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墨書 Inktalez
A faint fragrance wafted through the air, growing stronger and spreading outwards from the courtyard.
Busy people paused in their tracks, and the children who had been playing stopped their chase, taking a deep breath to savor the indescribable sensation. One of them exclaimed, "Where is that wonderful smell coming from?"
Following the direction of the scent, the children giggled and ran over, eventually stopping in front of Liu Qingxi's house.
They saw several Aunts they often encountered bringing out plates of round, patterned mooncakes from a peculiar-looking box.
"Ah, I know! These are mooncakes!"
The children's exclamation caught the attention of the women. Liu Qingxi, who had been meticulously timing and controlling the heat, suddenly looked up. A few thin, dark-eyed children stood at the door, fingers in their mouths, staring intently at the mooncakes.
Their eager eyes reminded her of her past self and were a true reflection of Liu Qingyan from a year ago: "You all come in and try our mooncakes to see if they're delicious."
A few children timidly stood at the entrance, hesitant to step forward. Their parents had instructed them not to take things from others without asking, especially since Liu Qingxi was a benefactor well-remembered by everyone in the village.
"Hurry up and come in!" Liu Qingxi waved for them to enter and picked up a few freshly baked mooncakes to cut into pieces.
Immediately, the aroma of the mooncakes mixed with the translucent filling created an even stronger visual impact.
Finally, one child could no longer resist the temptation. He took a cautious step forward and shyly reached out to accept the mooncake offered by Liu Qingxi. Eagerly biting into it, he was instantly overwhelmed by the delightful taste that filled every taste bud—sweet and fragrant. A scoop revealed soft fruit flesh combined with the crunchiness of walnuts and melon seeds, making it hard to stop.
"Wow!" Kid swallowed hard and devoured another large bite. In no time at all, half of the mooncake was gone.
The other children watched with envy and anticipation. Finally, desire overcame reason; after tasting it once, they couldn't stop. They gazed eagerly at Liu Qingxi again.
Wow! Is it really that delicious? It certainly smells amazing.
"However, as delicious as it is, this food is hard to digest. How about we save some for later?" It wasn't that she was reluctant; it was just that she had prepared generous portions of genuine food.
Liu Qingxi was worried that she wouldn't be able to stop the children from overeating, which would be bad for their stomachs.
Although slightly disappointed, they had at least tasted the delicacy, which was still a form of enjoyment.
"There will be more later. Once they're ready, every household will have some, okay?"
A few children lowered their heads and cheerfully said, "Thank you, Sister Qingxi."
Then they bounced away, some boasting about it.
The children who had tasted the delicious mooncakes puffed out their chests and would tell anyone they recognized, "We just had mooncakes made by Sister Qingxi, and they were so good."
"Yeah, I almost swallowed my tongue!"
The adults were fine with it; they gently patted the children's heads and signaled them to go play.
Other children weren't so pleased. Why did they get to eat while they didn't?
Before long, a crowd of children gathered around Liu Qingxi's home, coming in waves.
Grandma Liu sighed, "Qingxi, at this rate, how much are you going to have to share? This all costs money."
Even though it wasn't her food, she felt for Liu Qingxi.
"Grandma Liu, making mooncakes is meant for the kids to enjoy. It's fine; everyone can have half a piece; I can manage."
It was rare for the children to be happy, and Liu Qingxi was not angry. In no time, she immersed herself in their world, becoming their confidante.
"Alright, one at a time. Don't come back for more once you've had your share, or there won't be enough," she said. A large group of children, numbering around a hundred, quickly finished off the first batch of mooncakes.
With the tray now empty, Liu Qingxi smiled and said, "Aunts, we need to work a bit harder and make some more."
The women had no objections. Although they were tired and had yet to taste any themselves, the children had already enjoyed them.
After all, every family had a few children. The groups that had just gathered to ask for mooncakes included their own kids, so they were more than willing to help.
In total, they had baked about ten boxes of mooncakes, five or six hundred plump ones, each type corresponding to a different flavor. However, that still wasn't enough.
Especially while making the mooncakes, an idea struck Liu Qingxi.
"Aunts, how about we sell the mooncakes?"
"Is there anyone who would want them?" asked Grandma Liu and the other women with slight uncertainty.
"Oh come on, who wouldn't want them? The mooncakes from the bakery in town aren't as good as ours. Why not give it a try?"
They decided to go for it. Liu Qingxi organized the tasks: those who wrapped the mooncakes, those who tended the fire, and those who monitored the cooking—all worked together in an efficient assembly line.
The next morning at dawn, she filled a basket with mooncakes. She picked round lotus leaves by the riverbank to line the bottom and covered them with another lotus leaf. The bamboo basket adorned with lace was both delicate and fragrant.
The enticing aroma wafted through the air, drawing passersby to stop and take a look.
In Biqi Town, there was a bakery where Liu Qingxi used to buy dried fruits.
A few days ago, Liu Qingxi, as a major customer, had just purchased a large quantity of items, leaving a deep impression on the Boss. "Hello, miss, what would you like this time?" The attitude was mysteriously enthusiastic.
Such major customers were rare; encountering one who spent more than usual was a windfall. Therefore, he naturally assumed that Liu Qingxi was there to buy more items.
However, Liu Qingxi gently placed the Basket on the counter and said, "Shopkeeper, I'm not here to buy anything today; I'm here to sell."
"What?" Sell something?
The Boss felt three black lines appear on his forehead. It wasn't just self-praise; his shop had the most complete selection of pastries and snacks in town, and they were delicious.
As for what Liu Qingxi was selling? The unusual fragrance wafting from it might be special, but it wasn't enough to entice him to buy.
Liu Qingxi wasn't in a hurry. She slowly lifted the green, clearly patterned Lotus Leaf on top and took out a mooncake with a Five Blessings Pattern. "Shopkeeper, look at this mooncake I made. This one has a Five Nut Filling on top with five characters for 'blessings,' symbolizing many children and much happiness."
"And there are also ones with Peach Paste Filling, Lotus Seed Paste, Red Bean Paste, and Red Date fillings. Oh, and there's also Cured Meat and Egg Yolk fillings. Would you like to try some?"
Liu Qingxi listed off a long string of names; there were twenty mooncakes in the Basket, and surprisingly none of them were the same, leaving the Boss stunned.
"Mooncakes can have so many fillings?" Usually, aren't they just Five Nut or Red Bean Paste? When did they start having so many varieties?
Seeing his confusion, Liu Qingxi took out two mooncakes, borrowed their knife, and cut them into eight equal pieces. "How about you try some first before deciding whether you want to buy?"
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