Transmigrating to the Qi Family - Chapter 3

“Why does it smell so good?” Aunt Liu takes a deep sniff, detecting a delicious aroma of dough and savory filling that makes her stomach growl.

Jiang Miao turns to check the pot. The steamer is enveloped in a layer of steaming white mist, indicating that the buns are likely ready. He removes the steamed buns and places two more batches of steamer to steam.

He carries the steamer to the courtyard and lifts the lid, releasing a fragrant aroma. The large, plump buns appear, surrounded by dissipating steam.

“Wow, these are huge!” Aunt Liu exclaims in amazement. The buns are now twice the size of her fists, much larger than the ones sold on the street.

“If the dough rises well, the steamed buns will be bigger. Don’t just look at them, go ahead and try one.” Jiang Miao takes out the sanitized chopsticks and bowls, letting Aunt Liu taste the buns herself.

Aunt Liu hesitates, so Jiang Miao smiles and says, “I’ll see if anyone else is around. Let’s share this batch with everyone in the courtyard and get their feedback.”

He turns and walks towards Old Man Mo’s house, which is also on the north side. Knocking on the door, he calls out, “Excuse me, is Uncle Mo home?”

The door opens slightly, and a timid voice responds, “Grandpa’s not home.”

Jiang Miao asks, “Is Aunt Mo here? I just steamed a batch of buns and would like everyone to try them.”

As soon as he finishes speaking, the door opens, and a somewhat plump woman comes out with a big smile on her face. “Why so polite? If you ask me, you should just eat it yourself. Why bother inviting us?”

“I haven’t done business for a few days, so I wanted to see if my bun-steaming skills have deteriorated, so I invited everyone to try them.”

“Well, I won’t be shy then,” she says, heading back inside to fetch a large bowl. She walks over to the steamer, enticed by the delicious smell.

Jiang Miao notices a little girl, about seven or eight years old, peeking from behind the door. She seems a bit shy and hesitant to come out.

Aunt Mo carefully selects the biggest buns, placing five into her bowl. Aunt Liu, still eating her own bun, can’t help but purse her lips when she sees how many Aunt Mo has taken.

Aunt Mo, oblivious to any tension, happily carries the buns back to her house, thanking Jiang Miao before she goes inside. After Jiang Miao finishes informing the other households, Aunt Liu pulls him aside to recount the earlier incident, emphasizing that Aunt Mo had taken five big buns.

Jiang Miao chuckles and whispers back, “It’s no big deal. There are five people in her family, so one for each is just right.” Considering Old Man Mo occasionally checked in on the original Jiang despite them not being close, Jiang Miao feels it’s appropriate to share the buns. Besides, Aunt Mo has shown restraint; her bowl could have held more than five buns.

Seeing that Jiang Miao isn’t bothered, Aunt Liu doesn’t press further and just remarks on his good temper.

At that moment, the other neighbors begin arriving. Old Lady Bai, after taking a bite of a bun, exclaims, “These buns are delicious! They’re fragrant and savory, much better than what you made before!”

“Exactly! One bite and they’re soft and fluffy. The radish is sweet without any raw taste, and the juice is incredibly flavorful!” Aunt Liu finds a kindred spirit in Old Lady Bai and joins in the praise. She has noticed the difference after just one bite.

When other people in the yard hear this, the other neighbors also express their gratitude and start tasting the buns. Everyone has nothing but praise, declaring Jiang Miao’s buns to be exceptionally tasty.

“Everyone, if you like them, please eat more and give me some feedback. Going forward, I hope you’ll spread the word about my little business and help me earn a bit more,” Jiang Miao says. Being much younger than everyone else in the courtyard, he speaks earnestly, making everyone laugh.

“Of course, I must. Are you opening tomorrow? If you are, I won’t cook. I’ll just buy some buns to take to the fish market for lunch,” says the wife of the elder of the two Yu brothers, fish sellers by trade. She is known as Aunt Da Yu, and she has a cheerful personality. Aunt Xiao Yu, the younger brother’s wife, doesn’t speak but nods, indicating she has the same thought as her sister-in-law.

“Yes, I’ll be selling them. I’ll set up my stall at the alley entrance early in the morning. Just call out to me when you come by,” Jiang Miao replies, enjoying a bun himself. He can’t help but think that the local ingredients seem to make the buns taste better than those he made in the modern world.

The storyteller, Old Meng, whose wife is also present, has two daughters-in-law who don’t join them, probably to avoid any awkwardness. Aunt Meng speaks up, “Then I’ll buy some tomorrow as well. My husband can take them to the teahouse to eat.”

“That would be great! With all those people at the teahouse, once he starts eating, everyone will know about them,” Jiang Miao says, delighted. He adds, “Aunt Meng, your daughters-in-law and grandchildren haven’t tried the buns yet. Why not take a few inside for them to taste?”

Everyone is in high spirits and, unlike before, doesn’t immediately retreat to their homes. Instead, they each grab a stool, wash their hands, and help Jiang Miao finish making the remaining buns. It doesn’t take long for them to use up the large bowl of dough. Afterward, they continue to sit around, chatting and enjoying the sunlight.

Jiang Miao brings out a plate of sunflower seeds he bought in the morning. Everyone starts chatting while cracking the seeds, and the atmosphere gradually begins to resemble the close-knit community of Jiang Miao’s childhood courtyard. As Jiang Miao listens and laughs along, he feels that this is how it should be. If neighbors living in the same courtyard always keep their doors closed, how can they foster a sense of community?

…

By evening, the students in the courtyard return home. Two are from the Bai family, and one is Aunt Liu’s grandson. After eating Jiang Miao’s buns, they come over to thank him with a formal bow, their little faces puffed up and speaking earnestly. Jiang Miao can’t help but laugh, feeling an urge to ruffle their hair.

Later on, Aunt Bai’s daughter-in-law returns from visiting relatives. Upon hearing about the buns, she insists on giving Jiang Miao several red eggs. Unable to refuse, Jiang Miao accepts and sends a plate of buns to her in return.

Just after delivering the buns, the men from the Yu family arrive with a fish for Jiang Miao. He pulls them in and gives them a plate of buns as well.

When Old Meng, the storyteller, comes home, he asks if Jiang Miao has named his bun stall. A name would make it easier for him to mention it at the teahouse. Jiang Miao considers names like “Goubuli” and “Eighteen Folds”, but finally says, “Let’s just call it Jiang’s Bun Stall.”

“Simple and straightforward,” Old Meng agrees, stroking his long beard and nodding in approval.

Jiang Miao smiles and cups his hands in thanks, “Then I’ll trouble you to spread the word for me tomorrow.” He hands Old Meng a few buns to take home.

Old Meng initially declines, but Jiang Miao insists, “You need to taste them first. Otherwise, if someone asks about the flavor tomorrow, you won’t know what to say.”

Old Meng has no choice but to take it, planning to give Jiang Miao’s stall a good mention in his story the next day. Perhaps he’ll have the hero of his tale stop by Jiang’s Bun Stall for a bite.

After sending Old Meng off, Jiang Miao looks at the table full of food and tidies up a bit. He hangs the fish outside to keep it cold. Then he heats some water for a foot bath. As soon as he dips his feet in, he pulls them out again, quickly dries them, puts on his shoes, and walks over to the main house.

In the main room, Boss Bai has just returned home and is eating one of Jiang Miao’s buns while listening to his wife.

“…You should have seen it, his little face was so fair and soft, it made my mother so happy,” she says, noticing Jiang Miao’s figure out of the corner of her eye. She quickly calls out, “Brother Jiang, do you need something?”

Jiang Miao puts down his hand, which is ready to knock, feeling a bit embarrassed. “Sorry to disturb you, Boss Bai, Sister Bai. I just wanted to ask if the side door to the north can be opened. I’m planning to sell buns tomorrow, and using the main gate might disturb everyone’s sleep.”

After observing for a few days, he notices that the street has the most foot traffic during the early market hours, and he can’t afford to miss that time.

Boss Bai ponders for a moment and says, “It can be opened, but the original key is missing. If you want to open it, you’ll have to break the lock. Then you can buy a new lock yourself.”

Jiang Miao doesn’t mind being underestimated. He chuckles and follows along. Watching Boss Bai raise the axe, he smashes the rusty lock with just one strike.

Jiang Miao quickly thanks him. After seeing Boss Bai off, he eagerly opens the side door, only to be hit by a foul smell that makes his face turn pale. Apparently, the door hasn’t been opened in a long time, and some mischievous kids have been using it as a toilet.

Jiang Miao goes back to his room, finds some scraps of cloth to block his nose, and then resignedly carries several buckets of water over to clean up the small area outside the side door.

Seeing the clean and odorless entrance, Jiang Miao finally breathes a sigh of relief. He walks out through the side door and finds himself on Yifeng Street just around the corner, much closer than going out through the front gate. This discovery greatly encourages him, dispelling the frustration he felt while cleaning.

Jiang Miao goes back to his room to get some copper coins, goes to the blacksmith’s shop that hasn’t closed yet, and buys a padlock. Then he has two keys made, one to give to the homeowner and the other to keep for himself.

With everything prepared, all that’s left is to set up the stall tomorrow. Hoping to make some money! Jiang Miao, with only a few dozen copper coins left in his jar, thinks to himself.

…

It’s past halfway through the fifth watch of the night, and there’s still no hint of light outside. Jiang Miao gets up, feeling his way to the edge of the table, and finds a candle. He lights it with a matchstick.

Then he begins to fill the pot with water and places yesterday’s prepared buns on the steamer. The fire crackles in the stove, and Jiang Miao sits nearby, yawning to hide his exhaustion. He had been too cold to sleep in bed earlier, but now, warmed by the fire, he’s starting to feel drowsy again.

The aroma of the steamed buns quickly wafts out. Jiang Miao lifts the steamer lid and gently presses the surface with chopsticks. Finding that they’re done, he brings the large steamer over and places it on the side of a carrying pole. Then he shovels the fire from the stove into an iron basin beneath the pole to keep the buns warm.

At this time, the sky is beginning to brighten. Jiang Miao quickly rinses his mouth and washes his face with cold water. Although the chill makes him shiver, his mind becomes much clearer.

He picks out two buns and eats them with cold water. That’s one downside of ancient times; if you want to drink hot water, you have to boil it first. Although some less particular people would drink the water from steaming buns directly, Jiang Miao still finds it a bit off-putting.

After everything is tidied up, he carefully carries the pole outside. Exiting through the side door and turning the corner, he arrives at Yifeng Street. By now, there are already many people on the street, and quite a few stalls have been set up. Jiang Miao looks around, then places his pole down next to a vendor selling tofu pudding.

The old man selling tofu pudding squints at him for a while before recognizing him. “Aren’t you the young man selling buns? Why are you setting up here?”

Jiang Miao smiles while arranging his things “This place is closer to where I live. I’ll be setting up here from now on. I hope you don’t mind, old man.”

The old man waves his hand. “Our items don’t compete with each other. It’s fine for you to set up here.” If they’re selling similar items, it might be a different story.

Having done some small business in modern times, Jiang Miao naturally understands the implication in the old man’s words. It’s also why he chose this location.

In his opinion, pudding is liquid while buns are solid. Combining the two would make for a perfect breakfast. By collaborating, they make it convenient for customers and mutually beneficial for themselves.