When they were leaving, He Yungsheng asked, "Why are you so late today? We won't get a good spot now."
"Had some things to do," Hé Yan replied. "It's fine if we don't get a good spot—our cakes taste better."
He Yungsheng was speechless.
He felt that conversing with the current Hé Yan was like punching cotton—even when angry, it proved difficult to express. Hé Yan didn't lose her temper, maintaining a light mood. He Yungsheng couldn't determine whether she was optimistic or simple-minded, but at least he hadn't seen Hé Yan troubled by anything for a considerable time.
The stall was established on a merchant street in the western city, directly opposite Zui Yu Lou, the largest restaurant in the capital. With constant customer traffic flowing like clouds, small businesses here flourished. However, the stalls were limited in size, so one had to arrive early to secure a favorable spot.
He Yungsheng arranged the Da Nai Cakes in the steamer basket.
Da Nai Cake was a pastry made by peeling and pitting fresh large plums, blanching them in white plum and licorice soup, then filling the plum cavities with honey, pine nuts, olive kernels, walnut kernels, and melon seeds. Steamed in small steamers, they were deliciously sweet and sour, and not expensive. Selling Da Nai Cakes could earn He Yungsheng sufficient money to supplement the household income each month.
The warm sun felt comfortable, and people occasionally approached to purchase one or two cakes. By the time the sun moved past the east side of Zui Yu Lou, they would likely sell out.
Hé Yan watched He Yungsheng work and had to admit he was capable, reminding her of the children back in the military camp. Most children who joined the army came from impoverished families—noble families would never permit their sons to go to war. Those poor children went to battle simply for sustenance. Before that, they performed all manner of work and could do anything.
Though she had never been poor herself, she had also lived that way.
"Hey, give me one—isn't this Young Miss He?" a voice interrupted Hé Yan's thoughts.
She looked up to observe a long-faced man with a shiny hair bun and rat-like features, wearing ill-fitting white clothes. He reached out to touch Hé Yan's shoulder, but she stepped aside to avoid him.
The man grasped empty air and withdrew his hand with disappointment, saying, "Haven't seen you in a while, Young Miss He. You haven't been out much lately—so you're here selling cakes with Young Master He... How can you do such work? It must be so tiring."
His tone suggested familiarity.
Hé Yan was confused and looked at He Yungsheng, who was furious and shouted, "Wang Jiugui, stay away from my sister!"
"You little brat, your sister doesn't mind, why are you making a fuss?" said the man called Wang Jiugui. He moved closer again with a sycophantic smile, extracting something from his robe and offering it to Hé Yan: "Miss He, I've been thinking of you constantly. I purchased this rouge some days ago, wanting to give it to you. Now that we've met by chance, please accept it. Would you honor me by going to Sishui Shore for a spring outing?"
A man who resembled a beggar attempting to act like a refined gentleman—Hé Yan could only find it laughable. In her two lifetimes, she had encountered many people, both virtuous and wicked, but none who had harassed her in this manner.
"I need to sell cakes, so I'm afraid I can't accompany you on an outing, sir," Hé Yan said politely. "Please give this rouge to someone else."
Wang Jiugui was stunned.
He lived on the same street as the He family. Usually, with Hé Yan having a captain for a father, others wouldn't dare bother her. But Hé Yan wasn't a well-behaved girl and loved taking small advantages. Normally, giving her some rouge or powder would earn a sweet "Brother Jiugui" from her, but today she had embarrassed him before so many people.
Wang Jiugui felt his face burning, his smile less genuine than before. He said, "Could it be Young Miss He is still thinking of Young Master Fan? Young Master Fan is about to marry, why would you still..."
"Shut up!" Before he could finish, there was a "thud" as Wang Jiugui felt a fist strike his face, knocking him to the ground.
He Yungsheng stood before him, pointing away angrily: "Get lost!"
The fourteen or fifteen-year-old youth was like a young bull, brimming with strength. Wang Jiugui, his body already weakened by wine and women, proved no match for He Yungsheng. His head and face ached, his entire body burning with shame. He scrambled to his feet and looked at Hé Yan again, who showed no intention of apologizing and even appeared somewhat amused. A surge of nameless anger rose in his heart.
"You..." he pointed at Hé Yan with trembling fingers.
He Yungsheng stood before Hé Yan, sneering: "We what?"
Wang Jiugui didn't dare approach and felt somewhat puzzled. These siblings had never gotten along well. Hé Yan had often complained to him about it, and He Yungsheng never involved himself in Hé Yan's affairs. Why were they together today, and why was He Yungsheng defending Hé Yan?
"You'll regret this!" He stamped his foot and fled.
As the crowd of onlookers dispersed, the stall returned to peace. He Yungsheng packed up the Da Nai Cakes with a gloomy expression, saying nothing.
Hé Yan observed him.
"What are you looking at?" He Yungsheng asked irritably.
"Your strike just now was quite good," Hé Yan pondered, "but your stance was somewhat unstable, your fundamentals aren't solid enough. You should practice horse stance more at home."
"Go away," He Yungsheng didn't want to discuss it. "You're not a martial arts instructor!"
Hé Yan assessed He Yungsheng—he possessed potential. Perhaps because of performing physical labor since childhood, he had excellent bone structure. Compared to those young masters from the "He family" later on, He Yungsheng was promising material.
He shouldn't be here selling Da Nai Cakes; he should be at a superior school or martial arts academy learning skills.
"Then let me ask something else—who is Young Master Fan?"
He Yungsheng slammed the cloth onto the table with a "snap" and glared at her. "You dare mention him!"
"What about Young Master Fan?" Hé Yan glanced at him.
He Yungsheng seemed to harbor enormous anger at the mention of "Young Master Fan." "What about him? If he hadn't come to seduce you, how could you have been deceived by him? That kind of young master is always flirting around—only you would believe him. He's getting married, and you even went on a hunger strike for him. While you're here ready to die for him, he's still welcoming his bride! And you've become the laughingstock of the capital, yet you still mention him—are you trying to anger me to death!"
From these few words, Hé Yan roughly comprehended the situation.
Young Miss He had been pampered and harbored lofty ambitions—how could a lotus grow in an earthen pot? She had aspired to marry into nobility and become a noble lady. By chance during a spring outing, she had encountered a young master from a noble family, and they had developed feelings. But while Young Miss He had given her whole heart, for him it had merely been a game—a young master from a noble family would never marry a minor military official's daughter.
Young Master Fan's family had already arranged a suitable marriage for him, and the wedding was approaching. Young Miss He couldn't accept this and went to his house demanding an explanation, only to be cruelly thrown out. Unable to accept this, she had attempted to starve herself to death. It was when she was at death's door that Hé Yan had awakened and replaced Young Miss He.
No wonder everyone in the He family had been treating her so carefully since Hé Yan woke up—they were worried she might attempt to take her own life again.
He Yungsheng was still rambling on, scolding Hé Yan for being muddle-headed, not knowing that his real sister was no longer in this world. Hé Yan felt regret—Young Miss He shouldn't have thrown away her life for a deceiving man. Life was precious, and wasting it on unworthy people was foolish. Moreover, her death hadn't affected the one who betrayed her, who still lived carefree, while those who truly loved her were left heartbroken.
Why bring joy to enemies and pain to loved ones?
Her experience was somewhat similar to Young Miss He's. Both had encountered unsuitable men, but she and Young Miss He were different. He Yuansheng, He Yuanliang, He Rufei, and Xu Zhiheng, Hè Wanru—she would visit them one by one and reclaim what they owed her.
For this, she had made numerous efforts.
The morning exercises with sandbags were to regain her strength, while selling in the marketplace in the afternoons allowed her to gather news about the He and Xu families from various people.
For instance, she heard that the blind First Madam Xu had recently drowned accidentally, and the First Master Xu was grief-stricken and bedridden. The He family was devastated, with the He family's eldest master's hair turning white overnight. General Fei Hong, sharing deep sibling affection with his sister, had personally arranged his cousin's funeral, which lasted three days and nights—the entire city knew about it.
These seemingly true and false reports fell like snowflakes into Hé Yan's ears, and she could only smile.
The truth had been concealed, and she must uncover it. Before that, she needed to remain alive.
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