10 Going Out to Visit Relatives

Once the younger sisters had finished their rounds, Wei Fuling clamored for Wei Jinyun to comb their hair.

As this was their first time meeting their great-aunt, the two had risen early to pick out their most beautiful outfits. Wei Fuling wore a goose-yellow ru-skirt embroidered with small sparrows clutching floral branches, while Wei Fuqu chose a pale green one, the collar adorned with a pattern of butterflies chasing flowers. In their rush to deliver the lotus pastries for their sister, their hair had become quite disheveled.

Their dark hair was soft to the touch. Wei Jinyun tied each of their hair into neat double buns, securing them with silk ribbons that matched their dresses and pinning a small flower onto each. Wei Fuling stood on her tiptoes and spun around, while Wei Fuqu straightened her cuffs. Standing side by side, they looked like two peas in a pod, yet one was quiet and the other lively; a moment’s observation was enough to tell them apart.

Yesterday, during the evening meal, Wei Jinyun had already told Xiao Zhang and Er Niu that they would not be working today. She carefully stored away her grandmother’s property deeds, locked the remaining money, and secured the front gate before setting out with them.

Their great-aunt lived in Wujiang County, under the jurisdiction of Pingjiang Prefecture. By water, the journey took at least two hours. The four of them hired a small boat for twelve copper coins and set off.

Their mood on the boat was quite different from the previous two days. The sisters spent the time gazing at the shops and stalls along the banks, chatting and laughing, making the two-hour journey feel like a fleeting moment.

Upon arriving in Wujiang County, they made a few inquiries, navigated a series of winding bridges, and finally found their great-aunt’s home in a small alley.

When Wang Qiulan had first considered returning to Pingjiang Prefecture from Gaochun Town, she had written to her sister, promising to visit upon her arrival. Having received word that her sister was coming to see her, Grandmother Sun Wang had spent every day leaning on her cane at the alley’s entrance, waiting. Today, her anticipation was finally rewarded.

Wang Qiulan’s sister was named Wang Chunlan. Born three years apart, one in spring and one in autumn, they were named accordingly. Her husband had passed away two years prior, and her own legs were weak, so she rarely went out. She had one son and one daughter, and now lived with her son and daughter-in-law, Li.

Forty years had passed since they last met. When her sister married, her hair had been styled in high, elegant coils; now, her head was full of silver strands. The two looked at each other in silence, unable to speak, and simply wept.

The Sun household was kept very clean. The front courtyard was planted with plenty of vegetables, and smoke was already curling from the chimney at the back.

"It’s all well, it’s all well." Grandmother Sun patted her sister’s hand, her handkerchief already half-soaked in moments. She wiped her tears and looked at the three sisters. "Oh my, is this..."

Grandmother Sun pulled the two younger girls into her arms, gently stroking their hair as more tears fell. "Your letters always mentioned these twins. Seeing them in person today—they are like peeled water chestnuts, so alike! It’s wonderful, truly wonderful."

"The one in the yellow skirt is Fuling, and the one in the green is Fuqu," Wang Qiulan introduced, wiping her own eyes.

"Great-aunt looks just like Grandmother," Wei Fuqu said, looking up from the crook of her arm.

"Let’s wipe Great-aunt’s tears," Wei Fuling said, taking her own handkerchief to gently dab under Grandmother Sun’s eyes.

"What good little girls." Grandmother Sun nodded, then turned to Wei Jinyun, taking her hand to look at her closely. Wei Jinyun was wearing a slightly worn green jacket, the cuffs thinning, her hair simply wound into two coils, yet it made her skin look porcelain-fair and her eyes bright and clear.

"This is Yun, isn't it?" Grandmother Sun sighed. "A good, good girl. She looks so thoughtful... Everyone, sit down. You must be hungry from the journey. Wanrong has stewed lotus root soup and braised pork with bamboo shoots. I’ll go serve it for you."

The main room was small, with a square table and a few benches, but it was wiped spotless.

"I only use this cane when going out; I don't need my feet to stir-fry vegetables," Grandmother Sun insisted, refusing to let the four of them or Li stop her. Overjoyed, she cooked several extra dishes by the stove. Li had no choice but to help. Within two quarter-hours, the table was filled with shredded pork with water bamboo, stir-fried river shrimp, steamed shad, and the braised pork and lotus root soup.

"Wang Da and Cheng'er are busy with work and are eating out, so you all must eat plenty. Especially you, Yun, you’ve just recovered from your illness—you’re so thin, you need to nourish yourself." Grandmother Sun kept serving soup and piling meat into their bowls until they looked like little mountains.

"Mother, let me do it, you rest," Li said, seeing Grandmother Sun breathless and standing up to pat her back.

"I’m not tired, Mother is happy today."

They laughed and chatted at the table. To please Grandmother Sun, the three sisters ate until they were stuffed, the food feeling as though it were reaching their throats. Grandmother Sun had wanted them to stay the night, but Wei Jinyun knew the renovation work could not be delayed, so after much persuasion, they agreed to leave only after the evening meal.

After dinner, Li brewed a pot of jasmine tea, sliced a melon, and sat down for a leisurely chat.

"That shop your mother left you—I remember it being very old," Grandmother Sun said, sipping her tea. "The Wei family members are truly not good people. It’s fortunate that Wei Qiang treats you well. It has truly been hard on all of you."

Wang Qiulan’s husband, Wei Qiang, had met her while he was in Pingjiang Prefecture on business. He was the second son in the Wei family. With an older brother to take the lead and parents who doted on his younger brother, he had become an invisible figure, seemingly unloved by either parent, which had fostered his honest temperament.

Back then, the Wei family had agreed to the marriage only because they saw Wei Qiang’s honesty. The other Wei brothers were not easy to deal with, and because it was a marriage far from home, her parents had given Wang Qiulan the shop to provide her with security.

"Jinyun is very capable; the shop is being renovated properly now, so Sister need not worry," Wang Qiulan said, opening the box she had brought with a smile. "Sister and Wanrong, please taste her handiwork. It’s no worse than the pastries we used to eat."

Inside were pastries Wang Qiulan had ordered from a shop, along with a package of lotus pastries Wei Jinyun had made that morning. Since Wang Qiulan had praised them, the two naturally tried the lotus pastries first.

The pastries were still slightly warm. One bite caused the flaky crust to scatter, rich with the fragrance of oil. The red bean paste inside was mildly sweet and not cloying, melting away in the mouth. Even after swallowing, the fragrance lingered on their lips and teeth.

"This pastry is beautifully made and tastes wonderful," Li said, taking a sip of tea to cleanse her palate. She exclaimed, "Yun, you have such a talent! If only you had come to Pingjiang Prefecture earlier; I wouldn't have had to ask the matchmaker to order wedding cakes—I would have just asked you to make them. It’s a pity I’ve already paid the money and signed the contract."

"Is Cheng'er getting married?" Wang Qiulan asked.

"Yes," Li said, her smile irrepressible. "We’ve decided on the daughter of the Zhou tailor at the end of the alley. They grew up together, childhood sweethearts. Cheng'er was so happy that he went to several shops with the matchmaker just to pick the wedding cakes... The date is set for the third month of next spring. Sister, you must bring Yun and her sisters to drink at the wedding."

Wei Fuling was lying in a rattan chair nearby, trying to nap, but her excitement over meeting her great-aunt kept her awake. She looked up and said, "That’s still more than half a year away. I haven't been to a wedding banquet in a long time; I really want to eat at one."

The last time she had attended a banquet, she was five. There were so many dishes she couldn't count them all, and she had wanted to try every one but couldn't fit it all in. Now that she was seven, surely she could eat more.

"Indeed," Li continued. "The auspicious date must be chosen carefully, and we have to wait for the wedding dress to be embroidered and the ancestors to be honored. And as for those wedding cakes, that shop is the best in Wujiang County—we’re even on a waiting list."

"Weddings are so particular these days," Wang Qiulan laughed. "When we got married, wedding cakes were just ordered from ordinary pastry shops, or made by family members."

"That’s different, Qiulan," Grandmother Sun said, coaxing the drowsy Wei Fuqu in her arms. "Life is getting better for everyone now; who wouldn't want everything to be perfect at their wedding? I’ve tasted those wedding cakes—they’re about the same as others, but the price is expensive. However, that shop is famous, like Xu's on Shantang Street—there’s a line every day. Yun’s pastries taste so good; perhaps one day, people will be lining up for yours, too."

"Yes, yes," Wei Fuling mumbled in her sleep, "Sister’s line."

It seemed the minds of the ancients were no different from those of modern people. Wei Jinyun kept every word in mind. Different audiences, different pricing. She had wandered through the grass market yesterday; there were plenty of people selling pastries, and they tasted quite good. But the same crabapple cake sold for three copper coins at the grass market could sell for five at Xu's.

People in Pingjiang Prefecture loved pastries and could buy them anywhere. But as for those with a reputation, Xu's alone monopolized half the market. While ensuring quality, she also had to innovate. As for wedding cakes, victory cakes, cloud-flake cakes, and the like, she knew how to make those too.

After the visit, Wei Jinyun’s mind was whirring. The four of them had arrived with pastries and gifts, but they returned with bags and baskets full of items. By evening, Grandmother Sun’s son and grandson had returned. After the meal, not only did they call a boat for the four of them, but they also sent them off with a basket of salted chicken and duck, marinated trotters, and a basket of lotus roots.

When they parted, Wang Qiulan and her sister wept in each other's arms again. Wei Fuling and Wei Fuqu comforted them, saying, "It’s only a two-hour boat ride. When we’re free, we can just come with Grandmother to visit Great-aunt again."

On the boat ride back, they weren't as excited as they had been that morning. They asked the boatman to row slowly; their stomachs were so full that if the boat rocked too much, they might not be able to keep their dinner down. Although it was just a boat ride, the round trip took nearly five hours. When the four of them returned to the shop, they fell asleep the moment their heads hit the pillows.

The next morning, the sun was bright again. The water in the courtyard well had settled and was perfectly usable; Wei Jinyun didn't need to go out for water. Xiao Zhang and Er Niu were waiting at the door early after breakfast. Wei Jinyun chatted with them briefly, thinking of heading to the grass market to scout for some small tools.

Zhang Renbai, from the stationery shop, had also opened his doors early.

"Young Mistress Wei, yesterday’s lotus pastries were delicious." Zhang Renbai’s ears turned red as he looked down. "I truly don't know how to thank you."