With the new shop, the buy-more-get-one-free deal, and the adorable round illustrated flyers—it all felt fresh and exciting to everyone. On opening day, crowds flocked to see what the fuss was about.
One taste, and they found the talkers hadn’t lied—it really was delicious.
The Su family bun shop quickly found its footing in Tang’an County.
The opening-day buzz carried on—still packed with customers days later. Many who’d tried it once found the rich, savory aroma of the buns lingering on their minds, and came back with their whole families, dragging friends along too.
·
One afternoon, Su Chi woke slowly from a nap. Xiuwei had been waiting nearby—he handed his fulang a cup of honey water, let him wet his throat, then offered a clean, wrung-out towel. When Xie Yushu entered, Xiuwei gave a small bow and slipped out.
Xie Yushu took the towel and gently wiped Su Chi’s slightly sweaty face. Then she pulled a thin booklet from her sleeve—the shop’s accounts from the past few days.
Su Chi let out a small yawn, his whole body seeming to melt against her, eyes half-lidded. But when he saw the account book, he perked up immediately, sat upright, and flipped through it eagerly.
He read carefully and quickly, his eyes lingering on the rows of expenses and earnings—his brows curved wider, and he couldn’t help smiling.
He couldn’t help thinking how well the shop was doing—this new shop in the county could bring in as much in a single day as the town shop did in several.
Xie Yushu watched him fondly and tapped his nose: “Little money-grubber.”
She was about to help him change his clothes when, without warning, a soft, warm kiss landed on the corner of her mouth—sweet as a petal, making her heart melt.
Xie Yushu was stunned for a moment. When she looked down, the culprit was gazing up at her, his eyes bright with love and admiration.
How did his wife’s mind work? She always came up with such clever ideas.
Xie Yushu hadn’t told Su Chi about all the promotional work she’d done for him.
He’d only found out the next day, when he got his hands on one of those cute, round-illustrated flyers—and loved it at first sight. That was when he learned how much she’d quietly done for him.
Xie Yushu held back a laugh, pretending to be coy: “That’s it?”
Obediently, Su Chi fought his blush, took her collar, and gently pulled her down. He leaned in and kissed her lips—properly this time, not a fleeting brush.
Unlike the brief butterfly kiss before, this was a real one.
The sweetness of the honey water still lingered between their lips and tongues. He cupped her beautiful face, gently pulled back his tongue, and boldly took her lower lip in his, sucking clumsily and earnestly.
Xie Yushu’s mind went blank for a moment. Her hand clenched tightly—she was holding back, afraid of hurting him.
But soon, she couldn’t resist. She wrapped her arms around his slightly rounded waist, pulled him closer, and turned the tables—taking the lead, deepening the kiss with more force.
“Mm…” Su Chi let out a soft sound, gripping her waist.
The room was quiet, save for the faint, wet sounds of their entangled kiss.
They stayed like that, all wrapped up in each other, kissing lazily for a long time.
Outside the door, Xiuwei waited. When the boss didn’t come out for a long time and the back courtyard fell quiet, he heard sounds—scattered, not meant for someone his age—soft, lingering noises from the fulang.
Xiuwei knew what those were. He covered his face and moved further away.
Ever since he’d come to serve the fulang, he’d often hear these embarrassing sounds.
The boss and the fulang were always tangled together for a while. He’d just have to wait.
Sunlight slanted in through the window, scattering like bits of gold across the floor, filling the air with lazy warmth.
Xie Yushu finally released her breathless fulang with satisfaction and got up to pour him a glass of cool water.
“Tomorrow we’re going to the Tang household—I’ll introduce you to the Tang family fulang,” Xie Yushu said, carefully feeding him the water. “Jiang Fulang is about your age, with a lovely temperament—much like you. He’s pregnant too, further along—due in less than two months.”
Su Chi nodded: “Alright.”
·
The next day, Xie Yushu took Su Chi to visit the Tang household.
The Tang residence wasn’t far from their own—no need for a carriage. They could walk along the streets and arrive in the time it took to drink a cup of tea.
Su Chi had just passed the three-month mark—the pregnancy was stable. Xie Yushu held his hand openly as they walked, taking a slow, unhurried pace.
Xie Yushu carried a food box in her hand—inside were snacks Su Chi had prepared for Jiang Fulang.
He was thoughtful by nature and had started preparing them the night before. Before they left that morning, he’d checked everything one more time, only then feeling at ease.
Over at the Tang household, Jiang Wanxue had been waiting for them since early morning, ready and composed.
The Xie family had moved to the county nearly a month ago, but he’d never met the fulang that Boss Xie cherished so dearly.
When the two arrived, Jiang Wanxue’s gaze instinctively fell on Su Chi—and his eyes lit up.
He’d heard that the Xie fulang came from a rural background, but he hadn’t expected him to look like this.
Not dazzlingly beautiful, but gently warm and soft at first glance. His features were pure and pleasing—the kind that made you like him instantly.
Jiang Wanxue’s heart stirred. He supported his eight-month belly as he walked toward Su Chi and greeted him softly: “Su Fulang.”
“Jiang… Jiang Fulang.” Su Chi replied quietly.
Last night, Xie Yushu had told him the Tang fulang’s name. It sounded lovely—surely he must be a wonderful person.
Meeting him today, he found him just as his name suggested: elegant and gentle, with a truly beautiful face—the most handsome fulang he’d ever seen.
Seeing that the two looked like long-lost friends, Xie Yushu didn’t interrupt. She whispered a few words in Su Chi’s ear and went to talk with Tang Zhiyi on the other side, leaving them space.
“Su Fulang, come sit over here.” Jiang Wanxue beckoned him over to where a basin of ice had been placed. “It’s cooler here.”
Once they were seated, just as Xie Yushu had said, they quickly became comfortable with each other—like old friends.
Jiang Wanxue took Su Chi’s hand and asked him questions. Su Chi answered obediently.
Between the questions and answers, Su Chi’s initial shyness gradually melted away. The freshly carved ice nearby took the edge off the summer heat.
Their wives were business partners—they could be close friends.
And both were carrying little ones. Su Chi asked if the baby was restless at his stage.
At the mention of the baby, Jiang Wanxue’s expression softened. He stroked his round belly and smiled: “So naughty—always tumbling around. Even their mother can’t calm them down. They’ll definitely be a lively one.”
Then they talked about Su Chi’s pregnancy. When Su Chi said he hadn’t suffered much, Jiang Wanxue was envious: “Your baby must be sweet and well-behaved—not disturbing you at all. When I was at your stage, this little troublemaker gave me such a hard time.”
Su Chi smiled too, thinking his little one was indeed very considerate.
They chatted a while longer. In passing, they discovered they were both skilled cooks.
Su Chi was versatile—he could make anything, from steamed to braised, stewed to fried, roasted to deep-fried. Jiang Wanxue wasn’t as good at other dishes, but he excelled at desserts.
They grew more excited as they talked. Just as they were swapping pastry-making tips, a servant hurried in and said to Jiang Wanxue:
“Fulang, the kitchen has finished the pastries. Would you and Su Fulang like to try some? You barely ate any lunch—the master is worried about you.”
It was hot, and Jiang Wanxue felt uncomfortable—restless and stuffy, with little appetite. He didn’t feel like eating now either.
He frowned: “Bring the pastries in for Su Fulang to try. I still don’t have much of an appetite.”
The servant looked troubled. Just then, Su Chi spoke up.
“If you’re not in the mood for pastries, would you like something more savory and appetizing?” Su Chi opened the food box he’d brought and said a little shyly, “I made these myself—would you like to try some?”
As the box opened, a sweet and sour aroma wafted out.
There was a plate of shredded cucumber—expertly sliced into thin, unbroken ribbons, glistening green, steeped in fragrant vinegar and sesame oil, tangy and refreshing.
A plate of lettuce and shredded chicken—the chicken breast torn into fine shreds, tossed with lettuce strips, tender and appetizing.
And a plate of bamboo shoot and ham shreds—the ham, premium stock from the Xie household, had been scraped into fine threads and simmered with hand-peeled bamboo shoots for a long time, yielding just this small plate.
Seeing his fulang had an appetite, the servant quickly handed him a pair of bone chopsticks. Jiang Wanxue tried everything, then smiled at Su Chi: “Truly delicious—especially this ham dish. You can tell it’s the finest quality.”
“You flatter me, Jiang Fulang. It’s all for you—it goes well with rice.”
A servant immediately brought a small bowl of rice. Jiang Wanxue, with Su Chi’s carefully prepared side dishes, finished the whole bowl.
Su Chi, in turn, enjoyed the pastries made by the Tang family’s cook.
Afterward, Xie Yushu and Su Chi stayed for dinner at the Tang household before heading home.
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