Without waiting for Gu Zi's response, Aunt Yang looked at the empty steamers and felt a sense of despair creeping into her heart. Her gaze couldn't hide the dimness that overcame her.
She consoled herself internally, thinking, "So what if I miss a meal? I've endured worse treatment before, and one missed meal won't starve me."
Aunt Yang gulped and said to Gu Zi, "It's okay if you don't have any. I'll be on my way." With that, Aunt Yang turned to leave.
Gu Zi was a keen observer and could see that Aunt Yang's despair was due to seeing the empty steamers in her small cart. It was as if not being able to buy pastries would cause trouble for her, likely related to her daughter-in-law, Mrs. Wang.
However, Gu Zi had not brought all the pastries she made for the day to sell; she had left some for her three children at home.
Although Gu Zi wouldn't interfere in Aunt Yang's family affairs, she did pity her situation. Giving Aunt Yang the pastries she had left at home wouldn't hurt.
While opening the courtyard gate, Gu Zi stopped Aunt Yang and said, "Sure, I'll get some for you."
Aunt Yang quickly expressed her gratitude, saying, "Great, please give me a pound. Thank you, Gu Zi."
Gu Zi smiled and said, "No problem at all."
Lele was asleep in the small cart, and Gu Zi was afraid to wake her, so she carefully wheeled the cart inside.
She glanced back and noticed that Aunt Yang hadn't followed her but was waiting outside the courtyard.
Gu Zi nodded and went into the kitchen to pack five white sugar cakes and five brown sugar cakes. She brought them out and handed them to Aunt Yang.
"You can take these. Once you steam them, they'll be ready to eat. I won't accept any money. You've been a responsible host, so consider it a token of appreciation."
Upon receiving the cakes, Aunt Yang realized it was more than a pound. She insisted on paying and said, "But I was compensated for being a host. There's no need for thanks. If anyone should be thanked, it's me for you reaching out to me. Please take this money."
Living in the village and growing older, Aunt Yang didn't have many ways to earn a living apart from farming, raising livestock, and doing household chores. Fortunately, she had experience as a wedding leader and knew the wedding customs, which allowed her to earn some money through red envelopes.
However. due to her recent hardships, she hadn't been hired as a wedding leader much, and her source of income had dwindled. She also sold vegetables and poultry at the market, but the money from those sales had to be handed over to her daughter-in-law; she couldn't keep any for herself.
Gu Zi had sought her out and given her a 20-yuan red envelope, which Aunt Yang could use to offset a medical bill at the clinic. So, she had more reason to be thankful, and she had no justification for taking these cakes for free.
Still, Gu Zi refused to accept her money and said, "Aunt Yang, consider these cakes a gift from me. Don't worry about the money. You probably have other expenses. Think of it as a gift from my mother."
Aunt Yang looked at Gu Zi with gratitude. She had a relatively high level of education and could understand the implied meaning behind Gu Zi's words.
In her eyes, there was also a hint of nostalgia. Her daughter was only a little older than Gu Zi and was soon graduating from college. She must have married into a good family by now.
Thinking about her daughter, tears welled up in Aunt Yang's eyes, but there were no tears left to shed.
Gu Zi had moved out of her mother's house, and it wouldn't be right for her to insist on taking money. She simply said, "I'll bring you some wild chives another day. They're tender this season."
Gu Zi didn't accept Aunt Yang's money, and Aunt Yang didn't push any further. She just said, "Thank you, Gu Zi," and left.
Back at home, Mrs. Wang grabbed the cakes from Aunt Yang's hands and issued orders as usual. "Go stir-fry some cabbage and sauté garlic shoots with meat. Don't sneak a bite! And don't eat those cakes either; they're sweet and could cause blood vessel issues. I won't eat them either; they're all for Yuan Yuan. I'm fair like that, so don't go talking nonsense outside about me mistreating you."
Aunt Yang paid no attention to her bitter words and had no illusions about eating the cakes herself. She had seen through this trick a long time ago; whenever Mrs. Wang wanted to keep something for herself, she would declare that it was all for Yuan Yuan. In reality, Mrs. Wang would end up eating most of it, and even her son wouldn't get much.
Aunt Yang simply acknowledged Mrs. Wang and then went into the kitchen to start cooking.
Mrs. Wang, satisfied with Aunt Yang's obedient response, began to plan in her mind.. She needed to come up with a reason to make the old lady hand over the remaining money!
...
#1 In the darkness, I heard a voice whisper, "You're not alone in there."