Chapter 40: A Breath of Fresh Air

“One pound of flour to one pound of water makes seven big steamed buns like this. Even the leftover water from steaming, everyone will get it back,” Yan Lao’er busily arranged things. The villagers gathered around him, staring at the round, plump steamed buns and watching him weigh the remaining six on the scale.

A little over a pound and two ounces—if you counted the one just given to Madam Cui from the Cui Family, it was nearly a pound and a half.

“See that? The scale’s tipping high. Sure, it’s not as good as the ones sold in town—the flour we grind is coarse, theirs is fine—but no matter what, it’s better than those hard, throat-scratching pancakes. Old folks and kids have a hard time eating those.

And this water—we’re never drinking raw water again. It makes you sick easily. From now on, we’ll share one pot of water a day like this. Saves everyone the trouble of lighting another stove,” Yan Lao’er explained.

“Brother Yan, can we trade for one to try first?”

Thanks to Madam Cui’s relentless promotion, the villagers were eager for these big buns.

Yan Lao’er made it clear—they weren’t comparing this to the fine buns sold in town.

Honestly, if he hadn’t steamed this batch right in front of them, they wouldn’t have believed that making buns with the same amount of flour would yield so much more than pancakes.

“How’s he supposed to trade you just one?” Madam Cui chimed in. “There aren’t many people in my house. If I trade a whole pound, we won’t finish it, and it’ll spoil. How about we each trade half a pound of flour and half a pound of water?”

Qi Da’s wife tugged at her and whispered, “We’ll pitch in with my house and yours—half a pound together.”

Madam Cui turned and saw it was her. She smiled, “Sister, let’s go get the water and flour.”

Yan Lao’er quickly stopped them, “Ladies, bring it over, but I can’t give you buns until tomorrow morning. The dough needs to rise.”

“Yeah, yeah.” Madam Cui rolled her eyes at him. “We get it. The dough has to get big and sticky before it goes in the steamer…

Really, if we’d known it was this simple, we wouldn’t have wasted money buying them in town. Making them at home is so much cheaper.” She pulled Qi Da’s wife along, chatting as they left.

With someone leading the way, families paired up, each contributing enough for a pound. Soon, many batches of water-flour mixtures were delivered.

Yan Lao’er handled it all, and when everyone was gone, he had kept track of each family’s contribution without a single mistake.

Yan Lao’er thought: What’s the big deal?

For a small business owner running a shop outside a school gate, this was basic stuff.

Kids often forgot their money but still wanted popsicles. If he didn’t have a good memory, how could he block the kids at the school gate later and collect the money?

Li Xuemei saw him mixing and kneading dough, sweat streaming down his forehead, and felt sorry for him. “Tomorrow, teach them how to do it themselves.”

Still kneading, Yan Lao’er said, “They’re too stingy to even use water to wash their hands. How are they gonna make buns?”

“Pick a few and let them work right under our eyes. You act as supervisor. Otherwise, with so many things happening every day, you’ll burn out,” Li Xuemei suggested.

Yan Lao’er agreed. “I’ll mention it tomorrow and see who’s willing.”

The next day, Yan Lao’er got up early, steaming two big pots just to meet the demand. He had borrowed steaming racks from each family the night before; otherwise, who knew how long it would’ve taken.

That morning, everyone got to eat buns steamed from their own wheat.

They even drank the hot water leftover from steaming.

The meal tasted especially good.

The women were eager to learn how to steam buns.

They delivered their water-flour mixtures early, and Yan Lao’er didn’t hold anything back, patiently teaching them step by step, with only one request: their hands had to be clean.

Food hygiene was non-negotiable.

As for the misshapen dough they kneaded—not a problem. They were all edible.

These women were all the main cooks at home. Within a couple of days, they all got the hang of it.

Yan Lao’er breathed easier. After getting everyone’s input, he selected three particularly efficient and tidy sisters-in-law to carry on the great cause of trading flour and water for buns.

Everyone was grateful that he hadn’t kept the bun-making skills to himself. Seeing that the Yan Family wasn’t gaining any extra advantage, and watching how much work he put into managing everything, the families agreed to help collect firewood for the daily bun steaming.

For those not selected, Li Xuemei suggested they spend their free time weaving straw sandals.

Everyone was walking a lot these days, and shoes wore out quickly.

Cloth shoes were durable, but straw sandals were easier to make and materials were everywhere.

On the ride to town and back, some quick-fingered ones could weave a pair on the spot.

Besides, thanks to Yan Huaiwen’s arrangements, they had plenty of spare time.

Country folks couldn’t sit still. Without work in their hands, their hearts felt empty.

Ever since listening to Madam Yan, they’d gather whenever they had time to weave straw sandals. The more skilled ones taught the beginners. They laughed and joked, and the homesickness and frustration melted away.

Yan Yu looked at the strings of straw sandals hanging together, her heart burning with excitement.

Those rows of sandals, growing longer and longer—in her eyes, they were the beautiful balance in her Platform account!

She counted the days, and finally,

The Platform countdown appeared!

“Dad, can you take me out at noon?” Yan Yu pleaded pitifully with her father.

She couldn’t stand her uncle’s torment any longer!

Her uncle… reciting wasn’t enough anymore. Now he even supervised her writing!

Posture had to be correct. Pen grip had to be correct…

Her poor little wrist! So small, yet forced to bear such unbearable burdens.

Recite while riding. Practice writing when the cart stops.

Argh!

Was this the childhood she deserved?

She was still just a baby!

Even her big brother now looked at her with sympathy.

The worst part? Even though Daya-jie was also studying, her speed and intensity were worlds apart.

The comparison was a double blow…

Yan Lao’er glanced nervously at Old Yan not far away.

“Sweetheart! Your uncle only wants to teach you more because he knows you’re smart.”

Old Yan’s stare—this was clearly his way of giving me time off.

Yan Lao’er forced a flattering smile. “Work hard so you won’t stay illiterate!”

Yan Yu: …

Didn’t expect this from you, Dad!

“Dad, don’t think I don’t know—when Uncle’s busy watching me, he has no time to deal with you, right? I don’t care! If you don’t take me out, I’ll tell Uncle you’ve forgotten everything you learned before and now can’t even recognize your words!” Yan Yu angrily pulled out her trump card.

“Oh, my precious! Let’s not hurt each other. Fine, fine, I’ll go talk to your uncle and get you a day off.” Yan Lao’er gave in.

It wasn’t fear of being tattled on—he genuinely felt sorry for his daughter. The poor kid was being pushed too hard.

“Big Brother, I want to take Er Ya out for a bit,” Yan Lao’er said softly.

Yan Huaiwen looked at him for a while, then gave a low “Mm.”

Yan Lao’er broke into a grin, his expression brightening instantly.

“Be safe. Go early, come back early,” Yan Huaiwen reminded him. “Borrow a straw hat for Er Ya. Little kids have delicate skin—don’t let her face and head get sunburned.”

Yan Lao’er happily went to find his wife.

Li Xuemei had recently bonded with the straw-weaving team and was learning how to make a decent pair of straw sandals.

When he explained, the little girl from the Hu Family dug out a small-sized straw hat.

When Yan Yu put it on, half her small head was swallowed up by the hat. She pulled hard to push it back, but her dad ruthlessly tugged it down again.

“The sun’s fierce. Gotta stay covered, or you’ll suffer.”

(End of chapter)