Chapter 24

Li Hehua was as swift, precise, and efficient as ever when preparing the banquet. Naturally, the delicious aroma quickly spread, making everyone’s mouths water.

The Gu family had already trusted the neighbors’ praise and had a great deal of confidence in Li Hehua’s cooking skills. But since they had never seen it with their own eyes or tasted it themselves, they couldn’t be completely sure. Now, watching Li Hehua cook in person, they were utterly convinced. The helpers in the kitchen were all full of admiration and praise, secretly thinking they’d found the right person.

Today’s kitchen helpers were the Gu family’s eldest and second daughters-in-law, along with the youngest daughter. The three women watched Li Hehua’s every move in the kitchen. When they saw her stir-frying two dishes at the same time with skillful ease, their jaws nearly dropped.

The eldest daughter-in-law, a talkative woman, immediately expressed her admiration. “Li Dacai, you’re amazing! Your left and right hands move just as smoothly. Stir-frying two dishes at once without missing a beat—so fast! I’ve never seen anyone do that.”

Li Hehua smiled faintly, her hands not stopping as she replied, “I’ve always been ambidextrous, and I’m used to using both hands when cooking. It makes preparing banquets faster, so the guests don’t have to wait and the dishes stay warm.”

The three women all nodded in agreement. “It’s definitely fast. Our family was right to hire you. Even just this aroma could drive people crazy with hunger.”

The youngest daughter of the Gu family looked around eleven or twelve. Still very much a child, she couldn’t help drooling at the delicious smells—especially since rural kids rarely got to eat such good food. She could hardly focus on helping and stared at the food as if her eyes were glowing. Her gaze was so intense that Li Hehua couldn’t ignore it, finding it quite amusing.

Li Hehua had always liked children and treated them well. Seeing the little girl like this, she couldn’t bear to ignore her. So when plating the mouthwatering poached chicken, she purposely left a few extra pieces and placed them in a small bowl on the stove. “I made too much chicken,” she said to the three women. “These pieces didn’t fit on the plate. You all can eat them.”

The three women were surprised. They looked at the chicken in the bowl and hesitated. Of course they wanted to eat it, but traditionally, women didn’t eat in the kitchen before the guests were served. Back when they’d helped in other households, they’d only eat what was left over. If their mother-in-law found out they’d snacked early, they’d be scolded terribly.

Seeing their hesitation, Li Hehua encouraged them, “It’s fine—just one bite each. It’s not like we’re sneaking anything. It didn’t fit on the plate anyway, and no one else will know.”

The women had long been tempted. Now that Li Hehua gave permission, they quickly each took a piece and ate it.

The youngest daughter of the Gu family swallowed her bite, licked her lips, and looked thoroughly satisfied. “Chef, your food is so delicious! I wish I could cook like this.”

Li Hehua smiled. “If you’re interested, study it seriously. As long as you’re willing to put in the effort, you’ll be able to cook well. Learn whenever you get the chance.”

The little girl nodded earnestly and began watching Li Hehua cook with the focus of a model student.

Soon, all fourteen dishes were ready. As the lively banquet began, Madam Gu came in beaming and grabbed Li Hehua’s hand to thank her. “Chef Li, your cooking is top-notch.” She gave a thumbs up. “All the guests are raving about the food. I really have to thank you.”

Li Hehua waved her hand. “No need to thank me. It’s what I should do.”

Seeing that she was no longer needed, Li Hehua took the opportunity to excuse herself. Madam Gu thanked her again and handed her 160 wen, along with a large bag of wedding candies, cakes, peanuts, and other goodies to show their gratitude.

Li Hehua didn’t decline. Since it was still early, she took the items and hurried back to Lianhua Village.

……

By the time she reached the He family home, dusk was approaching. The family had already prepared dinner and were waiting for her return.

Exhausted and hungry, Li Hehua hadn’t eaten much at the Gu family’s midday feast. She immediately sat down to eat, feeling revived only after finishing two bowls of porridge.

After dinner, Li Hehua gave the candies and peanuts she had brought back to the three children. “Here, the Gu family sent these with me. You can have them.”

Cao Simei looked embarrassed. “Hehua, you always give the children the food you bring back from feasts. Why don’t you keep some for yourself?”

Li Hehua shook her head. “I won’t eat any. These treats will make me gain weight, and I’m trying to lose weight. They’re perfect for the children. Go ahead and take them—don’t be shy with me over such a small thing.”

Hearing this, the three children happily accepted the treats.

At that moment, Cao Simei took the initiative to bring up the day’s pastry sales. “The kids did really well today—both baskets of pastries were completely sold out. They even sold them faster than I did.” As she spoke, she pulled all the money from her pocket and handed it to Li Hehua. “Sister, this is the total we made today selling together—412 wen. I also helped you buy red beans, eggs, and hawthorn, which cost 62 wen. That leaves 350 wen—you can count it.”

Li Hehua didn’t bother counting. Instead, she turned to the three children and thanked them sincerely, “Thank you for helping Aunt Hehua sell pastries today.”

Then she took out 26 wen from the pile and pushed it toward the children. “Here, this is your reward for the day. Whether or not you hand it over to your mother is up to you~”

The children covered their mouths and giggled, which made even Cao Simei laugh.

Li Hehua then handed another 26 wen to Cao Simei. “Cao jie, this is your pay for today. Thank you for your hard work.”

After taking the money, Cao Simei asked, “Hehua, it’s already this late—are we still making pastries tonight? If so, we can light the oil lamps and keep going.”

Li Hehua had originally planned to take the night off and rest the next day as a break. But when she saw the hopeful look in Cao Simei’s eyes, she immediately understood—Cao Simei couldn’t bear to lose a day’s income.

So Li Hehua changed her mind and said, “Alright then, if you’re not too tired, let’s go ahead and make some. We’ll do as much as we can.”

Cao Simei was thrilled. “Not tired at all, not at all!” How could she be tired? Earning over 20 wen a day made her more than happy.

Cao Simei lit three candles in the kitchen and then tended the fire while Li Hehua started kneading dough and preparing pastries, including the very popular candied hawthorn skewers.

They worked for about two hours. By then, the village outside was silent, everyone having long since gone to bed.

Li Hehua rubbed her shoulders and began placing the cooled pastries into the baskets. “Alright, everything’s done. Let’s hurry to bed—we have to get up early again tomorrow to sell at the town market.”

Cao Simei, also feeling tired, was relieved to see the pastries finished. She untied her apron and said, “Alright, let’s both get some rest. It’s already quite late.”

……

After she went to sleep, Li Hehua sat down by the small table, stretched out her legs, and gently pounded them with her fists. She had walked for several hours earlier, and her legs were aching terribly.

Even though it was already late, for some reason she didn’t feel the least bit sleepy. Sitting under the oil lamp, she found herself spacing out, thinking about the next day’s sales—then naturally, her thoughts drifted to the little one.

It had been nearly ten days since she’d last seen him. She wondered if he still remembered her, or thought about her at all. Last time, he had actually eaten something she fed him. Just remembering that made her happy.

A smile tugged at Li Hehua’s lips. She decided to visit him again tomorrow—and this time, she’d bring something tasty.

How about dorayaki? The ingredients weren’t complicated, and she already had everything she needed. Plus, they were sweet and fragrant—just the kind of treat children loved. He would probably enjoy them too. Maybe it would even lift his spirits.

Once she decided, Li Hehua immediately began preparing the ingredients for the dorayaki. Working under the bright candlelight in the still of night, she quietly got started.

First, she added eggs, sugar, and a pinch of salt into a bowl, beat them well, and then mixed in honey, milk, and oil, stirring until smooth.

Next, she combined flour and baking powder, added the dry mix into the wet mixture, and stirred it all into a smooth batter. The batter needed to rest for about 15 minutes.

While it rested, Li Hehua quickly boiled some hot water and did a simple wash-up so she could go to bed right after cooking.

By the time she finished freshening up, the batter was ready. She added a small flame under the stove, scooped out a ladle of batter, and poured it into the pan, spreading it into a circle. Once bubbles started to form and pop on the surface, she flipped it and cooked the other side briefly. Just like that, the dorayaki pancakes were done.

Finally, she sandwiched red bean paste—leftover from the red bean cakes—between two pancakes. And just like that, fresh, delicious dorayaki was ready.

Looking at the stack of soft, cute dorayaki and imagining the little one happily eating them, Li Hehua’s smile grew even wider. Still smiling, she carefully wrapped each one in oiled paper, packed them into a basket, and finally went to sleep.

……

Because she had gone to bed so late, Li Hehua didn’t wake up on her own. Instead, Da Ya had to call her awake.

Rubbing her eyes, she forced herself to get up, mentally chanting I’m not sleepy, I’m not sleepy, until she finally felt more alert.

Business that day was the same as usual. By the time the morning market began to thin out, Li Hehua had nearly sold all the pastries in her basket. Just as she was about to pack up and head home, a voice stopped her.

“Do you have any pastries left?”

It was a man’s voice.

Li Hehua looked up and saw a tall, slender young man in a pale blue scholar’s robe, with delicate features and a refined air. Unlike the ordinary townsfolk who usually bought her pastries, this man carried an unmistakable noble aura, completely out of place in the noisy marketplace.

It was Li Hehua’s first time seeing such an elegant and well-bred man in this little town. As someone who appreciated good looks, she couldn’t help sneaking a few glances. But she quickly reminded herself that this was a feudal society and staring was inappropriate, so she suppressed her instincts and treated him like any other customer. “I have one lotus seed pastry and one red bean cake left. Everything else is sold out.”

The man clearly looked disappointed. “That’s all?” Two pieces weren’t much.

Li Hehua shook her head. “Sorry, the rest is already sold. These are the last two. But I’ll be back tomorrow—if you come early, you’ll have more options.”

Thinking of the picky eater at home, the man sighed. “Alright, then wrap those two up for me.”

Li Hehua nodded and wrapped the two pieces in oiled paper, handing them to him.

The man paid four wen and accepted the pastries, but didn’t leave. He lingered, eyes fixed on her basket.

Li Hehua noticed and asked, “Sir, is there something else?”

He hesitated, glanced at the oiled paper in her basket, and asked uncertainly, “Boss, is there more in your basket? That other wrapped packet…”

Li Hehua froze, then realized—he must have seen the dorayaki she’d made for Shulin and assumed she was hiding more pastries for sale.

She quickly explained, “That one’s not for sale. I made it specifically for a child at home. Sorry about that.”

The man flushed slightly, clearly even more embarrassed than she was. His voice dropped, “I’m sorry—I misunderstood. It’s just that the child at home is incredibly picky and won’t eat anything. But for some reason, he really loves your pastries. I came especially to buy some for him, but since I was late, only two were left. I was hoping you might have more tucked away, that’s why I asked. I didn’t mean to offend you.”

The “little ancestor” at home had been pampered and spoiled. Now that they’d relocated, the child couldn’t adjust and refused to eat the usual simple fare. He threw tantrums every day, leaving the man utterly exhausted. Just yesterday, a student had shared a piece of pastry with the child, who surprisingly ate it happily and even asked for more. After finding out where it was from, the man had rushed over after school—but he was too late. Two pieces wouldn’t be enough…

Li Hehua understood immediately. As a fellow caretaker of a picky child, she felt empathy. Smiling, she quickly waved it off. “It’s really okay.” In fact, she thought the man seemed like a gentle and caring person—especially toward children, which was rare for men in this era.

Thinking of the child in her own home, Li Hehua bent down, opened the basket, and took out two dorayaki. “These were made for my little one, so I can’t give you many—but I can spare two. Take them for your child.”

The man blinked in surprise, and after a moment of hesitation, took them and thanked her. “Thank you, boss. Let me pay you.”

Li Hehua quickly waved her hand. “No need. These are a gift for your child. If he likes them, you can come early tomorrow—I’ll have egg cakes, hawthorn cakes, and even candied hawthorns. Kids usually love those.”

The man paused, then smiled and gave up trying to pay. “Thank you again, boss. I’ll be sure to come earlier tomorrow.” With that, he turned and left.

Li Hehua watched him leave with a smile, then packed up her basket and headed toward West Street. After greeting Cao Simei, she quickly rushed off to Shuishang Village to see her son.