Chapter 67: Chapter 65: Delicious Buns
Mr. Gu hurriedly dragged Gu Chengyu towards the city gate. On the way, they passed a bun shop. "Buns for sale! Buns for sale! Fragrant and big buns! Sir, how about two? Once you taste them, youâll want more. A big meat bun for three copper coins!" The shopâs attendant enthusiastically shouted, as two people had just entered the bun shop.
Gu Chengyu heard the attendantâs shouting and smelled the aroma of the buns, feeling his stomach growling with emptiness. He tugged Mr. Gu to stop. "Dad, letâs buy some buns! Iâm hungry. We left early today, itâs already noon and we havenât eaten yet!"
"Oh! I almost forgot to mention, there are still some steamed corn cakes your mother made! Are you craving buns? Iâll buy two for you; your brother and I will eat the corn cakes." Mr. Gu understood that children canât resist the aroma of buns.
"Little brother, two meat buns, please." Mr. Gu didnât say much to Gu Chengyu but turned around to instruct the attendant to pack two meat buns.
"Dad, buy a few more! Get some for you and brother too, itâs not often we come to the county; eating two buns is nothing." Buying just two, how could he eat to his heartâs content?
"Little brother, make that four more!" As for bringing them home, thatâs out of the question. Buns in olden times were made solid, the size of a fist. If they bought a dozen to take back, carrying them would be a hassle, and they would probably get squashed. It would be better to buy some pastries instead.
"Alright! Thatâll be eighteen coins in total." The attendant carefully packed the buns while giving the Gu family father and son the total with an elongated tone. Mr. Gu counted out eighteen copper coins and handed them to the attendant.
"Alright, letâs go quickly! Weâve spent quite a bit coming out today, no more wandering around." Mr. Gu mentally tallied how much Silver they had spent going to the county, realizing it was more than they had spent in two years. This prodigal child needed to be reined in.
"Dad, since weâre having buns, letâs bring some food back for Mom and the others! Didnât Second Sister say last time she wanted to eat Cloud Cake? Letâs buy some other tasty pastries for her this time." Gu Chengyu thought about how Gu Wan was still upset with him a few days ago, and today he could make amends when he returned.
"Everything in the county is expensive! Letâs just buy from the town instead!"
"Alright, letâs go then!" Although the countyâs pastries definitely had more variety, the elder brother was waiting, so they decided to return to the town first.
At the county gate, Gu Chengli and the old man driving the cart were getting impatient. "Nephew, when are your dad and the others coming? They said one hour, and itâs been a long time since. I still have to go back to pick up people! If they donât come soon, Iâll leave!"
"I donât know either! They said theyâd come back right after buying things. Ah~ theyâre coming, theyâre coming, look, theyâre heading this way." Gu Chengli let out a sigh of relief, realizing he and Xiao Bao could really stroll around.
"Dad, what took you so long? Get on the ox cart; are we heading home or to Auntieâs place?"
"Ah! Bought a few things and came right back. Weâre not going to your auntâs today; thereâs no time. Weâll go another day." Mr. Gu felt a bit embarrassed, having kept the old man waiting so long. "Old brother, Iâm really sorry to have kept you waiting so long."
"Waiting doesnât matter much, so are we hitting the road?" The old man saw Mr. Gu sincerely apologize and didnât say much more.
"Old brother, give us a ride home! Itâs not far, just to Shangling Village, Iâll give you fifty coppers, how about it?" Mr. Gu figured that they would probably get back by late afternoon anyway, so taking the ox cart would be faster, taking out fifty copper coins to hold.
The old man driving the cart saw the copper coins, and there was no way he could refuse. How often did he earn so much in a day? Today he had already made eighty-five coins! Telling his wife about it would surely make her overjoyed. "As you wish, brother, hop in!"
"Dad, eat the buns quickly, theyâll get cold soon." As the ox cart was on the move, Gu Chengyu reminded his dad to eat the buns.
Mr. Gu took out the buns, handed one to Gu Chengyu, and passed another to Gu Chengli, "Son, eat! You must be hungry by now?" However, he didnât eat it himself, wrapping the bun again and taking out a corn cake from a small cloth bag, ready to take a bite.
"Dad! I can just eat the corn cake, you eat the bun!" Gu Chengli felt completely overwhelmed, he could actually eat a bun? Seeing his dad holding the corn cake, he immediately refused â how could he eat a bun when his dad was eating a corn cake? That wouldnât be filial!
"Dad, we bought them earlier, you eat it! If you donât, neither I nor brother will eat," feeling that it wouldnât taste right if his dad didnât eat as well.
"You two just eat! Whoever said I wasnât eating buns?" Mr. Gu felt heartened by the childrenâs filial piety, knowing that if he didnât eat, the two sons wouldnât eat either.
Upon seeing his dad start eating a bun, Gu Chengyu took his first bite himself. The savory and salty taste filled his palate; the bunâs skin was somewhat thin, and with one bite, the meat filling was oozing oil. Although most of the meat filling was fatty, it wasnât greasy. In ancient times, when buying meat, it was usually fatty, as pork belly was considered superior meat. Lean meat wasnât bought because it couldnât be used for rendering fat, and farmers rarely ate pork. Naturally, the fatty meat tasted better. Gu Chengyu couldnât resist taking another big bite, "Wow! Why is this bun so delicious!?" Such that years later, he would still remember the taste of the countyâs buns.
When Gu Chengli went to the town, he often saw bun shops but never bought any. Little did he know, buns were this delicious, and they were made of white flour too! The meat filling inside was also tasty.
By now, all three of them were actually hungry, with Gu Chengyu being the first to finish his bun. He looked up to see Mr. Gu and the others hadnât finished yet, seeming to savor each small bite. "Dad, brother, eat quickly! We each have two!" Actually, he felt full just from one bun and intended to save the other for his mom.
"Brother, have you eaten lunch? If not, there are still some buns here; would you like to try one?" Mr. Gu remembered that the old man driving the cart might not have eaten yet. As they were enjoying their buns, they felt they should ask if heâd eaten.
"No need, no need, I ate while waiting for you. People like us always bring corn cakes and water when going out; we canât spend money eating out." The old man had longed for the aroma of the Gu family buns, teasing his craving, but each bun cost three copper coins, not something he could afford easily. He decided to pick up a couple on the way back to share with his wife.
Mr. Gu didnât insist further and took another bun to give to Gu Chengli and one more to Gu Chengyu.
"Dad! Iâm full; you eat it yourself! Iâm a kid and eat less; one is enough for me."
"You just said you were hungry, how can you be full with just one? Good boy! Keep eating, youâll become strong by eating more!" Mr. Gu frowned, noting Gu Chengyuâs small appetite. Xiao Baoâs eating habits worried him; a boy needs to eat well to grow strong.
"Dad, Iâm really full!" Gu Chengyu felt that eating until 80% full was good enough, fearing that overeating might enlarge his stomach.
"Alright, letâs save yours. When youâre hungry, have your mom heat it for you." Mr. Gu wrapped up the two remaining buns.
Gu Chengli hesitated for a moment with his bun in hand, "Dad, I wonât eat either then, just put them away!"
Mr. Gu gave a look at the elder son, "Your bun is yours, deal with it yourself." He understood that the eldest wanted to take the bun home for the kids, but if he took it there, it likely wouldnât end up in the grandchildrenâs stomachs. It was better to keep it discreetly in the room where Mrs. Lv wouldnât notice, to avoid any issues.
"Alright, thanks, Dad!" Gu Chengli realized he was allowed to keep it, so the kids at home could also have a taste of the bun. He felt a tinge of regret for having eaten one already, blaming his gluttony.