helping Shulin open up. Who knew? Maybe he’d even start talking soon.

She went to retrieve the new lunchbox she’d bought and packed four roujiamo and a few large slices of sauce-scented pancake. “Shulin, tomorrow you can take these to share with Jin Zhao. Remember to give some to your teacher too. When we have good things, we should share them with friends and mentors, understand?”

Since both Gu Jin Zhao and his father would get some, she figured she couldn’t leave out Shulin’s own father either. She packed another oil-paper bundle with a few of each snack. “This one’s for your dad. He’s the one paying for your schooling, so you must show him some respect. Otherwise, he might feel hurt.”

With everything packed, the rest would be sold the next day.

The following morning, before heading out, Li Hehua steamed the buns and mantou at home, packed them into steamers, and brought them along to keep warm over the small stove at the stall. Just like that, she officially began selling breakfast. Alongside her usual snacks were the new roujiamo and sauce pancakes.

She handed one roujiamo each to Dahe, Cao Simei, and Da Ya. All three praised it enthusiastically.

After eating, Dahe got to work shouting into the busy street, “Fresh breakfast for sale! Big, fluffy buns! Delicious roujiamo and sauce pancakes!”

Li Hehua thought this young man had real business sense—not shy and very enthusiastic. He was definitely a keeper.

Thanks to his efforts, word spread that the stall now sold breakfast. A good number of people stopped by for a bite, including several regulars.

“Boss, are you selling breakfast from now on?”

Li Hehua smiled and nodded. “That’s right. We’ll be here every morning from now on. We’ve got more than just buns—try our signature roujiamo and jiangxiang bing! They make great travel rations too.”

Many customers were intrigued and asked to try one. Li Hehua packed them up skillfully and explained the new products to curious newcomers, busy and cheerful all the while. In the midst of the bustle, she didn’t notice a man quietly watching her from not far away.

It was none other than Gu Dafeng—the man Cao Simei wanted to introduce to her.

Having heard about Li Hehua from Cao Simei, Gu Dafeng had come to see her in person after days of waiting without news. Seeing her now, he was quite satisfied. She wore plain clothes but was neat and clean, with fair skin and good features. A little plump, yes—but he liked that. It made her look blessed. More importantly, she looked capable and efficient. A woman like that would bring good fortune.

Feeling eager, he stepped forward.

“What would you like?” Li Hehua asked, smiling warmly.

Gu Dafeng paused, then pointed. “One of each—the meat bun and the pancake.”

“Coming right up.” She quickly wrapped them and handed them over. “That’ll be three wen in total.”

Her smile dazzled him, and he quickly looked down, fumbling with his coins before handing them over. Then, seeing others seated behind the stall, he quietly joined them.

Just then, Cao Simei turned around and saw him—startled, she rushed over. “Dafeng! What are you doing here?!”

Gu Dafeng glanced at Li Hehua and lowered his voice. “Big Sis, I just came to town on some business. Got hungry and stopped for a bite. The food here’s really good.”

Cao Simei didn’t buy it. Business? You definitely came to see Hehua… But she couldn’t say much. After all, Hehua had already refused the idea of meeting someone. Now what?

Feeling stuck, she leaned closer and whispered, “Dafeng, about that matter—we hit a snag. My sister hasn’t made up her mind and doesn’t want to meet anyone yet. I was hoping to give her some time to reconsider. I’m really sorry things didn’t work out.”

Gu Dafeng’s hand froze as he was about to take another bite. He looked again at Li Hehua, busily moving about the stall, and bitterness welled up in his heart. Why doesn’t she want to meet me? Does she think I’m not good enough?

Unable to sit still, he stood and said, “Sister Cao, thanks for everything. There’s nothing to be sorry about. I’ll head back now—take care.” Then he left the stall.

Watching his retreating figure, Cao Simei felt uneasy. This was all my fault. I shouldn’t have spoken to Dafeng before confirming with Hehua… She had thought the match was practically guaranteed.

“Ma, were you going to introduce Uncle Dafeng to Auntie Hehua? Was he here for the matchmaking?” Dahe’s voice made her jump.

She gave him a quick smack. “You little rascal! Don’t ask what you shouldn’t! Go finish your work!”

Dahe pouted, rubbing his head as he scurried off. Once his mother returned to her pastry sales, he whispered, “Of course it was a matchmaking thing. Why else would Uncle Dafeng come here? But honestly, they’d be a good match. He’s a good guy—he’d definitely treat Auntie Hehua well.”

At that moment, Zhang Tieshan—who had been quietly eating at a nearby table—froze mid-bite. He glanced toward Li Hehua and recalled the man she had just been talking to.

Was that… the suitor?

An uncomfortable feeling settled in his chest. Without a word, he placed three wen on the table, picked up his game meat, and left silently.

Later, when Li Hehua went to pack some roujiamo and pancakes for him to take home, she looked around—but he was nowhere to be found. She couldn’t help feeling puzzled.