1385 A Way To Get Close
All four women stood in front of a family-run bakery nestled in the heart of this street. The exterior exuded a warm and inviting atmosphere, with a classic storefront that featured large, mullioned windows that allowed passersby to catch a glimpse of the delicious treats inside. The windows were adorned with lace curtains and seasonal decorations, creating a homey feel that changes throughout the year. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om
Above the door, a vintage-style wooden sign was perched, proudly displaying the name of the bakery in elegant, handwritten lettering. Flower boxes beneath the windows overflow with colorful blooms that had just been washed down by the rain making them look even more vibrant after the rain shower.
The entrance, marked by a dark oak door with a brass handle, opened to a small, covered porch where a couple of wrought-iron tables and chairs invite customers to sit and enjoy their purchases al fresco. A chalkboard easel stood beside the door, cheerfully announcing the day's specials in vibrant chalk colors.
Raelle wasn't able to break out of her surprise until Mu Chenyan patted her head saying, "I heard my Elle wants to learn how to bake a cake. Why not say that to me?"
"Because you did not want me to get close to the kitchen," reminded Raelle.
"Are you forgetting the reason why?" asked Mu Chenyan. "You scalded your hand while trying to take out a bowl of soup to the dining table yourself the first time you stepped inside the kitchen. The second time, you didn't even have to step inside the kitchen, you managed to injure your hand with a fork! That's a fork! Not a knife but you're capable enough to injure your hand with it. Moving on, we were making dumplings and I felt the salt was a little less in the filling. I asked you to get salt from the kitchen and add it to the filling. Such a simple task but you still managed to mix up salt with sugar and we had to eat sweet dumplings for New Year that certain year. Also..."
Raelle put her hand over Mu Chenyan's mouth to stop her from continuing to speak about her dark history. She refused to accept this dark history. It's not like she made any out-of-the-ordinary mistakes. All of these were common things that anyone could get wrong. She obviously did not want Mu Chenyan to share these things with Cloe and Xiang Wai who were listening with relish right now.
"Aunt, continue!" said Xiang Wai as she was more than just eager to know more about the young Raelle who was also like other kids making dumb mistakes. "No, she won't be continuing anything," said Raelle as she gave a warning look to Xiang Wai and then looked back at Mu Chenyan with a raised brow. "Am I right, Yanyan?"
Mu Chenyan was amused by her desire to not share any of her dark history so she complied as always, "Yes, I won't be continuing. It's your day, you call the shots."
Raelle made a face, "I haven't been calling the shots since the morning though."
"But you still had fun, no?" asked Mu Chenyan knowingly. "Besides, aren't we ending this day at this bakery? This is according to your wishes. I will personally teach you how to make a cake."
Mu Chenyan went straight to the back kitchen and even the attendant didn't stop her. It was either because she had made prior arrangements or because she knew the shop owner. When Mu Chenyan came out of the back kitchen with a plump woman looking rather chummy, Raelle figured out that her second guess was spot on as Mu Chenyan seemed to be very familiar with the bakery's owner.
"Elle, meet my old friend, Xiao Xu," introduced Mu Chenyan. "She is the owner of this bakery. She inherited it from her father back in the day. Even though she is a woman, the fact that her father bypassed his only son and left this treasured bakery to Xiao Xu already says a lot about her talent in baked goods."
"Hello, Ms Xiao," said Raelle. "I'm Raelle.
"How can I not know you," was the response of the plump woman whose name was Xiao Xu. She looked at Raelle deeply before moving her eyes to the other two. "And you must be Xiang Wai and Cloe, right?" The latter two nodded and said hello to her. "You have such beautiful nieces."
Mu Chenyan guffawed at her, "After all, they are my nieces. Haven't you heard that nieces often follow after their aunts? My nieces are beautiful like me."
"I see that you are still a stuck-up," said Xiao Xu as she gave this old friend a weird look. "Am I wrong though?"
Xiao Xu rolled her eyes at Mu Chenyan, "Aren't you embarrassed in front of your nieces?"
"Never!"
"Right, I forgot that your face is thicker than the Wall of China!"
"Hey! That's going too far."
"I don't think so."
Raelle watched them going back and forth, understanding why Mu Chenyan liked watching her bicker with Xiang Wai so much. It seemed quite entertaining. But it also showed the close connection between the two people. It seems bickering was a way to get close to people. This was new information, she had to note it down in her mind's hard drive. She'd need this information to teach her future child.