After fleeing the famine, my older sister and I married the brother next door.

Just then, Shitou, Aji, and Afu ran out of the house. Shitou was carrying a book, with Aji and Afu following behind. The three children were panting heavily, their faces flushed.

"Grandpa! Grandma!" Shi Tou ran to Chen's father, holding up his book, and shouted, "I got third place in my exams this year! My teacher said I've improved a lot!"

Mr. Chen took the book and flipped through it. Although he couldn't recognize all the words, he was pleased to see that his son's handwriting was neat and tidy. He patted Shitou's head and said, "Good, good, keep up the good work."

Aji chimed in, "Grandpa, I came in fifth! Afu improved too; the teacher praised him!"

Ah Fu was the most shy. He smiled sheepishly and hid behind his brother.

Chen's mother hugged her three children and kissed each of them, saying, "You're all good children. Grandma will cook something delicious for you."

Suddenly, Shi Tou puffed out his little chest and said earnestly, "Grandma, my two brothers and I will study hard and strive for the imperial examinations. When we pass, we'll become scholars and make Grandpa and Grandma proud in the village! Then we'll see who dares to gossip about our family!"

Mr. Chen was taken aback for a moment, then burst into laughter, his eyes narrowing into slits. Mrs. Chen laughed too, slapping a stone: "How long have you been in school, and you already know about taking the imperial examinations? It's not easy to become a scholar; many people study for over ten years and still fail."

Stone, unconvinced, pulled Aji and Afu over, and the three children stood in a row, loudly declaring, "Among the three of us brothers, one of us is sure to pass the exam! Just you wait and see!"

Aji and Afu nodded in agreement, their little faces serious.

Mr. Chen laughed so hard he coughed, and Mrs. Chen massaged his back while she herself laughed so hard she couldn't straighten up.

"Okay, okay, Grandpa will wait." Chen's father finally stopped laughing, wiped the corner of his eye, and said, "When you pass the imperial examination and become scholars, Grandpa will treat the whole village to a meal."

Shi Tou was overjoyed and dragged his two younger brothers back into the house, shouting as they ran, "I'm going to recite my lessons! You guys come too!"

The chatter of the children gradually faded into the distance.

Mr. Chen's smile faded as he looked at Mrs. Chen and said softly, "Listen to this, the children are all ambitious. We adults shouldn't let a few idle words bring us down. We live our own lives, not for others to see."

Chen's mother nodded, her worries completely dissipating.

"Come on, let's cook." Chen's mother stood up. "We'll have dumplings for dinner. Chives and egg filling, the kids love them."

Chen's father stood up and went to the kitchen to help with the fire.

----

The 23rd day of the twelfth lunar month is the Little New Year. The kitchen is steaming, the water in the pot is bubbling and boiling, and the fire in the stove casts two shadows on the wall that appear to grow larger and smaller. Su Xiaoyin and Su Xiaoqing got up early in the morning and were busy kneading dough, beating eggs, preparing fillings, and starting the fire, filling the kitchen to the brim.

Chen's mother went in to help, but the two sisters pushed her out, saying, "Mom, you rest. We'll do it today. Just wait and see what it's like."

Mother Chen smiled and shook her head, then moved a stool to the kitchen doorway and sat down, picking vegetables as she watched them work. The children chased chickens and dogs in the yard, making a ruckus. Qingqing chased after them, shouting, "Stop running! You'll ruin Grandma's vegetables!" Afu ignored her and ran even faster, stepping on several pieces of dried radish that Mother Chen had laid out to dry in the yard. Mother Chen yelled, and Afu stuck out her tongue and ran to a corner of the yard to squat down.

In the kitchen, freshly baked pastries came out of the oven. Su Xiaoyin brought out the baking tray; the golden-brown pastries were steaming, and a faint sweet aroma immediately filled the air, a blend of milky and honey notes, giving them an indescribable richness compared to the usual jujube cakes and mung bean cakes. Su Xiaoqing was preparing another kind of pastry nearby, replacing the honey with osmanthus jam, making it slightly darker in color and with a more delicate fragrance.

When Mr. Chen returned from the mountain, he washed his hands and sat down in the main room. Chen Dashan and Chen Xiaohe also came from the carpentry workshop, their clothes still covered in sawdust. Mrs. Chen called the children in, and the family sat around the table.

Su Xiaoyin brought out two plates of pastries, one with honey flavor and the other with osmanthus flavor. They were cut into small pieces and arranged neatly, with each piece garnished with a goji berry or a small pinch of dried osmanthus flowers, making them look exquisite.

"Dad, Mom, Dashan, Xiaohe, please try the pastries that Xiaoqing and I made. Try both the honey and osmanthus flavors." Su Xiaoyin stood by the table, holding an apron in her hand, her face full of anticipation.

Chen's mother took a piece of honey-flavored cake first and slowly chewed it. The cake was soft and fluffy, sweet but not cloying, and the aroma of honey melted on her tongue, neither too strong nor too weak, just right. She nodded, her eyes brightening: "It tastes very good, with a light honey flavor, it's pleasant to eat and doesn't hurt your throat."

Mr. Chen also took a piece of osmanthus-flavored osmanthus biscuit, tasted it carefully, and said, "This one is good too, the osmanthus fragrance is just right. Xiaoyin, your cooking skills are getting better and better."

Su Xiaoyin explained with a smile, "I bought a small jar of honey and put a little in it. I feel it's not particularly sweet, but you can taste the honey, which is better than adding white sugar. The osmanthus one uses dried osmanthus flowers from last year, which I soaked and mixed into the dough, then drizzled with a little osmanthus honey."

Chen Dashan ate a honey-flavored one, then a osmanthus-flavored one, and after carefully tasting them, he frowned slightly: "I think the taste is good, but with honey added, won't the price go up? Honey isn't cheap; it costs several tens of coins per pound."

Su Xiaoyin nodded and counted on her fingers: "The cost of one pastry is two coins more than before. I was thinking that if we raise the price of one pastry by three coins and use better ingredients, people will feel it's worth it and won't mind the extra few coins. Our shop's pastries have always been made on a low-profit, high-volume basis, so a slight price increase should be acceptable to our regular customers."

Mr. Chen thought for a moment and said, "Then let's do it your way. The quality is good, so we don't mind a higher price. However—" He changed the subject, looking at his two daughters-in-law, "You two have to make braised meats, roast duck, and pastries every morning. Can you manage all that?"

Su Xiaoqing quickly said, "Dad, anyone can make braised dishes as long as the ingredients are prepared properly. My sister prepared the seasonings; just add them according to the proportions, it's not a big deal. We marinate the roast duck the night before and roast it in the oven the next morning, turning it over a few times during the process. We can make pastries at the same time as making breakfast; it just means we have to get up early in the morning. My sister and I can take turns, it won't interfere with anything."

Chen Xiaohe chimed in from the side, his voice a half-octave higher than usual, filled with eagerness to help: "Dad, my older brother and I will get up early to help. We'll clean the innards and the duck. Then, my sister-in-law will prepare the ingredients, and we'll help make the roast duck and braised dishes. My older brother is skilled; he can keep an eye on the roast duck's cooking time, and I'll help out."