Chapter 6: Teasing
As they left the house, He Yun Sheng asked, "Why are you so late today? We won’t get a good spot if we don’t hurry."
"Had some things to take care of," He Yan replied. "Even if we don’t get a good spot, it’s fine. Our cakes taste better anyway."
He Yun Sheng was left speechless.
Talking to the current He Yan felt like punching cotton—frustrating yet impossible to vent his anger. She never lost her temper and always seemed at ease. He couldn’t tell if she was just optimistic or simply oblivious, but at the very least, He Yun Sheng hadn’t seen her troubled by anything in a long time.
Their stall was set up on the merchant street in the western part of the city, right across from Zuijulou, the largest restaurant in the capital. The constant flow of customers made business easy for the small vendors nearby. However, with limited space, securing a good spot required arriving early.
He Yun Sheng arranged the Danai cakes in the steamer.
Danai cakes were a type of pastry made by hollowing out fresh plums, removing the skin and pits, then blanching them in a mixture of white plum and licorice broth. The hollowed plums were then stuffed with a sweet filling of honey, pine nuts, olive kernels, walnuts, and melon seeds before being steamed in small containers. The result was a deliciously sweet-and-sour treat that was also affordable. Selling these cakes every month helped supplement the family’s income.
The warm sunlight was pleasant, and customers occasionally stopped by to buy one or two. By the time the sun moved east of Zuijulou, they would likely be sold out.
Watching He Yun Sheng work, He Yan had to admit he was quite capable. It reminded her of the children she had encountered in the military camps back then. Most of those children came from impoverished families—wealthy young masters would never be sent off to war. Those poor kids fought on the battlefield just to fill their stomachs, so they were used to doing all kinds of work and excelling at it.
Though she had never experienced poverty herself, she had walked a similar path.
"Hey, give me one of those—oh, isn’t this Miss He?" A voice interrupted He Yan’s thoughts.
She looked up to see a long-faced man with an overly polished topknot, beady eyes, and a shifty expression. He wore a white robe that looked utterly mismatched on him. As he reached out to sling an arm over her shoulder, He Yan sidestepped to avoid him.
The man missed and retracted his hand with a hint of regret. "Long time no see, Miss He. You’ve hardly been out these days—so you’ve been selling cakes with Young Master He… How could you do such laborious work?"
His tone suggested they were close.
Puzzled, He Yan glanced at He Yun Sheng, whose face was flushed with anger. "Wang Jiugui, stay away from my sister!" he snapped.
"Brat, your sister doesn’t mind, so why are you making a fuss?" The man called Wang Jiugui smirked before turning back to He Yan with an ingratiating smile. He pulled something from his sleeve and offered it to her. "Miss He, I’ve been thinking of you all this time. Here—I bought this rouge the other day, just for you. Since we’ve met today, would you do me the honor of joining me for a spring outing by the Si River Bank?"
The sight of this scoundrel trying to play the refined gentleman almost made He Yan laugh. In both her past and present life, she had met all kinds of people—good and bad—but none had ever dared to flirt with her like this.
"I have cakes to sell, so I’m afraid I can’t accompany you on your outing," He Yan declined politely. "You should keep this rouge for someone else."
Wang Jiugui froze.He lived on the same street as the He family. Originally, with He Yan having a captain for a father, others wouldn’t dare provoke her. But He Yan wasn’t a well-behaved girl and had a penchant for taking petty advantages. Normally, a bit of rouge or powder would earn a sweet “Brother Jiugui” from her, yet today, in front of so many people, she had slapped him in the face.
Wang Jiugui found it hard to maintain his composure, his smile not as genuine as before. He said, “Miss He, surely you’re not still thinking about Young Master Fan, are you? He’s about to get married, so why bother—”
“Shut up!” Before he could finish, a loud “thud” sounded as Wang Jiugui felt a punch land on his face, knocking him to the ground.
He Yunsheng stood before him, pointing into the distance and shouting angrily, “Get lost!”
At fourteen or fifteen, the boy was already like a young bull, brimming with strength. Wang Jiugui, long weakened by indulgence in wine and women, was no match for He Yunsheng. His head and face ached, and he burned with humiliation all over. Scrambling to his feet, he glanced at He Yan, who showed no intention of apologizing—in fact, she seemed rather amused. Instantly, a surge of rage welled up in his heart.
“You two…” He pointed a trembling finger at He Yan.
He Yunsheng stepped in front of her and sneered, “What about us?”
Wang Jiugui didn’t dare approach and was also puzzled. The siblings had never gotten along. He Yan often complained about him, and He Yunsheng had never intervened in her affairs before. Why were the two together today, with He Yunsheng standing up for her?
“Just you wait!” He stomped his foot and fled.
The crowd dispersed, and the stall returned to quiet. He Yunsheng sullenly packed the danai cakes without a word.
He Yan studied him.
“What are you looking at?” He Yunsheng snapped.
“Your punch just now was good,” He Yan mused. “But your stance was a bit unsteady. Your basics aren’t solid—you should practice horse stance more at home.”
“Enough, enough.” He Yunsheng didn’t want to discuss it. “You’re not a martial arts instructor!”
He Yan sized up He Yunsheng. He was promising material. Perhaps because he’d done manual labor since childhood, his physique was good. Compared to the later young masters of the original “He family,” He Yunsheng was a fine seedling.
He shouldn’t be selling danai cakes here—he ought to be in a better school or martial arts hall, learning real skills.
“Then let me ask this—who is Young Master Fan?”
He Yunsheng slammed the cloth onto the table and glared at her. “You still dare bring him up!”
“What about Young Master Fan?” He Yan shot him a glance.
Mentioning “Young Master Fan” seemed to ignite boundless fury in He Yunsheng. “What about him? If he hadn’t sought you out first, you wouldn’t have been fooled by him! That kind of playboy flirts with anything that moves—only you would believe him. Now he’s getting married, and you actually starved yourself for him! While you’re here pining away, he’s welcoming a new bride! And you—you’ve become the laughingstock of the capital! And you still mention him—are you trying to infuriate me?”
In just a few words, He Yan roughly understood the situation.The eldest Miss He was spoiled and had lofty ambitions, unwilling to settle for mediocrity. She dreamed of marrying into nobility and becoming a distinguished lady. During an outing, she happened to meet a young nobleman, and the two developed a secret affection. However, while she gave her heart completely, the nobleman was merely toying with her—after all, a scion of aristocracy would never marry the daughter of a minor military official.
The young nobleman’s family had already arranged a suitable match for him, and he was soon to be wed. Unable to accept this, the eldest Miss He personally went to his home to demand an explanation, only to be ruthlessly thrown out. Overwhelmed with despair, she attempted to starve herself to death. It was at this moment, when she was on the brink of death, that He Yan woke up in her place.
No wonder the entire He family had been treading carefully around her since she awoke—they were afraid she might attempt suicide again at the slightest provocation.
He Yun Sheng continued to grumble, scolding He Yan for her foolishness, unaware that his real sister was already gone. He Yan lamented inwardly—the eldest Miss He should never have thrown her life away for a deceitful man. Life was far too precious to waste on someone unworthy. Moreover, by dying this way, she only brought pain to those who truly loved her while her betrayers continued to live carefree.
Why bring sorrow to loved ones and joy to enemies?
Her own experience bore some resemblance to the eldest Miss He’s. Both had suffered betrayal in love, but He Yan was different. He Yuansheng, He Yuanliang, He Rufei, Xu Zhiheng, and He Wanru—she would seek them out one by one and reclaim what they owed her.
To this end, she had worked tirelessly.
Every morning, she strapped sandbags to her legs to regain her strength, and every afternoon, she peddled goods in the marketplace, gathering information about the He and Xu families from the diverse crowds.
For instance, there were rumors that the blind Madam Xu had recently drowned in an accident, leaving the Xu family patriarch grief-stricken and bedridden. The entire He family was said to be in mourning, with the eldest master He turning white-haired overnight. The Flying Goose General, deeply devoted to his sister, personally oversaw his cousin’s funeral, which lasted three days and nights, becoming the talk of the town.
These half-truths and fabrications swirled around He Yan like snowflakes, but she could only smile wryly.
The truth had been buried, and it was up to her to uncover it. Until then, she had to survive.
(End of Chapter)
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