CHAPTER 67: CHAPTER 64: HUMAN WORLD CAKE FRAGRANCE

"Hmm, you did the right thing. Go back and eat first. Also, the city is getting chaotic, don’t be in a rush to go there. For now, don’t collect anything, but if you’re free, you can come help out at my place, meals included."

"Thank you!" The moment the young man lowered his head, tears fell like rain.

He thought he didn’t care anymore, but when warmth came, he couldn’t help but want to get close to it.

"Hurry back. Remember what I said about the house."

******

That night, Jiang Mingyue was startled awake by the dream about the mask again. Upon waking, she found it was still dark outside, moved her mouth, and realized her throat was dry as if it were on fire.

Jiang Mingyue reached for the matchbox her third sister had placed by the pillow, fumbled to take out a match, and struck it to light up, trying her best to avoid shining it into her third sister’s eyes.

Before the light went out, she had seamlessly put on her clothes and shoes with one hand and walked out of the room.

A gust of night wind blew, clearing Jiang Mingyue’s head even up to her crown.

She intended to go into the kitchen to pour water from the thermos bottle for a drink, only to find the kitchen door slightly ajar, revealing a sliver of orange light.

Someone there? Recalling the previous intrusion by Jiang Beishan, Jiang Mingyue was filled with anger.

She grabbed the broom leaning against the wall and stormed in, brimming with murderous intent.

She planned a surprise attack but suddenly threw aside the broom like a hot potato when she saw who was inside.

"Ming Yue? Why are you up so early? Can’t sleep? It’s still early! I reckon it’s only midnight, go back to sleep."

Jiang Mingyue: That was scary! Keeping her head down, she realized he likely hadn’t seen her just now.

"Mom, I’m thirsty."

"Ah? Mom will get you some. Good thing I used the thermos last night. Do you want some malted milk?"

"Mom, plain water is fine." Preferably lukewarm, she was nearly dying of thirst.

Watching Shen Fanghua pour water back and forth between two bowls a few times, Jiang Mingyue took a sip, finding the temperature just right.

In her heart, she sighed: Children with mothers are like treasures.

After gulping down more than half a bowl, her thirst finally eased.

Only then did Jiang Mingyue notice Mrs. Jiang kneading dough, with about two bowls of water simmering in the pot, as she stuck cakes to the side of the pot.

"Mom, what are you doing?"

"I’m practising. I’m afraid of forgetting. It’s been so many years, luckily I still remember. Try some when they’re ready."

Honestly, she couldn’t see what was so special about Mrs. Jiang’s cakes; it was just dough shaped into round cakes, placed on the side of the pot to slowly bake. The key was controlling the heat, ensuring it wasn’t too high, or they’d burn.

But with no stuffing, and no patterns, she assumed they’d taste as plain as unstuffy Xizhou Ba Ba. She wasn’t looking forward to it.

Despite thinking this, Jiang Mingyue didn’t show it. Mrs. Jiang woke up in the middle of the night to make them cakes for breakfast; anyone with any sense wouldn’t be picky, especially since these were made from pure wheat flour. Only a month ago, their family was eating half-full corn and wild vegetable porridge.

"Mom, let me add fuel for you."

Mrs. Jiang saw she had no intention of sleeping, so she didn’t urge her to go back to bed.

She smiled, "Just sit by the hearth to keep warm. I’ve put a log inside, the fire’s just right, there’s no need to add more."

"Hmm."

"When you first came to our house, wasn’t it hard to get used to this earthen stove?"

Jiang Mingyue remembered: Not really! She seemed to have adapted well, almost seamlessly.

Jiang Mingyue replied honestly, "No, I quite like this earthen stove. Sitting by the hearth in winter should be very warm."

Mrs. Jiang laughed: Her Yueyue was different from others. Back when Zhenzhu was around, she despised sitting by the hearth the most, always pushing it onto her older siblings. Presumably, she minded getting her clothes dirty, but in a farm family, work meant staining with ashes.

"Mom, it smells so good!" After a short while, the smell of wheat wafted through the gap in the pot lid, gradually filling the whole kitchen, arousing her cravings. Jiang Mingyue licked her lips unconsciously, that look of hunger made Mrs. Jiang feel both amused and contented.

When the time came, Mrs. Jiang lifted the pot lid and quickly placed more than a dozen cakes onto a basket, first handing one to her daughter.

"It’s best to eat while hot. But be careful not to burn yourself."

"Okay," Jiang Mingyue took it. It was indeed hot, but she had gotten used to it since coming to this house. She flipped it around in her hands, took a bite, and the pure grain fragrance filled her senses, making her feel like she wouldn’t trade it for the finest delicacies. It wasn’t the strong flavor of spices but the most essential aroma that moved her.

Quite a slap in the face!

"How is it?"

"Mom, it’s so delicious! How did you do it? It’s different from any cake I’ve tried."

Mrs. Jiang smiled contentedly.

"This is ’Human World Cake Fragrance’ passed down from your grandfather. It’s said an ancestor was a pastry chef in the royal kitchen, and this skill was passed down through the generations until chaos interrupted it. But when I was little, I often watched your grandpa make it and got a glimpse, though I didn’t pick up the essence. Your grandpa said it was for men, not women."

"Then why did grandpa give you the book?"

"After your father passed away, I had four children to raise. Your grandmother pressured me along with the second household, called me a jinx, and forced me to split from the family. Eventually, I was driven out without support. To persuade me to remarry, your grandpa offered help with the children, or I could bring someone in to help raise them. I refused. Your grandpa was so angry at my stubbornness that he wanted to sever ties with me.

But later, when I persisted in raising the children alone, your grandpa saw me as stubborn as a mule and stopped persuading me. He asked your uncle to send this family heirloom book, and perhaps he was truly angered by me; he never contacted me again."

Jiang Mingyue hadn’t expected this story and felt an indescribable sadness looking at Mrs. Jiang.

It was strange!

Sadness emanated from Mrs. Jiang, making Jiang Mingyue unable to bear seeing her like that.

But she lacked experience dealing with female elders.

Recalling TV dramas, Jiang Mingyue gathered her courage, then hugged Mrs. Jiang from behind.

What to say?

"Mom, Grandpa loves you. He’s just disappointed in you for being stubborn. Deep down, he still cares. If you want to visit, my siblings and I will go with you."

"Thank you, Yueyue! Saying that makes me feel better. Maybe I should visit, but what if grandpa drives me away?"

"Don’t worry, I’ll cling to his leg and act cute before he can lift a hand, surely I’ll make grandpa listen to reason."

"Pfft!" Mrs. Jiang laughed immediately, as her sense of guilt and buried sadness quickly dissipated.

"Mom, are you going back to bed?"

"I can’t sleep now. By the way, Yueyue, if I sell these cakes, do you think anyone would buy them?"

Jiang Mingyue thought and responded honestly, "Mom, for poor people, anything tastes good. They’d choose the cheapest and most filling option. People who can afford more will find them too ordinary, and as you said, they need to be eaten hot; once cold, the taste diminishes greatly..."