Yuan Xiaoyuan rushed into Dai Yao’s kitchen[footnote]Raw伙房(Huǒfáng); refers to a dedicated kitchen in collective units such as schools, factories, and military units, used for processing food and providing meals. The term emphasizes the nature of collective catering services and is similar in meaning to “canteen” in everyday contexts, but it usually tends to refer to a smaller-scale place for preparing meals.[/footnote]like a whirlwind, leaned against his window and said, “Should I call you Boss Dai now? Yaoyao, I didn’t expect your steamed bun shop to be so popular!”
Dai Yao was speechless for a moment, and said, “Stop teasing me. By the way, Yuanyuan, have you eaten?”
Yuan Xiaoyuan didn’t stand on ceremony with him and said, “I haven’t eaten! I want to eat your steamed bun!”
Without turning around, Dai Yao immediately called out to the one behind him, “Beibei! Get Yuanyuan a few steamed buns!”
Luo Bei, carrying a basket in one hand and turning off the stove with the other, a half-eaten bun dangling from his mouth, mumbled, “Coming, coming!”
Soon, several plump, white steamed buns appeared in front of Yuan Xiaoyuan, still steaming hot. Yuan Xiaoyuan couldn’t help but lick his lips and said, “Wow, they look pretty good. I’m going to dig in!” With that, he picked up a bun and took a bite.
Yuan Xiaoyuan knew about Dai Yao’s culinary skills, especially his steamed buns. His buns had thin skins and generous fillings, looking incredibly appetizing. Although he was somewhat prepared that Dai Yao’s buns would be delicious, he hadn’t expected them to be this delicious! The first bite was bursting with a fragrant and fresh aroma, perfectly balanced in flavor, neither too salty nor too bland. Dai Yao’s personally prepared filling had an excellent texture, yet it didn’t overpower the original flavors of the ingredients. The meat’s aroma was exceptionally enhanced, and the accompanying vegetables were simply irresistible! Yuan Xiaoyuan could hardly believe how delicious the buns were.
After finishing a steamed bun, he exclaimed to Dai Yao with an exaggerated expression, “Yaoyao, are your steamed buns filled with abalone? How can they be so delicious?”
Dai Yao was too busy to pay attention to him, so he just casually replied, “No, it’s just white radish and pork!”
A customer next to Yuan Xiaoyuan said with a smile, “Abalone can’t compare to the steamed buns from our little boss’s place! I’ve lived in the city center for three years and have eaten at almost all the good restaurants there. The other day, I went back to my hometown and accidentally ate the little boss’s steamed buns. Tsk, after that, all those delicacies taste like paper! Even if I ate these steamed buns every day, I still wouldn’t get enough.”
Although that was a bit of an exaggeration, Yuan Xiaoyuan absolutely believed it. While he couldn’t eat three meals a day, he certainly wouldn’t get tired of Yaoyao’s steamed buns for breakfast every day. He just didn’t know why Yaoyao could make such delicious steamed buns. However, he wasn’t particularly interested in these things; as long as it tasted good, that was enough for him.
The naive and innocent Yuan Xiaoyuan always played happily with Dai Yao. Dai Yao hoped that he could continue to be happy and never be hurt again.
Yuan Xiaoyuan initially wanted to help, but seeing how nimble Beibei was helping Dai Yao, a skill that was beyond compare, he had no choice but to give up. Yuan Xiaoyuan then became curious: where did Yaoyao find this little treasure? He looked so young! Isn’t employing child labor illegal?
Luo Bei was greeting the guests briskly when one of them asked, “Little friend, how old are you? Why aren’t you in school anymore?”
Dai Yao was already prepared for this kind of question. He could only reply, “There’s a problem with my household registration, but eldest cousin is helping me with it! He said I’ll be able to go to school next year!”
Everyone nodded, praising the two brothers for their competence. Now, everyone knew that the young owner and shop assistant of Shennong Steamed Bun Shop were two orphans, especially the older brother, who not only lost his parents but also had to support his adoptive father, who was in a vegetative state in a nursing home. The monthly cost of his adoptive father’s care was six or seven thousand yuan, which was extremely difficult. Now, he also had to support a distant cousin who had come to live with him, also without parents. This showed what a kind person he was.
Most people would have run away in this situation. One might not even be able to take good care of his biological father, let alone his adoptive father. It was said that this child found a very reliable nursing home for his adoptive father; aside from the treatment fees, the miscellaneous expenses add up to over 100,000 yuan a year. He had worked outside for several months before, now they were surviving entirely on this steamed bun shop. It was a miracle the kid learned how to make steamed buns so well; they’re delicious and nutritious, loved by everyone, young and old!
A black sedan had been parked nearby for a while, and the people inside had been silently observing for just as long, but they hadn’t gotten out. Guo Yao was a little confused, so he asked Bai Chuan, “Boss, want to buy some steamed buns? Should I go queue up?”
Bai Chuan waved his hand, focusing instead on the young man busily collecting money at the window. His soft, slightly brownish-red short hair lay obediently against his forehead, and he wore a light blue apron. His smile seemed to brighten the entire sky. Even from a distance, Bai Chuan’s hawk-like eyes saw the young man’s clear, pure eyes—wasn’t that the innocent, terrified little beast from that night?
Bai Chuan suddenly laughed. It was just like finding a needle in a haystack, only to find the person right under your nose.
Just then, a familiar voice rang out: “Hey, Yaoyao! The steamed buns! Are they sold out again?”
Dai Yao’s clear and sweet voice came through: “No, no, is it the same as usual, Sister Qingqing?”
Sheng Qingqing said, “Add two more servings of pickled vegetable shreds today. Our big boss especially loves these pickled vegetable shreds.”
Dai Yao replied while serving the pickled vegetable shreds, he said, “Tell your boss that although pickled vegetable shreds are delicious, he can’t overindulge. After all, they’re high in salt, and eating too much can easily cause internal heat, which isn’t good for his health. If he really like them, then drink more water.”
Sheng Qingqing agreed, “Okay, okay, I’ve got it. Here’s the money. I’m really happy to see your business getting better and better. Have you considered adding some other varieties?”
While accepting the money, Dai Yao replied, “Yes, but it will be half a month from now. Sister Qingqing must come and support us then!”
Sheng Qingqing took the change and the steamed bun and said, “No problem! Our big boss is going to Daijiayao to inspect the work today, so I can’t chat with you anymore, Yaoyao, I’m going to be late.”
Dai Yao sighed and said, “Take care, Sister Qingqing.”
After seeing Sheng Qingqing off, Dai Yao’s steamed buns were sold out. The people queuing behind him were very disappointed, saying repeatedly, “Young boss, you didn’t make enough steamed buns. I haven’t been able to buy any for three days in a row.”
“Yes, young boss, when can you make more?”
“Young boss, you think money is too much to handle? Are you stupid, kid?”
“You can’t say that. The boss is just ensuring quality and doesn’t want to use inferior products.”
……
Dai Yao explained repeatedly, “Due to the limited ingredients, we can only make this many for now. Making too many would affect the taste. In order to ensure that everyone can eat delicious buns every day, we dare not compromise on quality.”
It was precisely because of Dai Yao’s sincerity that his steamed bun shop has gained an increasingly good reputation.
Guo Yao, sitting in the black sedan, was increasingly puzzled. What was wrong with his boss? He’d spent the entire morning hiding in the car watching the steamed bun shop owner sell his buns. Actually, Guo Yao had a pretty good idea of what was going on. The Dai Yao in front of him was probably the real Dai Yao. The one he’d seen at Nanchuan Normal University was likely a fake. He’d only just received orders from his boss yesterday to personally investigate the two Dai Yaos, and today he’d run into the real Dai Yao. Was it coincidence or fate?
Seeing the boss’s focused gaze, Guo Yao couldn’t bear to disturb him.
Bai Chuan was thinking too much for a moment. He originally thought that the child didn’t charge money because he didn’t need it. But now it seemed that he ran a small steamed bun shop of only about 20 square meters, with tables and chairs set up outside. It didn’t look like he was living a wealthy life at all.
Just as Guo Yao was wondering what to do, Bai Chuan suddenly spoke up: “Xiao Guo, go and check what relationship between this Dai Yao and the one at Nanchuan Normal University.”
Xiao Guo responded and asked, “So… what’s next?”
Bai Chuan said, “Let’s go!” Although he was troubled, the way the child sat there quietly sorting through his change was gentle and beautiful. Would his stench of copper[footnote]The idiom “铜臭” (tóng xiù/ Tóngchòu) refers to the stench of copper coins. It is often used in the form of “铜臭味” (tóng xiù wèi), used to satirize those who are obsessed with money and profit-driven, or to describe a wealthy but vulgar and greedy social atmosphere. Originating in the Eastern Han Dynasty, it satirizes those who buy their way into official positions, carrying a derogatory connotation of valuing money over emotions or displaying base character.[/footnote]disturb his life?
Of course, Bai Chuan later learned that this was just an excuse he made for himself. Sometimes, the closer one got to home, the more timid one became[footnote]Raw 越是近乡, 越是情怯(yuè shì jìn xiāng, yuè shì qíng qiè), taken from 近乡情怯（jìn xiāng qíng qiè） refers to the feeling of being away from home for many years without any news. Once one returns, the closer one gets to home, the more unsettled one’s mood becomes, fearing that something unfortunate has happened to one’s hometown. It is often used to describe the complex feelings of a traveler returning home.[/footnote]. When he finally found the person he was looking for, he cowardly backed down.
The black sedan drove away silently, unnoticed by Dai Yao, whose attention was entirely focused on the change(of money) in his hand. He’d added soup to his menu today; getting it from the third uncle every time felt a bit unfair. Thus, he asked Luo Bei to make some simple white radish leaf and egg soup—a watery broth—selling for only one yuan a bowl. Unexpectedly, the soup was so popular, selling for a full three hundred yuan.
Today’s income was 1,500 yuan, Dai Yao noted in his little accounting notebook. He had always been very frugal, meticulously recording every expense.
Yuan Xiaoyuan, who was playing on his tablet, glanced at him and said, “Yaoyao, are you done with your work? I’ll show you a photo.”
“Look at photo?” Dai Yao’s ears perked up. In his past life, when Yuan Xiaoyuan showed him photos after he went to university, they were of a scumbag. That guy was in the sports department and played basketball very well. But his character was terrible; he deceived Xiaoyuan’s feelings and took his virginity, and then went to other places to “test sizes[footnote]Raw 试尺寸(shì chǐcùn); test size/ try a different size… I’m not sure what this means or if this any slang or pun, but I can’t find anything, but from my understanding of the context, it probably “sleeping around”with all kind of people(?)[/footnote].” While dating Xiaoyuan, he also had a girlfriend he had been dating for two years.
His girlfriend dropped out of school to work and accompany him in his studies in the city where he lived. After Xiao Yuan found out the truth, he was completely devastated and was even verbally abused by the other girl at school for being indecent. It took him a full six months to recover, and Dai Yao felt a sharp pain in his heart every time he thought about it.
He put the money into the box, wiped his hands on his apron, and said, “Huh? Whose photo is this? You don’t have a boyfriend, do you? It doesn’t look like it! This guy is so ugly! Wait, why does he look so familiar? There was a girl at my old workplace whose boyfriend looked just like him! Yuanyuan, you’re not dating this guy, are you? Don’t get scammed!”
Upon hearing this, Yuan Xiaoyuan’s round eyes widened immediately, and he said, “No…no way? But he told me that this is his first time dating!”
Dai Yao thought to himself, ‘As expected, Xiao Yuan has already started contacting this person.’
Tbh, my stomach keep growling as I TLing this chapter lol
I actually curious about the taste of the buns and soup *drooling*
![After losing all his wealth, the ancestor rose from his coffin [BL]](https://novels.space/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Your-paragraph-text-1.png "After losing all his wealth, the ancestor rose from his coffin [BL]")
