Chapter 40: A Breath of Fresh Air

“One pound of flour and one pound of water will get you seven of these large steamed buns. And I’ll pour the leftover water from steaming the buns back to everyone.” Yan Er began organizing, with the villagers crowding around him, watching the plump, large buns and seeing him place the remaining six buns on the scale.

It weighed one and two ounces; if you included the one he had just given to Mrs. Cui, it was nearly one and a half pounds.

“See? The scale is high. They definitely won't be as good as the buns sold in town—our flour is coarse, while theirs is fine—but they’re still better than flatbreads. Flatbreads are hard and scratch your throat; they're difficult for the elderly and children to eat. Also, regarding this water: from now on, we shouldn't drink raw water anymore, as it's easy to get sick. We only boil one pot of water a day; let's all share it so we don't have to start a new fire just to boil more water,” Yan Er explained to everyone.

“Brother Yan Er, how about we exchange for one first to see if they're any good?”

Thanks to Sister-in-law Cui’s tireless boasting, the villagers were very eager to try the large steamed buns.

Yan Er had been clear: he wasn't comparing his buns to the fine-flour buns sold in town.

Truth be told, if Yan Er hadn't steamed this batch right in front of them, they really wouldn't have known that using the same amount of flour, swapping flatbread for steamed buns would yield this much more.

“If you just swap for one, how is Brother Yan supposed to give it to you?” Sister-in-law Cui chimed in. “My family is small; if we exchange for a whole pound, we won't finish it before it spoils. For anyone else who wants to exchange, how about we do half a pound of flour and half a pound of water per family?”

Mrs. Qi gave her a tug and whispered, “My family and the sister-in-law's can pool together for half a pound.”

When Sister-in-law Cui turned around and saw it was her, she smiled. “Sister, come on, let's go back and get the water and flour.”

Yan Er hurriedly called out to them, “You two, if you bring the water and flour now, I won't be able to give you the buns until tomorrow morning. The dough needs time to rise.”

“We know!” Sister-in-law Cui rolled her eyes at him. “We’ve figured it out. The dough has to become big and sticky before it can go in the steamer... Honestly, if I’d known it was this simple, why were we buying them in town? Making them ourselves is so much cheaper.” She pulled Mrs. Qi along and left, muttering to herself.

With someone leading the way, various families began pairing up to make one pound, and many loads of water and flour were sent over one after another.

Yan Er managed the requests on both sides, and once everyone had left, he had recorded every family's amount perfectly.

Yan Er thought: *This is nothing!*

For a small shop owner at a school gate, this was basic procedure.

Children often forgot their money but still wanted popsicles; if his memory wasn't sharp, how could he stand at the school gate and collect money from those little rascals?

Seeing him kneading the dough with sweat pouring down his forehead, Li Xuemei felt bad for him and said, “Tomorrow, teach them so they can do it themselves.”

As Yan Er tucked the dough away, he said, “They can't even spare the water to wash their hands; how can I let them do it?”

“Find a few people to watch them right under our noses. You act as the supervisor. Otherwise, with so many things to do in a day, how could you handle it all?” Li Xuemei suggested.

Yan Er thought it was a good idea. “Then I'll bring it up to them tomorrow and see who's willing to come.”

The next day, Yan Er got up very early. He had to steam two large pots to have enough; this was only possible because he had borrowed steaming racks from various households the night before, otherwise, he wouldn't know how long he'd be busy.

This morning, everyone ate buns steamed from their own wheat.

They drank the boiled water left over from steaming the buns.

The meal was exceptionally delicious.

The women of each household were very enthusiastic about learning how to steam buns.

They brought the water and flour early. Yan Er didn't hold anything back, explaining everything step-by-step with patience. He had only one requirement: their hands must be washed clean.

Anything eaten must be hygienic.

As for their dough not being round, it didn't matter—it would still be edible regardless of its shape.

Since they were all women who managed the hearths at home, they all got the hang of it within a couple of days.

Yan Er's workload lightened. After consulting everyone, he kept three sisters-in-law who were particularly quick and clean with their work to continue the great enterprise of exchanging water and flour for buns.

Everyone was grateful that he hadn't kept the skill to himself and had taught them. Moreover, they could see that the Yan family wasn't making even a tiny profit from the water and flour, and they were even putting in the effort to manage it. After discussing it, the families decided to help gather firewood for the steaming every day.

For those who weren't selected, Li Xuemei suggested they weave more straw sandals whenever they had time.

Everyone walked every day, so shoes wore out quickly.

While cloth shoes were durable, straw shoes were easier to source—they were everywhere and could be gathered easily.

During the daily carriage rides, those with quick hands could weave a pair.

Besides, thanks to Yan Huaiwen's arrangements, they had plenty of free time.

People in the countryside have a restless nature; if their hands aren't working, they feel empty inside.

Ever since they heard Yan Er's wife's words, they gathered together to weave straw sandals whenever they were free. The skilled ones would teach the beginners, chatting and laughing, which chased away most of the melancholy of being away from home.

Watching the strings of hanging straw sandals, Yan Yu felt a surge of excitement.

To her, those increasing strings of straw sandals represented the wonderful balance of her platform!

She counted the days every day, and finally, on May 30th...

The countdown for the platform's opening appeared!

“Dad, can you take me out at noon?” Yan Yu pleaded pitifully to her father.

She never wanted to be "tormented" by her eldest uncle again!

Her uncle... reciting books wasn't enough; now he even wanted to watch her write!

Correct sitting posture, correct pen grip...

Her poor little wrists! So small, yet they had to bear such an undeserved burden.

When the carriage moved, she recited; when the carriage stopped, she practiced calligraphy.

Dammit!

Was this how a child was supposed to spend their childhood?

She was still a baby!

Even her eldest brother looked at her with sympathy.

The most tragic part was that although Big Sister Ya was also studying, the progress and intensity were worlds apart from hers.

The comparison made the pain even more acute...

Yan Er stole a cautious glance at Old Yan, who was not far away.

“Daughter! Your uncle only wants to teach you more because he thinks you have the brains for it.”

*If he stares at you, won't that liberate me?*

Yan Er gave a flattering smile. “Work hard so you don't end up illiterate!”

Yan Yu:...

*I didn't expect you to be this kind of father!*

“Dad, don't think I don't know. Since Uncle is managing me, he doesn't have time to manage you, right? I don't care—if you don't take me out, I'll tell Uncle that you've forgotten everything you learned and can't even recognize characters anymore!” Yan Yu used her trump card in a huff.

“Oh, my precious treasure, let's not hurt each other. Fine, I'll go talk to your uncle and ask for leave for you.” Yan Er yielded.

It wasn't that he was afraid of his daughter reporting him, but he truly felt for his "treasure"—look how much the child was being pushed.

“Big Brother, I want to take Er Ya out for a stroll,” Yan Er said softly.

Yan Huaiwen looked at him for a moment and gave a grunt of affirmation.

Yan Er beamed, his expression instantly becoming lively.

“Be careful and come back early,” Yan Huaiwen instructed. “Borrow a straw hat for Er Ya. Children have delicate skin; don't let her face and head get sunburned.”

Yan Er went to find his wife with a grin.

Li Xuemei had recently become part of the "Straw Weaving Women's Army" and was learning how to weave a qualified pair of straw sandals.

When he told her, the Hu family's youngest daughter found a small straw hat for him.

Once Yan Yu put it on, half of her small head was tucked inside the hat. She pulled at it forcefully, only for her father to ruthlessly push it back down.

“The sun is harsh. You can't leave it uncovered, or you'll suffer.”