The Everyday Life of the Fish Couple & The Monk in White Emerges
Back at the noodle shop, Yu Jinnian, nearly faint from hunger, rushed straight to the kitchen. Seeing that there was only a handful of leftover noodles, he made himself a simple and easy-to-eat shrimp paste noodle dish.
The noodles were freshly handmade today, and after being rinsed with cold water, they became very chewy. He then added a few spoonfuls of fragrant shrimp paste, sprinkled with bright green scallions, and finally, mixed it all together with bamboo chopsticks.
Since he had a preference for spicy food, which was not typical for someone from the South, he added a bit of stir-fried chili oil to the mix.
The color was a rich red, and the aroma was mouthwatering!
Making a noodle dish was just Yu Jinnian’s way of being lazy. If he had the energy to be more diligent, he would have preferred a bowl of shrimp paste soup noodles in the slightly chilly early winter weather. Soup noodles are more than just adding water; there are many intricate steps involved. For example, first stir-frying chopped scallions and garlic to bring out their aroma, then sautéing the shrimp paste, which makes it even more fragrant, filling the air with its delightful smell.
At this point, water is added to cook a few wood ear mushrooms and tofu skin. If there were fresh bamboo shoots available, they wouldn’t need much cooking to become sweet and crisp. Then the handmade noodles are added and stirred until the edges of each noodle become translucent, signaling that they are almost done. Finally, a few tender bok choy leaves are blanched, and an egg is added… delicious!
The more Yu Jinnian thought about it, the hungrier he became, feeling like his stomach was about to twist into knots. He quickly licked his lips, pulling his thoughts back from the endless fantasy.
At this time, there were two golden boiled eggs left on the kitchen counter. Ji Hong said they were specifically saved for him by Qing Huan, so Yu Jinnian, without hesitation, peeled them both, intending to share one with Ji Hong. He cut the eggs into petal shapes and placed them on a plate, also preparing a small dish of shrimp paste for dipping.
These eggs came from the family’s own hens, so they were small and delicate, with shells of varying colors. Although they might not look particularly attractive, their taste and texture were naturally tender and flavorful, without any eggy smell.
Thus, the peeled eggs were not only golden and bright but also soft and smooth, very appetizing.
When Yu Jinnian returned to the room, Ji Hong had already changed his clothes. His black hair was loosely tied back with a thin ribbon, and he was sitting at the table reviewing the accounts. Yu Jinnian sat down beside him with his bowl of noodles, slurping loudly. Ji Hong, distracted by the noise, turned to look at him. Seeing that Yu Jinnian was indeed famished, he swallowed the words “don’t talk while eating” that were on the tip of his tongue and remained silent.
Because Yu Jinnian was eating so quickly, he choked a bit and had to pat his chest, hurriedly drinking some hot broth to wash it down. He exhaled heavily, clearly enjoying the meal.
Ji Hong put down the account book, picked up a slice of the golden egg, dipped it in shrimp paste, and placed it in Yu Jinnian’s bowl, saying, “Slow down, be careful not to burn yourself.”
“Mhm, you eat too,” Yu Jinnian mumbled with his mouth full, still eating.
After a moment’s thought, he realized it was unfair to have the noodles with both eggs and soup while Ji Hong only had the egg. So, albeit reluctantly, he lifted the last chopstick of noodles from his bowl and asked, “Do you want this?”
However, Ji Hong wasn’t much of an eater after dinner hours. At most, he would have some of the health congee he specially made. Yu Jinnian, already anticipating Ji Hong’s reply, expected him to say something like, “eating too much at night is not good,” as he often did. But to his surprise, Ji Hong responded with a simple “Mm.”
Yu Jinnian was stunned: “…Huh?”
Ji Hong leaned forward and took the noodles from his chopsticks, chewing them slowly and gracefully, unlike Yu Jinnian’s slurping.
Ji Hong ate very quietly, and since they were close, Yu Jinnian could see his slightly fluttering eyelashes. Underneath those lashes were half-closed, narrow eyes, reflecting the flickering candlelight, making Ji Hong look less stern and more soft and charming.
Perhaps it was because he had just heard a story about a wildcat spirit, but at this moment, Yu Jinnian couldn’t help but think of various tales from folklore, such as a white fox transformed into a young man to repay a favor, which filled him with a sense of romantic sentiment.
Suddenly, Ji Hong’s throat moved, and he frowned. Initially, he found the noodles to be quite tasty, but as the flavors of the sauce spread, he was caught off guard by the spiciness and coughed lightly a few times, covering his mouth with his hand. He hurriedly drank half a cup of cold tea to quell the intense spiciness.
When he finally managed to stop, he heard a soft laugh—it was Yu Jinnian, secretly laughing at him. The boy’s lips had turned slightly red, almost as if he were wearing lipstick, bright in color. Ji Hong felt the heat he had just suppressed rising again, burning from his throat to his heart. Unable to hold back any longer, he reached out and pulled the laughing boy close.
Yu Jinnian, caught off guard, let out a surprised cry and found himself sitting on the man’s lap when he came to his senses.
They sat face to face, Yu Jinnian being taller, making Ji Hong look up at him. This new experience intrigued Yu Jinnian, who then reached into Ji Hong’s raven-black hair, playing with a lock of the silky strands, observing him closely. Neither spoke for a moment.
After a while, Ji Hong met his gaze and, with a deepening voice, asked, “What are you looking at?”
Yu Jinnian smiled and said, “You’re handsome.”
Ji Hong felt his heart burning even more, and he tried to pull Yu Jinnian down for a kiss, tugging the boy closer with a forceful move.
The more time Ji Hong spent with this boy, the harder he found it to control himself. Recently, he had increasingly felt an overwhelming desire to touch the boy. What started as simply enjoying the relaxed atmosphere when they were together had turned into an irresistible urge to hold him close. Now, he found himself constantly wanting to be even closer.
As these thoughts swirled in his mind, the hand around the boy’s waist involuntarily tightened, and his breathing quickened.
But just as their lips were about to touch, Yu Jinnian suddenly let out a hiss.
Ji Hong’s heart skipped a beat, and he quickly asked, “What’s wrong?”
Yu Jinnian shifted his position, lifting his hips slightly to find a more comfortable spot on Ji Hong’s lap. When asked again, he just shook his head, unwilling to explain. Sensing that something was wrong, Ji Hong tried to lift Yu Jinnian’s shirt, but the boy stubbornly refused, and the two tussled at the table for a long time, neither willing to give in.
Finally, Yu Jinnian jumped off Ji Hong’s lap, refusing the kiss, and dove into the bed, wrapping himself up like a spring roll in the blanket, leaving only his head poking out, his nose hidden under the covers.
Ji Hong, unwilling to give up, grabbed the edge of the blanket and shook it until Yu Jinnian tumbled out. The blanket was dark green, and Yu Jinnian’s clothes were grayish-white. As he rolled out, he looked like a little white silkworm forcibly pulled from its warm cocoon. The silkworm now gazed at Ji Hong with a pitiful expression.
Ji Hong stood tall by the bed, wearing only a white inner garment, its collar slightly open from their earlier tussle. He looked down at the boy on the bed, his chest filled with frustration. With a slight raise of his brow, he coldly asked, “Are you going to take it off yourself, or shall I do it for you?”
Yu Jinnian hesitated, fearing both his anger and the embarrassment. After weighing his options, he resolutely refused, “No.” Then he pulled the blanket over his face again.
It was like a scene where the innocent were being forced into wrongdoing.
The two stared at each other for a moment before Ji Hong broke the tension, his lips twitching as he struggled to suppress a smile. Seeing Yu Jinnian eating so heartily just now and still able to bounce around so energetically, Ji Hong knew that even if the boy did have an injury, it wouldn’t be anything life-threatening. Besides, Yu Jinnian was a doctor himself… Ji Hong just wanted to take a look.
But Yu Jinnian was still stubbornly sulking.
“If you hide again, I’ll go get a pair of scissors.”
Although this sounded like a serious threat, it was clearly just a bluff. After all, they only had this one winter quilt. If it got cut up, they’d both end up shivering together—who would be afraid of whom? Naturally, Yu Jinnian wasn’t going to give in so easily.
Ji Hong, exasperated yet amused, could do nothing but sigh, ultimately sitting by the bed in defeat and speaking softly, “Alright, what’s there to be shy about? Come over here. My little butterfly has been wronged outside, and I’m not even allowed to take a look?”
He still remembered that joke about the little butterfly. Yu Jinnian peered out from under the covers with bright eyes, blinking at him.
Ji Hong gently patted the spot beside him on the bed. After a moment’s hesitation, Yu Jinnian slowly inched forward, then a bit more, and eventually squirmed out from under the covers. Lying face down on the bed with a pillow under his elbows, he whispered, “It’s really nothing serious. I just got hit a few times with a wooden stick…”
Getting hit a few times and he says it’s nothing serious? Ji Hong worriedly lifted the hem of Yu Jinnian’s shirt.
Sure enough, there was a mark on the fair, delicate skin of his lower back, slanting across and disappearing into his undergarments. It seemed to have been there for some time, as it had already turned slightly bruised. Ji Hong’s heart tightened as he followed the direction of the mark, lifting the edge of Yu Jinnian’s pants. Yu Jinnian suddenly felt a chill on his buttocks, but before he could react, his pants were pulled down by Ji Hong.
These undergarments were loose and comfortable, which, unfortunately, also made them easy to pull down.
And under those undergarments, there was nothing else. When Ji Hong pulled them down, it was as if he had stripped away Yu Jinnian’s dignity as a man. Yu Jinnian, nearly in tears, protested, “Don’t pull my pants down… Hey, wait, don’t throw them on the floor…”
Ji Hong paid no attention to what Yu Jinnian was lamenting about, for all he saw were the boy’s buttocks and thighs, marked with three or four bruises even heavier than the one on his waist.
Ji Hong’s expression darkened immediately, filled with deep regret. He thought back to the kind of scoundrel Second Yang seemed to be that day, and how the Yang household couldn’t possibly be a good place. Yet he had allowed Yu Jinnian to stay in that wretched place alone for so long, only for him to come back beaten.
This was his little butterfly, whom he cherished, and yet, right under his nose, someone else had dared to lay a hand on him.
“Who hit you?”
Yu Jinnian, who had been frantically trying to pick up his pants, froze at this sudden question. His hands trembled slightly, and he dropped the pants he had just picked up. With a look of despair, he raised his head to meet Ji Hong’s gaze.
Ji Hong’s eyes darkened further as he asked again, “Who hit you?”
Sensing the gravity of the situation, Yu Jinnian hurriedly explained, “It wasn’t intentional. Old Master Yang was ill, his mind not quite right, and he mistook me for his son, so he hit me a few times. It didn’t hurt much. The bruises will fade in a couple of days…”
Seeing Ji Hong’s expression grow even darker, Yu Jinnian shrank back and changed his tune, “Alright, it did hurt a bit at first, but it really doesn’t anymore. It’s just that you accidentally touched it earlier, so…”
Before he could finish, Ji Hong had already lifted him up and pulled him into a tight embrace.
Ji Hong said, “You’re not going back there.”
Yu Jinnian, lying on his shoulder with his lower half exposed, could only softly murmur, “Okay.”
Ji Hong heard him agree so obediently now, but he knew that once the pain subsided in a few days, Yu Jinnian would definitely be off again, roaming around, meeting all sorts of strange people, treating all sorts of strange ailments, completely forgetting the pain once the wounds healed. This made Ji Hong even more frustrated, wishing he could immediately reveal his status to back Yu Jinnian, allowing the boy to act with impunity and flaunt his power outside.
With this in mind, Ji Hong felt it was time to seriously consider returning to the capital. After all, he wanted to give Yu Jinnian a better life. Whether the boy was a free-spirited sparrow or an ambitious swan, even if he just wanted to stay at home and live a leisurely life, Ji Hong was more than willing to pamper him, to fatten him up and make him the happiest he could be, bringing the best rice in the world for him to peck at.
Little did Yu Jinnian know that Young Master Ji’s ambition was to turn him into a plump and contented house pet. While he was lost in thought, he jumped off the bed to pick up his pants and, with his back to Ji Hong, began pulling them up. Unaware that his bending over had revealed more than it should, everything that should and shouldn’t be seen was now fully exposed.
Ji Hong’s pupils contracted as his gaze remained fixed on Yu Jinnian’s body, unable to look away. He thought, ordinarily, when he hugged or touched Yu Jinnian, he had felt that the boy’s waist and back were a bit thin, giving him the impression that Yu Jinnian had a slender, slim figure. But now, seeing that his buttocks were not at all flat but rather round and full, with a firm feel, it made his straight, white legs appear even longer.
As for certain parts… they were quite delicate.
Ji Hong suddenly felt a rush of heat to his nose, and with a start, quickly averted his gaze.
Yu Jinnian, unaware that Ji Hong had seen everything, finally pulled up his pants and let out a relieved sigh. He then went out to wash up briefly. When he returned, he found that Ji Hong had already lain down in the bed, turned away from him. Yu Jinnian still wanted to chat with Ji Hong about what he had seen and heard at the Yang residence that day, so he climbed onto the bed and tentatively nudged Ji Hong’s shoulder. Seeing that Ji Hong had really closed his eyes and was breathing deeply, he gave up in disappointment.
He couldn’t help but wonder, this person usually stays up later than anyone else. Why did he go to bed so early without a word today? Could he be sick?
Thinking this, Yu Jinnian scooted closer and reached out to check Ji Hong’s temperature. Hmm, it didn’t seem like he had a fever.
Oh well, maybe he really was just tired.
In the dead of night, the “asleep” Ji Hong felt a warm body pressing tightly against his back. He opened his eyes, then closed them again, his mind filled with the image of those long, white legs, walking back and forth in his dreams. His whole body felt hot, his breathing heavy and uncomfortable. So, he gently turned over to face Yu Jinnian, lying on his side, and pinched the boy’s earlobe, whispering, “Jinnian?”
He called softly twice more, but Yu Jinnian didn’t respond at all. Ji Hong looked at the boy (Young Master Ji pinched Jinnian’s ear, pinched Jinnian’s face, and pinched Jinnian’s slender waist. Hmm, the feel is nice. Ah, what? This isn’t allowed? The atmosphere isn’t allowed either? Young Master Ji held Jinnian’s hand, brought it to his side, and continued holding it without doing anything else).
The hand was soft, not very large, with slender fingers and round, pink fingertips. This was the hand Yu Jinnian used to cook and treat patients, skillfully handling medicinal herbs. Ji Hong knew what it felt like to have his pulse taken by Yu Jinnian—three fingers gently pressing on the pulse, sometimes light, sometimes firm, like a lively little bird hopping on his wrist.
Such a little bird was rare, but once you encountered one, you’d want to catch it and keep it in a cage.
Ji Hong barely managed to control his heavy breathing as he brought this life-saving hand to his chest. He felt deeply conflicted, as though he were committing an unforgivable crime. The blanket felt unbearably hot, making it difficult to breathe.
The boy suddenly smacked his lips and whimpered “Ah Hong” in his sleep. The hand that Ji Hong was holding instinctively wrapped around his finger, gripping Ji Hong’s index finger.
Ji Hong’s expression softened, and he gently placed Yu Jinnian’s hand back down, then leaned over to kiss the boy’s forehead, whispering, “It’s my fault, go back to sleep.” He got up from the bed, tucked the blanket around Yu Jinnian, and threw on a light robe as he headed outside.
The room was very quiet. Ji Hong rarely got up at night, partly because he didn’t need to, and partly because of… the dark. Although he never admitted to being afraid of the dark, he couldn’t lie to himself. Without Yu Jinnian beside him, without the noise to distract him, the cold, bright moonlight streaming through the window cast an eerie glow, and the surrounding darkness surged at him like a rising tide. He had only taken the first step when he already felt a sense of retreat.
Yet at the same time, he couldn’t help but mock himself—he had thought his fear of the dark was nearly cured, but it turned out that he was just a cunning fox, relying on the boy’s presence to act fearlessly.
Ji Hong pressed his lips together and quickly walked to the table, fumbling anxiously for a firestarter. Only when the candle lit up did he breathe a sigh of relief. He looked back to ensure he hadn’t woken the boy before taking the lamp outside to get some fresh air.
After the agitation in his chest had subsided, he returned to the bed, his body chilled.
But no sooner had he lain down than Yu Jinnian snuggled up to him from behind, mumbling incoherently in his sleep. He was so close that his breath brushed against Ji Hong’s ear, warm and ticklish.
Ji Hong’s face changed, and he pushed Yu Jinnian off him, got up, and took the lamp outside again.
…
The next morning, as night gave way to dawn, Yu Jinnian woke up with a big stretch. But when he opened his eyes, he saw Ji Hong standing at the bedside, holding a nearly burnt-out candle, a cold air clinging to him as if he had just come in from outside. His hair was loose, and he looked down at Yu Jinnian, with dark circles under his beautiful eyes, a deeply melancholic expression that made Yu Jinnian’s heart ache.
Yu Jinnian immediately sat up, reaching out to touch the dark circles under Ji Hong’s eyes. “Oh no, poor thing, what happened?”
Ji Hong, holding the candle in one hand, suddenly grabbed Yu Jinnian’s chin with the other, and kissed him fiercely on his soft lips. Yu Jinnian, startled by the intensity of Ji Hong’s gaze, found himself unable to react for a moment, allowing the man to kiss him thoroughly. Ji Hong’s kisses grew more forceful, nearly bending Yu Jinnian’s back until he thought his waist might snap. Finally, unable to endure it any longer, Yu Jinnian’s tongue went numb, and he had to mumble his surrender.
“Hu…hu…” Yu Jinnian gasped for air.
Ji Hong, having satisfied himself, slammed the remains of the candle onto the small cabinet by the bed and stormed out of the room.
Yu Jinnian sat there, dumbfounded, wondering what had caused Ji Hong to act so strangely first thing in the morning.
But he was fully awake now after Ji Hong’s unexpected behavior, so he hurriedly got out of bed, dressed, washed, and started getting ready for the day. Ji Hong, who had inexplicably manhandled him earlier, was now in the front hall, setting out tables and chairs. Yu Jinnian, seeing him, felt like a mouse encountering a cat in heat—he had no desire to be nibbled on again, so he carefully avoided Ji Hong whenever he moved around.
After finishing his work in the front, Yu Jinnian still couldn’t figure out why Ji Hong had been both angry and affectionate, so he decided to retreat to the back kitchen, start the fire, and cook something delicious to appease him.
He had bought turmeric powder the day before, so today he planned to continue making gingerbread man.
Gingerbread man are basically just small cookies, but their cute shapes make them especially appealing to children.
Yu Jinnian put flour, eggs, honey, and a bit of turmeric powder into the wooden basin he used for kneading dough and began to mix it. Turmeric has a slightly spicy and bitter flavor, which not everyone can appreciate. Some people love its distinctive aroma, while others dislike its sharpness—much like the ongoing debate over cilantro. So, he made a separate batch of dough without turmeric, to cater to both preferences.
Since he had two batches of dough to handle, and it was too much for one person, he called Qing Huan and Sui Sui to help.
The dough for making cookies is different from the dough for hand-pulled noodles; it needs to be firmer so that the baked cookies will be crisp and sturdy. Once the dough was ready, it needed to cool down. With the weather already cold, and the well water icy enough to chill to the bone, the effect was comparable to a refrigerator. So Yu Jinnian used his usual method, placing the dough in sealed ceramic jars and submerging them in the well to cool.
Since the dough needed some time to chill, Yu Jinnian heard a street vendor calling out about fresh milk being sold. This reminded him of the peppermint pudding he had made at the Yang residence the day before, and his mouth began to water. He quickly opened the back kitchen window, climbed onto a small stool, and called out, “Milk vendor! Is it fresh buffalo milk?”
The vendor, carrying his load, approached the window with enthusiasm. “Of course! Freshly milked, just this morning. Would you like some?”
“Yes, please!” Yu Jinnian quickly grabbed a large pot, cleaned and dried it, and handed it out the window. “Could you fill this up for me?”
“Right away!”
With the fresh milk in hand, Yu Jinnian began to ponder what to make with it. He had already baked cookies today and wasn’t keen on making more pastries, so he decided to make a simple drink. As he rummaged through the vegetable basket, he found some old ginger roots that had dried up and wrinkled, likely bought ages ago, and inspiration struck.
Wasn’t this a sign from the heavens to make ginger milk curd?
For ginger milk curd, the ginger should be old, and the milk needs to be high-fat and rich for the curd to set properly. Buffalo milk is reputedly the best for this, so it seemed like destiny! Yu Jinnian immediately took out the two old ginger roots, crushed them with the back of a knife, and extracted the juice using a cloth. You don’t need much ginger juice—just enough to cover the bottom of a bowl. Too much and the curd will be too spicy and not as pleasant.
Then he heated the buffalo milk over low heat. Seeing that Sui Sui was eyeing it eagerly, he served her a bowl to drink first. The little girl happily took her bowl and went to the front. Yu Jinnian added two spoons of sugar to the milk, stirring until the sugar dissolved, then let it cool slightly. The milk for the ginger milk curd shouldn’t be too hot, or it would ruin the ginger juice’s properties and prevent the curd from setting.
Yu Jinnian mischievously said to Qing Huan, “Qing Huan, do you know how to count?”
As soon as Qing Huan heard the word “count,” she replied, “Yes, how far should I count, Brother Nian?”
She was quite confident in her counting skills. She had learned from Xue Qiao, who was from a wealthy family and had attended private school, so Qing Huan had picked up some skills. While other girls might only count up to twenty, Qing Huan could count up to several dozen—quite impressive.
But Yu Jinnian said, “Count up to three hundred and sixty. I’ll show you a magic trick.”
Qing Huan: “…”
Three hundred and sixty was roughly five or six minutes, just a habit Yu Jinnian had of timing things in minutes. After cooling the milk for about five minutes, it would be ready to meet the ginger juice in a perfect, intimate collision.
Poor Qing Huan didn’t realize that Yu Jinnian was just teasing her. Instead, she was delighted that Brother Nian was going to show her a magic trick and started counting immediately. However, Yu Jinnian had forgotten one thing: what seemed like simple counting to him wasn’t necessarily something everyone could do. Most people didn’t need to count that high, and anything beyond that would typically be done with an abacus—otherwise, what use would there be for accountants?
She managed to count up to forty or fifty before losing track, but she really wanted to see Brother Nian’s magic trick. So she started counting beans instead, moving one bean aside for every ten counts. After moving about thirty beans, she got confused again—if one bean represents ten counts, then how many counts are ten beans? And how many counts are thirty beans?
Meanwhile, Yu Jinnian, oblivious to the trouble he had caused, had already slipped away to help out at the front. He walked around with a tray, stepping on Ji Hong’s shadow as if he had forgotten all about the incident that morning when Ji Hong kissed him in anger. It wasn’t until Ji Hong turned around and gave him a strange look that Yu Jinnian cheerfully said, “Ah Hong, you count to three hundred and sixty too.”
The boy clearly had some mischief in mind. Although Ji Hong replied with a warning, “Don’t mess around,” he secretly started counting.
By the time Ji Hong returned to the kitchen, more than six minutes had passed, yet Qing Huan was still counting on her fingers. In front of her was a bowl filled with beans of various sizes, and she was muttering to herself as if she were in a trance. Only then did Yu Jinnian realize he had put her in a difficult position and sincerely apologized, “I’m sorry, I was just joking. I’ll show you the trick now.”
Qing Huan wasn’t upset at being teased; instead, she was impressed that Yu Jinnian could count all the way to three hundred and sixty.
Meanwhile, Ji Hong had counted quickly, finishing long before five minutes had passed. When he entered the kitchen, he saw Yu Jinnian apologizing to Qing Huan and asked, “What’s going on?”
Qing Huan happily explained, “Brother Nian said he’d perform a magic trick after I counted to three hundred and sixty!”
“Oh?” Ji Hong leaned against the doorframe, interested, and said, “I’d like to see it too.”
To his surprise, Yu Jinnian, who had gone out to play tricks on others, ended up being the one surrounded and watched. With a sheepish grin, he picked up the bowl of warm milk, which had cooled to the perfect temperature, and quickly poured it into the bowl containing the ginger juice. The yellow ginger juice swirled in the white milk like fireworks—this was the “collision,” quite a fitting name.
After letting the mixture sit for a while, Qing Huan exclaimed, “It’s turned into a pudding!”
Ji Hong raised an eyebrow.
Yu Jinnian had made five bowls in total, just enough for everyone in the noodle shop to have one each. In the cold weather, ginger milk curd was not only delicious but also helped warm the stomach. Qing Huan took a few bowls to share with Aunt Xu and Sui Sui, while Ji Hong picked up a bowl and asked Yu Jinnian, “This magic trick was for Qing Huan’s three hundred counts. What about my three hundred and sixty counts? Do you have another trick up your sleeve?”
Yu Jinnian, who had no more tricks, honestly replied, “I really don’t have any more. Just this one.”
Ji Hong didn’t say anything, just kept staring at him, making Yu Jinnian’s scalp tingle. He reluctantly suggested, “…How about I show you a string game?”
Ji Hong patted him on the head and said in a low voice, “I’ll put it on your tab then. I’ll ask for something when I think of it.”
“…”
Yu Jinnian couldn’t help but silently criticize Ji Hong’s pettiness and his tendency to hold grudges.
After a while, the dough for the gingerbread had cooled enough. Yu Jinnian took it out and rolled it into a large, thin sheet with a rolling pin.
Next came the task of cutting out shapes, but since he hadn’t had time to order proper molds, he simply used a small knife to carve them out. Although it was time-consuming, he had nothing but time, so he patiently cut out the cookies, making not only the usual gingerbread men but also shapes like little fish, stars, and flowers.
Suddenly, the front of the shop became lively, with some kind of commotion.
As the little boss, Yu Jinnian naturally had to go and check it out.
Lifting the curtain, he saw a crowd of customers gathered at the entrance. Amid the hubbub, he heard Qing Huan’s voice. She was clinging to the doorframe, joining in the excitement, and asking, “Is that the White-Robed Monk?”
“Yes, yes!”
“Just look at his bearing; you can tell he’s no ordinary person!”
Hearing this, Yu Jinnian stepped to the front of the shop and took a glance outside. Walking down the long street was indeed the White-Robed Monk from that day, still holding his six-ringed lotus staff. His white robe fluttered gracefully, making him look like a celestial being descending to earth. But today, instead of wearing the Plum Blossom Bone-Dissolving Beads on his left hand, he was carrying a golden Buddha bell, which jingled harmoniously with the rings on his staff as he walked.
As he passed, a few bystanders couldn’t help but greet him with devout Buddhist salutations, which he returned graciously.
However, Yu Jinnian noticed that there were a few people leading the way in front of the White-Robed Monk.
Upon closer inspection, he realized they were familiar faces—Madam Zhao from the Yang family, accompanied by several servants and maids, walking leisurely. There was even a sedan chair being carried by porters behind them.
Eavesdropping on some gossip, Yu Jinnian gathered that the White-Robed Monk had insisted on walking, so Madam Zhao, feeling embarrassed to ride alone, ended up creating this parade-like scene.
After the White-Robed Monk and Madam Zhao disappeared at the end of the street, the customers, still full of excitement, returned to the noodle shop, now full of talk about the “White-Robed Divine Monk,” spreading new and old stories about his supposed miracles.
Yu Jinnian listened casually, occasionally chiming in with praise. But when he glanced at Ji Hong and saw that his brows were furrowed, looking like he might get jealous over this uninvited monk, Yu Jinnian quickly excused himself and retreated to his little kitchen to continue carving out cookie shapes.
Because of the White-Robed Monk’s grand appearance today, the customers outside were unusually enthusiastic, seemingly able to eat three more bowls of rice just by mentioning his name.
Following the trend, Yu Jinnian decided to carve some gingerbread cookies in the shape of golden bells. He could even pass them off as a famous Tang Dynasty snack called “Golden Bell Roast,” selling them to those blindly following the trend.
The “Golden Bell Roast” is described in the *Burnt Tail Food List* as “buttery and stamped with a true seal,” meaning it’s a baked pastry made from buttery dough, shaped like a golden bell. The finished product is golden in color, resembling a real golden bell, hence the name “Golden Bell Roast.”
Since no one here had ever seen what the real Golden Bell Roast looked like, Yu Jinnian decided to borrow the name. He called them “Golden Bell Roast,” “Flower Roast,” “Fish Tail Roast,” and so on—anything but “gingerbread men.” After all, if the little master from the Ginger Mansion heard about it, he might rush over and beat him into a cookie. So Yu Jinnian decided to call them “Little Man Roast,” although it did sound a bit odd.
With various shapes of gingerbread cookies half-baked, Yu Jinnian whipped up some egg whites with sugar to make icing, dividing it into several portions and adding different natural colorings like tea powder, red yeast powder, and turmeric powder. He then rolled up pieces of oil paper into cones and used them to decorate the gingerbread cookies with intricate designs.
The “Little Man Roast” was decorated with cute eyes and mouths in white, and floral borders in red and green. The “Golden Bell Roast” was also adorned with ginger-yellow patterns, and similarly, the other shapes were decorated accordingly.
After teaching Qing Huan this fun task once, Yu Jinnian handed it all over to her. After all, a young girl should be better at this sort of thing than him, and Qing Huan, who had never seen anyone draw on baked cookies before, found it fascinating and worked with great enthusiasm, never feeling bored.
The gingerbread cookies were baked a little longer to set the icing, and once it hardened, they were ready to be sold.
The people of that time had never seen such colorful, intricately decorated cookies before and found them quite appealing. The first buyers who tried them found that the ginger-flavored ones warmed their stomachs, while the plain ones were sweet and crunchy, with a satisfying snap that was even crispier than traditional butter cookies, without being overly greasy or crumbly. Because the cookies were small, like bite-sized snacks, once someone ate one, they couldn’t resist reaching for another.
The cute shapes were particularly popular with children and young girls, and soon, they were selling rapidly. Some customers ate them on the spot, others bought them wrapped in oil paper to take home, and some who felt one batch wasn’t enough came back to buy more by weight, leaving Yu Jinnian and Qing Huan barely able to keep up with the demand.
Meanwhile, Ji Hong stood calmly behind the counter, serving as both a mascot and a living advertisement, his presence drawing in customers eager to feast their eyes on his beauty while enjoying their sweet treats.
Who wouldn’t want to nibble on cookies while admiring a handsome man?
Yu Jinnian, harboring such thoughts, was met with a cold glare from the very same beautiful Ji Hong.
Perhaps it was due to the popularity of the White-Robed Monk, but even the “Golden Bell Roast” at the noodle shop became a hot commodity. Yu Jinnian had originally planned to sell it for just one day and then stop, as it was much more labor-intensive than other pastries. The hand-stamping, baking, and decorating all took time and effort. However, the orders kept coming in, with most customers specifically requesting the “Golden Bell Roast,” and only a few asking for the “Flower Roast” or “Fish Tail Roast.”
Left with no choice, Yu Jinnian had to ask the woodworking shop to carve a mold overnight to meet the demand. Otherwise, relying on their own hands to stay up all night carving golden bells would have been exhausting.
For two consecutive days, Yu Jinnian had to prepare the dough at night and chill it in the well, then wake up before dawn, while it was still pitch dark, to start stamping, baking, decorating, and baking again. If it weren’t for the occasional cold breeze in the kitchen, he might have fallen asleep by the stove and ended up as a roasted salted fish himself.
Ji Hong noticed that Yu Jinnian was groggy all day, often forgetting what he had just said and looking confused. The shop was busy from morning till night, leaving no time for rest. Ji Hong was worried that Yu Jinnian might fall asleep while tending the fire in the kitchen and accidentally burn the place down. Since he was used to insomnia and often read through the night, sleeping less wasn’t a problem for him. So he decided to stay up with Yu Jinnian, keeping a close eye on him.
Whenever Yu Jinnian dozed off, Ji Hong would gently support his head.
Eventually, Yu Jinnian moved his small stool closer to Ji Hong, leaning on his shoulder to doze off, leaving Ji Hong to keep an eye on the cookies, waking him up every few minutes to turn them.
The two grown men, sitting like children on small stools, huddled by the stove watching the cookies, with Yu Jinnian dozing off so deeply that drool was nearly dripping from his mouth. When Qing Huan, who had risen early to help, saw this scene, she felt as though the entire kitchen was enveloped in an extraordinarily sweet atmosphere, leaving no room for her as an outsider.
After several days of early mornings and late nights selling the “Golden Bell Roast,” they had made a considerable profit, but Yu Jinnian was utterly exhausted. Just as the craze for the “Golden Bell Roast” began to wane and the orders gradually decreased, allowing him a moment to breathe, a young woman appeared at the door.
Unfortunately, at this point, no matter how beautiful the young woman was, she couldn’t compare to the joy of snuggling up with Ji Hong for a long sleep. Moreover, when the young woman spoke, she asked, “Excuse me—”
Yu Jinnian immediately, without hesitation, and decisively replied, “The Golden Bell Roast is sold out!”
The young woman looked a bit disappointed but then asked again, “Then, could I—”
Yu Jinnian quickly cut her off, waving his hand without even opening his eyes, “No, the Fish Tail Roast is sold out too!”
“It’s not that,” the young woman shook her head, her hair ribbons swaying with the movement. Clearing her throat, she said, “I wanted to ask… Is Boss Yu here?”
Hearing that she wasn’t here to buy “Golden Bell Roast,” Yu Jinnian finally opened his eyes and took a closer look at her. Recognizing her, he was surprised—it was the same young woman he had seen at Fengbo Temple, the one who had torn a few pages from the *Lotus Sutra* before fleeing.
The young woman pulled an invitation from her sleeve and handed it to Yu Jinnian, saying, “I’m from the Yang residence. We’re holding a Dharma assembly at our house in a few days, and we’ve specifically invited Boss Yu to come and help prepare vegetarian banquets for three days.”
As soon as she mentioned the Yang residence, Yu Jinnian wasn’t too keen. Besides, he knew that Ji Hong didn’t like the Yang family, so even if he agreed, Ji Hong would certainly not approve.
Just as he was about to refuse, the young woman took out something wrapped in a small handkerchief and said, “The monk we invited specifically requested your help with the vegetarian banquet. He said that the dishes you prepare have a calming effect, helping him ward off demons and evil spirits… He also said that if you refuse, you should look at what’s inside this, and once you see it, you’ll definitely agree to come.”
Yu Jinnian frowned. The Yang family had invited a monk recently—could it be that White-Robed Monk?
He asked her, “What’s inside?”
The young woman shook her head, “I don’t know.”
After some thought, Yu Jinnian decided to take the small handkerchief, reasoning that there was no harm in looking at it, whether he decided to go or not. It was likely something valuable, like gold or jewels, or perhaps a letter of earnest request. The White-Robed Monk wouldn’t stoop so low as to write a threatening letter, would he?
But when he opened the small handkerchief, he was stunned.
Inside, there were no gold or jewels, nor any threatening letters or pleas. Instead, lying in the small white cloth was nothing more than a simple slice of candied ginger.