CH 39

Jun 08 2023

Brother Le, I’m proud of you

After the scorching sun had subsided, Mi Ge’er came over and brought them good news.

Red bean paste mooncakes. Old Master Cai and Young Master Cai both liked to eat them. Old Master Cai and Young Master Cai preferred the baked ones, while Madam Cai preferred the steamed ones.

Yu Qingze and Chang Le were delighted upon hearing this. With this, they didn’t have to worry about the taste.

“The old master asked when you can make them for sale. My master wants to send some to Yunzhou for our masters (Governor’s family) to taste before the Mid-Autumn Festival,” Mi Ge’er said.

Yu Qingze replied, “How long does it take to get to Yunzhou?”

“If using a fast horse, it would take about a day and a half. If by carriage, it would take two to three days,” Mi Ge’er answered.

Yu Qingze pondered for a moment and said, “If it’s just for family members to eat and the quantity isn’t much, we can have it ready by tomorrow morning. If you need them for gifting, then it will be the morning after tomorrow. Tomorrow, I can also make some other flavors if needed.”

Mi Ge’er thought for a moment. Since Old Master Cai didn’t mention whether it was for gifting or not, he said, “I’ll go back and ask. I’ll come to pick up some tomorrow morning, and if it’s for gifting, I’ll let you know, Boss Yu.”

Yu Qingze nodded and said, “Okay.”

Mi Ge’er continued, “If possible, Boss Yu, please make more flavors tomorrow. I’ll let my masters taste them when I go back. If they find them delicious, they might want to order more for gifting as well.”

Yu Qingze smiled and replied, “Okay, thank you for the reminder, Mi Ge’er.”

“You’re welcome. Then I’ll go now,” Mi Ge’er said.

After Mi Ge’er left, Yu Qingze handed over the stall to Chang Le and Brother Chang. He immediately went to buy mooncake ingredients without wasting any time.

He planned to make several varieties with shorter preparation time and simpler methods, such as red bean paste, mung bean paste, lotus seed paste, black sesame paste, and mixed nuts. These were quite common in his previous life. Additionally, he could use glutinous rice flour to make the pastry for snow skin mooncakes. Although there was no refrigerator for chilling, the taste should still be good.

As for the most popular salted egg yolk and lotus seed paste mooncakes from his previous life, they took quite a long time to make, and he wouldn’t be able to introduce them before the Mid-Autumn Festival. He also decided not to consider making fruit mooncakes, which were more popular among children but would be troublesome to prepare without a blender.

On the other hand, he could take the opportunity to pickle some salted duck eggs. The process was simple, and they tasted delicious.

Since there were many things to buy, Yu Qingze emptied the bag that contained the dough skins and carried it with him directly.

He walked and pondered along the way.

He needed to buy various mooncake ingredients, a few types of molds, and some packaging materials. Some mooncakes could be sold singularly, while others could be packaged in gift boxes specifically for gifting. The gift boxes could also be graded to differentiate them.

He asked Mi Ge’er, and he learned that wealthy households like theirs would need to give many gifts during festivals and holidays, and they often included these pastries.

He had seen dedicated vendors selling these gift boxes in the market, and several renowned pastry shops would also purchase them there.

Hmm, perhaps he could even customize the gift boxes and have the name of their snack stall written on them as a way to promote their business.

After spending some time, Yu Qingze had almost traveled all over half the city and finally got everything done. When he returned, the sun was almost setting. Chang Le and the others were waiting for him to come back so they could close the stall and go home.

“Sorry for the delay, keeping you waiting for so long,” Yu Qingze apologized as he put a large bag of items on the cart. Then, he said to Brother Chang, “Brother Chang, after dinner, can you and your father and mother come to Brother Le’s house? I have something to discuss with you. We’ll be making mooncakes, and I would like your help.”

Brother Chang immediately agreed upon hearing that they would be making mooncakes. “Sure, we’ll come after dinner.”

Translated on ho lo lo novels dot com.

In the evening, after dinner, Brother Chang arrived at Brother Le’s house with his father and mother.

Yu Qingze invited them into the main hall and got straight to the point. He sincerely said, “Uncles, Brother Chang, the business for cold noodles has been affected recently. We don’t need as much noodles every day, and Brother Chang is aware of this.”

Brother Chang nodded. His father and mother glanced at each other, and his father asked, “So, should we make less every day?”

Yu Qingze nodded and said, “Yes, how much inventory do you have at home?”

Brother Chang’s father replied, “There’s still some left to dry, plus what we made today. There should be around eighty to ninety catties.”

“That should be enough to get through these next few days. We also have a bit left here,” Yu Qingze nodded, understanding the situation. Seeing a hint of disappointment on their faces, he smiled and said, “Next, we are preparing to make mooncakes, and I would like to ask for your help. This time, it will be as helpers. Both of you will be the same as Brother Chang, earning sixty wen a day. Are you willing?”

Both of them brightened up. They had just thought that they would lose an income source if they stopped making noodles. However, Brother Chang’s father furrowed his brow and asked, “Brother Chang mentioned it to us, but neither of us knows how to make mooncakes.”

Yu Qingze said, “That’s okay, I can teach you. However, Uncle, you don’t have to make mooncakes yet because tomorrow I will specifically make them at home. So, I would like to ask you to go with Brother Le and Brother Chang to take care of the snack stall. With the two of them, it will be more stable.”

“Alright,” Brother Chang’s father said without hesitation, immediately nodding. Then he scratched his head, feeling a bit embarrassed as he smiled and said, “To be honest, I’m a bit worried about making pastries. I’m not very delicate with my hands. But going to the snack stall should be fine.”

Everyone laughed.

Then, Yu Qingze turned to Brother Chang’s mother and said, “Uncle, please help me make mooncakes at home. Just come over after breakfast.”

Brother Chang’s mother nodded and said, “Okay.”

“Also, uncle, can you bring the iron plate and stand for baking tuan yuan bing? We only have one at home, and it’s not enough.”

“Sure, I’ll find them and clean them up when I go back.”

After finalizing the arrangements, because they needed to make some mooncakes tonight, Brother Chang’s mother stayed behind to learn, while Brother Chang and his father headed back home for the time being.

Red bean and lotus seed both need to be soaked first. Fortunately, they had soaked red beans in the morning, so they could only make red bean paste mooncakes and mixed nuts mooncakes today.

Earlier, when Yu Qingze and the others were discussing matters, Chang Le toasted black sesame seeds and took them to the village chief’s house to grind into powder. Now that he was back, he started helping to roast peanuts, walnuts, melon seeds, and almonds. Along with the previously roasted sesame seeds, after roasting them well, he removed the red skins from the peanuts and crushed all these nuts into small particles, waiting for Yu Qingze’s further instructions.

Yu Qingze taught Chang Le and Brother Chang’s mother how to make red bean paste mooncakes, which was relatively simple, and both of them learned it quickly.

Once Brother Le finished making his part, Yu Qingze prepared the batter for the snow skin mooncakes and put it into the pot for steaming. Since he couldn’t find any milk, he made one batch without milk. Additionally, he used the juice of red amaranth to add color and made another batch that was purple.

They worked tirelessly throughout the night and didn’t sleep until midnight. They finally made 22 snow skin mooncakes (11 white and 11 purple), 15 red bean paste mooncakes, 15 mixed nuts mooncakes, and 13 black sesame mooncakes.

Not all of them were baked; some were steamed.

Brother Chang’s mother also left very late. Yu Qingze gave him six mooncakes as a token of gratitude. There were six people in Brother Chang’s family, so everyone could have a taste.

Early the next morning, Yu Qingze went with Brother Le to set up the stall. Grandpa Chang and Brother Chang’s mother stayed at home to do other tasks, such as roasting mixed nuts and cooking red and green beans and lotus seeds.

Yu Qingze also waited for Mi Ge’er to come and pick up the mooncakes. They had a brief chat and confirmed that this batch was to be sent to Yunzhou. Yu Qingze directly put them in gift boxes and instructed Mi Ge’er to consume the snow skin and steamed mooncakes as soon as possible, while the baked ones could be stored for a few more days, and the taste would be even better after a couple of days.

In Tongsan City, the Cai family also needed to send gifts. Mi Ge’er informed Yu Qingze about the approximate quantity and mentioned that he would come again in the afternoon to provide feedback on the taste of the new mooncakes. They might need to adjust the order.

After their communication was settled, Yu Qingze could return home.

Before leaving, Yu Qingze couldn’t help but worry and repeatedly reminded Chang Le.

“Brother Le, you know the process and everything, so I’m not worried about that. However, if you encounter any trouble or something you can’t handle, remember to go to Boss Liu, the owner of Liu’s Noodle House. I’ve talked to him, and he will help you. Got it?”

Chang Le nodded, indicating that he understood.

“Also, don’t work too hard. If you earn a little less money, it’s fine. Pay attention to finding time to rest, alright? When there aren’t many customers, sit down and take a break for a while. Don’t exhaust yourself.”

Chang Le continued nodding, obediently listening.

“Close the stall early today and go home early.”

Chang Le blinked and continued nodding, but he couldn’t help but make a gesture: I got it, you’ve said it many times on your way here.

Understanding his message, Yu Qingze sighed inwardly.

“Alright, I know you’ve remembered. I just can’t help but worry about you being alone. So, should I go now?”

Chang Le nodded, indicating for him to go back safely.

Beside them, Brother Chang, who had overheard the conversation, had an expressionless face: …Are my father and I not people?

Once Yu Qingze left, Brother Chang approached Chang Le and saw him still gazing at Yu Qingze’s figure. Unable to resist, he shivered.

Uh~~~~

When Chang Le finally snapped out of it, Brother Chang leaned closer to him and whispered in his ear, “Oh, do you have to be so reluctant? It’s just one day. You’ll see him when you go back in the evening. I can hear your inner voice saying, ‘Big Brother Yu, don’t go, come back quickly…'”

Upon hearing this, Chang Le turned his head, feeling both annoyed and embarrassed. He raised his hand, pretending to hit Brother Chang for his teasing words.

Brother Chang burst into laughter and quickly ran away.

Chang Le chased after him, determined to give him a good beating.

Brother Chang begged for mercy, “Oh, alright, I was wrong. I really was wrong. Brother Le, please spare me. Ah, I’m sorry. I promise I won’t eavesdrop on your inner thoughts again…”

Chang Le, feeling both embarrassed and angry, caught hold of Brother Chang and tickled him mercilessly. Brother Chang wasn’t afraid of being hit but dreaded being tickled. He laughed uncontrollably, tears welling up in his eyes.

You still can’t easily tease Brother Chang, as a cornered rabbit can also bite!

Brother Chang’s father watched the two of them, shaking his head and sighing while stringing tofu cubes. These two boys, they’re not young anymore, yet they refuse to get married and remain so mischievous!

Ah, it’s worrisome!

After the commotion settled down, Brother Chang caught his breath and then whispered to Chang Le, “By the way, Brother Le, what do you think about what I told you yesterday?”

Chang Le paused for a moment but didn’t say anything.

Seeing his silence, Brother Chang said earnestly, “How about it? Would you like to give it a try? Change your hairstyle, and who knows, you might feel different. And Brother Le, be brave and take this step. It can change your way of life, you know?”

Looking at Brother Chang’s sincere eyes and thinking about Yu Qingze, Chang Le pursed his lips and finally nodded gently.

“That’s great, Brother Le! After dinner, I’ll come find you.”

In the evening, the family busied themselves in the kitchen. Brother Chang came in with a spruce branch on his back, holding a wooden board and a pair of scissors. He said to Yu Qingze, “Boss Yu, can I borrow Brother Le for a moment? I have something important to discuss with him.”

Yu Qingze immediately understood upon seeing the scissors in Brother Chang’s hands and replied, “Sure.” However, what is the spruce branch for?

Thingyan: I’ve never had mooncakes before. Want~~~

Jun 08 2023

Brother Chang waved to Chang Le happily and said, “Brother Le, let’s go to your room.”

Chang Le lowered his head and walked out of the kitchen, following Brother Chang to his own room.

He lit the oil lamp and took out a small bronze mirror and a wooden comb from the drawer. Chang Le sat on the edge of the bed and remained still, looking at Brother Chang.

“It seems a bit dim. Let me bring in another lamp.” Brother Chang went out and had Chang Hao bring their room’s oil lamp and a stool, then entered the room.

Chang Hao’s eyes widened in curiosity. He was very curious about what the two of them were up to but didn’t dare to eavesdrop. He couldn’t even concentrate on writing anymore.

After closing the door, Brother Chang sat on the stool and placed the wooden board on the table. He said, “Come and take a look. Which style do you like?”

Chang Le leaned over and looked at the five different bangs styles on the board. He couldn’t imagine how he would look if he had any of those hairstyles.

He could only shake his head.

Brother Chang pointed to a side-swept bangs style and said, “I think this one suits you.”

Chang Le took a closer look. The bangs reached just above the eyebrows, slanting from the right to the left, slightly shorter on the right side and longer on the left side—a variation of straight bangs. It exposed his eyes completely, while the left eyebrow was partially covered and the right eyebrow was fully visible.

Upon closer inspection, he realized that all five styles allowed the eyebrows and eyes to be seen.

“What do you think?” Brother Chang asked and then looked at Chang Le’s face. He said, “I think the shape of your face is quite similar to the ones drawn here. It looks really good, don’t you think?”

After being persuaded by Brother Chang, Chang Le realized that the face shape did resemble his own a bit, so he nodded in agreement.

In this aspect, Brother Chang definitely knew more, so it was best to listen to him.

“Alright then, we’ll go with this style. And I like this one. Let’s practice first so we don’t mess it up. You practice the style I like, and I’ll practice the one you like.”

The style Brother Chang liked was an irregular bangs style with a small point in the middle of the forehead and curved edges, giving a playful look.

The two of them used the needles of the pine tree as their hair and practiced for a while until they felt ready. Then they started cutting.

Chang Le began by cutting Brother Chang’s hair. He often cut his own bangs, so he had some experience with it. He quickly finished cutting Brother Chang’s hair.

Brother Chang looked at himself in the mirror, nodded, and said, “Hmm, it looks great, Brother Le. You’re really good at cutting bangs too!”

Chang Le smiled awkwardly and gestured, saying, “You’re handsome, so any bangs style suits you.”

“Hehehe, I’ll pretend that you’re telling the truth. Alright, now it’s my turn to cut yours. I often cut my own hair and my little brother’s hair, so I’m quite skilled.”

Brother Chang combed Chang Le’s bangs with a comb and then pinched a handful of hair between his index and middle fingers of his left hand, ready to start cutting.

Chang Le saw this and grabbed Brother Chang’s wrist.

“What’s wrong? Don’t worry, my hand is steady.” Thinking that Chang Le was concerned about cutting too much, Brother Chang reassured him with confidence.

Chang Le wasn’t worried about that. It was just that when it came down to actually cutting, he felt nervous and hesitant for a moment.

Should he really go through with it? Will there be visible scars? Will it look good? Will Brother Yu like my new hairstyle…

So many questions filled his mind.

Translated on ho lo lo novels dot com.

After hesitating for a while, Chang Le remembered his previous determination. He gritted his teeth, let go of his hand, and closed his eyes.

Snip, snip, snip…

As Brother Chang continuously opened and closed the scissors in his hand, Chang Le felt the hair being cut falling onto his face, some sticking to it, and some falling onto the cloth in front of his chest.

Finally, the bangs that he had kept for over a decade were gone…

He felt like something inside him was breaking, yet something else was opening up, and from that opening, there was a faint glimmer of light…

Chang Le felt a mix of uneasiness and complexity in his heart, but he couldn’t fully comprehend it.

However, he knew that when he walked out of that door later, he would present everyone with a completely new image.

…

He didn’t know how much time had passed until Brother Chang brushed off the fine hair on his face and said, “Okay, you can open your eyes now.” Chang Le then opened his eyes.

“Come, take a look. Hmm, I think my skill in cutting bangs is pretty good, hey! It looks great!” Brother Chang said excitedly.

Nervously, Chang Le looked at the bronze mirror. Without the long bangs covering his face, he felt unfamiliar with the person reflected inside, as if he had become someone else.

He wasn’t sure if this looked good; he just felt uneasy.

However, he felt that his field of vision suddenly became wider and brighter. With his bangs gone, his line of sight felt more open. Previously, his long bangs often obstructed his view, but now it felt expansive.

He asked Brother Chang, “Does it look good?”

Brother Chang nodded confidently, “It looks great! Your eyes are beautiful, and you don’t even need to draw your eyebrows. They should be exposed like this, giving you a bright and energetic look! It’s just great! Trust me!”

Chang Le nodded shyly, feeling a bit flushed from Brother Chang’s words.

“Alright, let’s go out! Let them see!” Brother Chang put away the scissors on the table and said, “Let’s show them first, and we can come back later to clean up.”

When it came to going out, Chang Le became nervous again.

“Don’t be afraid, it really looks great, I swear!” Brother Chang raised three fingers to make a swearing gesture.

Chang Le pulled his hand down, preventing him from swearing, and nodded to indicate that he believed him.

“Then let’s go out.” Brother Chang held Chang Le’s hand, opened the door, and motioned for him to go ahead.

Chang Le nodded, took a deep breath, stood up, and followed Brother Chang outside.

“Xiao Hao!” Brother Chang called out to Chang Hao.

Actually, there was no need to call him. Chang Hao had been keeping an eye on his brother’s room. Earlier, when the door was closed and Brother Chang spoke in a low voice, he couldn’t hear clearly and had no idea what they were doing inside, which made him curious.

Now, when he heard the door opening, he knew that the two of them were finally coming out, so he immediately stopped writing, looked up, and saw them.

And when he looked, he was stunned.

At first glance, Chang Hao was taken aback: Who is this?

At the second glance, Chang Hao recognized him: Oh, that’s my brother.

At the third glance, Chang Hao was shocked: This is my brother! My brother!

“Brother…?” Chang Hao put down his brush, left the table, and approached his brother slowly, hesitantly calling out.

Chang Le nodded and felt a bit embarrassed. He gestured, asking, “Is it good? Does it look good?”

Chang Hao nodded and then burst into silent laughter, his mouth wide open. He happily exclaimed, “It looks good, really good!”

Afterward, Chang Hao looked at his brother for a while, unable to contain his excitement. Then, his little mouthpiece played its role, and he dashed off towards the kitchen while shouting, “Grandpa, Grandpa! Brother got his bangs cut!”

Chang Le:…

Brother Chang pursed his lips, trying not to laugh but was promptly pinched in the waist by Chang Le. He immediately put on a serious face and said, “Let’s go.”

In the kitchen, upon hearing Chang Hao’s shout, Yu Qingze’s heart skipped a beat, and he stopped what he was doing.

Did Brother Le really cut his bangs?!

Is the little turtle’s head going to be revealed?!

He eagerly looked towards the entrance, wanting to see the new look of the little turtle right away.

“Why are you shouting? Doesn’t your brother often cut his bangs?” Grandpa Chang said casually.

Chang Hao tugged on his grandfather’s clothes and laughed, saying, “No, Grandpa, it’s not that kind of cut! Ah, you’ll see in a moment! It’ll startle you!”

“What could startle me…” Grandpa Chang turned his head and saw his eldest grandson standing at the kitchen door. He didn’t even finish his sentence, and the mooncake mold in his hand fell with a clatter, hitting his foot, but he didn’t even notice. He just stared wide-eyed at Chang Le.

“X-Xiao Le?” Grandpa Chang exclaimed in disbelief.

Chang Le nodded.

Grandpa Chang suddenly found himself unable to speak. He felt his nose tingling a bit.

His eldest grandson, ever since he got injured in his childhood and grew his long bangs, it had been over ten years, and he had never cut them short. Those long bangs were like a protective shield, constantly shielding him from further harm, but at the same time, they blocked his view of the outside world.

And now, he actually cut them off.

Grandpa Chang felt deeply moved in his heart, and he simply nodded and said, “Good, good, good!”

With his younger brother and grandpa approving, Chang Le felt a bit relieved.

Then, since he entered, he didn’t dare to look towards Yu Qingze’s direction and didn’t hear his voice either. He didn’t know how he reacted or what expression he had.

But, did he still think it looked good?

He really wanted to know Brother Yu’s reaction, but he was nervous and worried. After hesitating for a while, he finally quietly lifted his head, and then…

He saw Yu Qingze already walking over, standing in front of him.

Chang Le:…!

Startled, Chang Le quickly lowered his head.

“Brother Chang, can you please help me flip the mooncakes? Don’t let them burn.” Yu Qingze kept his eyes fixed on Chang Le but spoke to Brother Chang who was next to Chang Le.

Brother Chang looked at the two of them, pursed his lips, and smirked, saying, “Alright.” Then, he went over to bake the mooncakes.

As Brother Chang moved away, Chang Le became even more nervous. He kept his head down, unconsciously gripping his clothes.

He was so nervous. What if Brother Yu thinks it doesn’t look good?

The next moment, his wrist was grabbed, and Yu Qingze pulled him quickly towards the main hall.

Chang Le:…

Chang Hao wanted to follow along, but Grandpa Chang held him back and said, “Go help Brother Chang bake the mooncakes.”

Chang Hao pouted and reluctantly said, “Fine.” He really wanted to see…

In the main hall, Yu Qingze pulled Chang Le to stand by the table, where the candlelight was the brightest.

He lifted Chang Le’s chin and looked at him with his newly shortened bangs, momentarily captivated.

Chang Le’s bright eyes were slightly elusive due to shyness, with beautifully arched eyebrows. Chang Le may not have known, but his most attractive feature was this pair of expressive eyes, clear and bright, capable of making people fall for him at first sight. And coupled with the faint mole between his eyebrows, it was truly enchanting!

Yu Qingze’s fingers couldn’t help but trace over his eyebrows and eyes, carefully sketching the details.

Chang Le was forced to lift his head and meet Yu Qingze’s gaze. At first, he was a little hesitant to look at him, but as he felt the gentle touch of Yu Qingze’s fingers, he stole a glance at him.

Brother Yu’s gaze was so focused. Did that mean he liked it?

His heart started pounding uncontrollably, and his already blushing face grew even redder.

Yu Qingze noticed and let out a soft chuckle. He leaned closer to Chang Le’s ear and whispered in a low voice, “Brother Le, it looks great. I really like it.”

Chang Le:!

Chang Le felt like his heart skipped a beat for a moment, and then it started racing at an even faster pace.

Ah, ah, ah, Brother Yu said he likes it!

He likes it!

Chang Le wanted to go crazy with happiness!

And then…

Yu Qingze had no idea that the little person in Chang Le’s heart was cheering wildly. He followed his genuine feelings, cupped Brother Le’s face, and lightly kissed his forehead.

“Brother Le, you’re amazing. I’m proud of you!”

Chang Le: !

Thingyan: Enjoy the visual feasting of Chang Le before and after ✺◟( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)◞✺

Chang Le Before