Chapter 46

The morning market in Shanyang County was lively as ever. Besides the townsfolk, many villagers from surrounding areas came early to shop. Though it was Yun Yi and Yun Yin’s first time doing street hawking, neither showed a hint of shyness. Especially Yun Yi—once squeezed into the crowd, she raised her voice sweetly and called out, “Selling hawthorn fruit rolls! Delicious hawthorn fruit rolls! Try before you buy—if it’s not tasty, you don’t pay!”

Yun Yin wasn’t as outgoing as his sister, but he still did his best to shout, “Selling hawthorn fruit rolls! Tasty fruit rolls!”

Yun Shuang watched them from behind and couldn’t help smiling in satisfaction. Yet no matter how loudly the two children cried out, they were quickly drowned in the steady stream of foot traffic. Most people had never even heard of hawthorn fruit rolls. A few who caught the sound of their calls only glanced over with mild curiosity, chuckling and murmuring, “What’s that supposed to be?” before walking on.

They worked hard for nearly a quarter of an hour, but not a single piece from their sample bowls had been taken.

Yun Yi and Yun Yin grew anxious, casting helpless glances toward Yun Shuang. But she simply smiled and mouthed the words, “It’s okay—keep going.”

Though she’d never raised children before, Yun Shuang had always believed in the importance of setback education. If a child were constantly sheltered and had everything done for them by their parents, they’d grow up fragile and unprepared for hardship. That said, the previous approach—where the original Yun Shuang barely cared for them at all—was also unacceptable. Neglect like that could easily lead to tragedy.

What she believed in was this: keeping the children within her sight, letting them stretch to their limits, and stepping in only when they truly needed her. That, to her, was the ideal balance. And right now, while they were experiencing a bit of struggle, they were nowhere near their breaking point. They weren’t delicate flowers who gave up at the first setback. Seeing their mother watching with encouragement, they instantly felt renewed determination, clenched their tiny fists in resolve, and shouted even louder than before.

Just then, Yun Yi faintly heard the soft cries of a child nearby. She looked around and spotted a little boy—three or four years old—standing at the side of the street, tears streaming down his face as he sobbed in a hoarse voice, “Mother, where are you?”

Yun Yi quickly ran over and gently asked, “Little brother, what’s wrong?”

Yun Yin followed close behind.

Seeing someone come to comfort him, the little boy cried even louder, wailing, “I… I can’t find my mother… I can’t find my mother…”

Yun Yi immediately understood—this little one had gotten lost, just like her “silly father.” Thinking for a moment, she held out her wooden bowl and said, “Let me treat you to something yummy. Don’t cry. Your mother is definitely out there looking for you. If you stay right here, she’ll find you very soon…”

But the little boy seemed not to hear, still sobbing uncontrollably.

With a slight frown, Yun Yi suddenly picked up a small strip of fruit leather and gently popped it into his mouth before he could resist. Instantly, a delicious sweet-and-tangy flavor bloomed across his tongue, mingling with the saliva and flooding his mouth. The little boy blinked through his teary eyes and instinctively started chewing. To his surprise, the more he chewed, the tastier it became—sweet, fragrant, and oddly comforting. It was as if even his tears and sniffles had turned into something sweet and tangy in his mouth.

Naturally, he was just a child—his tears vanished in an instant. With a few eager chews, he swallowed the fruit roll down and tugged at Yun Yi’s sleeve. “I… I want more… I want more…”

Yun Yi looked troubled. “But… Mother told us this is for customers to sample…”

Just then, a distressed woman burst through the crowd and scooped the little boy into her arms, her voice trembling with panic. “Hao’er… you scared me half to death! Where did you go just now?”

The boy was thrilled to be reunited with his mother, though his mind was still fixated on the delicious treat from Yun Yi’s bowl. He tugged her sleeve and said excitedly, “Mother… I was really scared just now, but this big sister talked to me and gave me something super yummy to eat!”

The woman turned to look at Yun Yi.

Yun Yi offered her the sweetest smile in return.

Then the little boy piped up again, “Mother… I want more!”

Yun Yin, thinking quickly, marched forward with a serious little face and said, “Yi’er, that’s what Mother told us to use for attracting customers—we can’t give away too much.”

The woman understood immediately—they were likely children of a nearby vendor, kind enough to comfort her child and even offer their own merchandise. Grateful, she said earnestly, “Thank you both so much. My boy has always been timid—if you hadn’t come over, he might’ve cried endlessly…”

With her son still pestering her for more of the snack, the woman hesitated and asked, “What is that treat, anyway? Where are you selling it?”

Yun Yi’s eyes lit up—business was finally knocking. Beaming, she said, “Auntie, it’s called hawthorn fruit leather, and my mama makes it herself. It’s super tasty! She’s just over there. You can sample it first, and only buy if you like it!”

The woman had never heard of hawthorn fruit leather before. The strips in the bowl looked plain—dark red and unremarkable. How good could they really be?

But her son was relentless, and the little girl before her smiled with such cheer and innocence. So, with a hint of hesitation, she picked the smallest piece from the bowl and popped it into her mouth. In an instant, her eyes widened with delight. “So tasty! I’ve never had anything like this before!”

It was early autumn, and she’d caught a chill from the breeze—had been drinking bitter herbal medicine for days and had no appetite for much of anything. That was one reason she hadn’t been keen to try this “hawthorn fruit leather.” But the moment it touched her tongue, it felt like it was dancing with her taste buds. A bright, sweet-and-sour flavor bloomed from her mouth to her throat, flooding her senses and making her salivate. Suddenly, she felt the urge to feast. Her spontaneous exclamation drew the attention of nearby passersby.

Until now, Yun Yi and Yun Yin’s calls had mainly gone ignored—partly because no one knew what “hawthorn fruit leather” was, and partly because the vendors were just a pair of children, whom people assumed were just playing pretend. But now, seeing an actual adult woman light up and declare “Delicious!” stirred everyone’s curiosity.

Wait—those kids were really selling something? And those scrappy-looking strips in their bowls were actually tasty?

The woman quickly asked again, “Where’s your mother? I want to buy more to take home—my husband and mother-in-law should try this too!”

Yun Yi was instantly thrilled and pointed excitedly down the street. “That’s my mama—right over there!”

The woman hugged her child and hurried toward Yun Shuang’s stall.

Others nearby began gathering around, intrigued and chatty.

“What is this stuff? Is it really that good?”
“Hey, little one—let me try some too!”
“I want some! My grandson would love to taste it—haha!”