Chapter 41: Chestnut Cake

Cheng Yuan sighed, "Don't listen to that guy. He's just a little bully who picks on the weak and fears the strong. If he speaks to you like that again, just stomp on his shoes next time. As for the chores, there are so many of us in the house, you..."

"Sister Yuan." Jiang He's voice was soft, yet steady; her small face held a calmness that belied her age. "I was wrong before. I only now realize that you are saving me. You have already done enough for He'er. If I were to just eat, play, and sleep all day, I wouldn't be able to live with my conscience. Please, let me do something. At least it lets me know that I still have value."

As she spoke, the light in her eyes dimmed, as if she might shatter at any moment.

Cheng Yuan fell silent. She raised her hand, hovering for a moment before she began to ruffle the girl's hair, much like one would pet a puppy.

"Alright."

Most of the peeled chestnuts were poured into the pot, and water was added to stew them. Jiang He guarded the stove, Xie Yanzhi was responsible for whipping the cream, and Xie Changzhi handled the batter—the division of labor was clear.

"Oh, right, Yuan'er, should we roast some of the sweet potatoes and taro that Little Fatty sent over?" Cheng Zhi, who had been watching the glowing red hearth, was suddenly struck by an idea.

Cheng Yuan had no objections. She had already decided to make taro paste tomorrow, but roasting a dozen small sweet potatoes would be a nice way to warm up. "He'er, toss them in."

Xie Yanzhi stretched his neck, peering at the pile. "Is that taro? The kind that looks so pretty and tastes soft and fluffy?"

"Did you study just to fill your belly with nothing?" Since dropping his "poor, pitiful" facade in front of Cheng Yuan, Xie Changzhi no longer held back, ready to mock Xie Yanzhi at every turn. "I think Father was right; you really should study more, so you don't end up eating something poisonous and only realize it when you're taking your last breath."

Xie Yanzhi had been pampered since childhood; he had never endured such ridicule, especially not from a half-brother he looked down upon. He widened his eyes, almost brandishing his chopsticks. "I study the classics, not a cook's manual! Is it so strange that I don't recognize it?"

"Explain all you want, you still don't know what it is, do you?" Xie Changzhi remained calm. Catching Cheng Yuan hiding a smile, he curled his lips. "Never mind, after all, you are the younger brother."

Before Xie Yanzhi could blow up, Cheng Yuan quickly urged them to speed up. If they delayed any longer, nobody would get any chestnut cake! This threat hit where it hurt; Xie Yanzhi channeled his grief and indignation into his work, whipping the cream until it was delicate, smooth, and held stiff peaks.

Cheng Yuan took several of the largest ceramic bowls in the house and ladled the chestnut paste into them to cool. Since there was a large amount of batter, it was steamed in two separate pots. Once Xie Yanzhi finished the cream, he grew restless.

"Are these chestnut crumbs not needed?" He pointed, his hand already reaching out.

"Slap!"

Cheng Yuan said nothing, merely pulling the chopsticks away. Xie Yanzhi didn't complain either, just gritted his teeth and retreated to the stove to watch the flames.

Outside, heavy snow began to fall again. A flicker of worry appeared in Cheng Zhi’s eyes.

Cheng Yuan rummaged through her basket. "Right, candied haws! I bought them in town earlier. Let's have one each."

"Mother, yours. Little brother has a share, too—keep yours for yourself."

Cheng Hu sat there holding his candied haw, licking it cherishedly, his little face full of joy. The warmth inside the house made Cheng Zhi release a sigh of relief. Last winter had been nowhere near as bad as the start of this one, yet they had mostly survived by staying in bed to keep warm. How could she have imagined that today, they would already be planning to open a shop!

People always said that a house without a man was hard to manage, that there was no pillar to hold up the sky. But when her husband was alive, she hadn't seen their lives improve much. Instead, after he died, her daughter had led them to a better life! Compared to the helplessness she felt a month ago upon hearing of her husband's death, she now wanted to laugh heartily and tell him, "Rest easy, go in peace! I will live a good, comfortable life with our daughter and son—and I hope we never meet again, even at the Bridge of Forgetfulness!"

The fire in the stove was strong. After the time it took to burn one incense stick, Cheng Yuan smelled the familiar sweetness and lifted the lid. She layered the chestnut paste with the cake base in the bowls, topped it with another layer of paste, and sprinkled chestnut crumbs for garnish. If it weren't for the difficulty of transport, she would have even tried to pipe icing on it.

As usual, everyone was given a portion, and the rest was placed in the backyard to chill in the snow. Each person also received two or three sweet potatoes, their scorching heat incredibly comforting to hold.

However, Xie Yanzhi, who usually couldn't keep food in his hands for long, finished his sweet potato, hesitated for a long moment with his bowl, and then dashed out.

"Is he taking that to Master Xie?" Cheng Zhi sat at the kitchen entrance, shivering as the draft from Xie Yanzhi’s exit hit her.

"Isn't Master Xie's portion right there?" Cheng Hu pointed to the bowl on the stove.

True. So why did he go out?

"That child, he isn't having another episode, is he?" Cheng Zhi’s heart softened, and she couldn't help but look outside.

Cheng Yuan and Xie Changzhi exchanged a look; they both knew the answer.

Cheng Yuan said, "It's fine, Mother. Just enjoy your food. Yanzhi told me earlier he was going to Little Fatty's house to play. Don't worry, he'll be back before bed."

—

The wind and snow were fierce outside, and Xie Yanzhi’s sense of direction was abysmal. It took him a long while to find the small thatched hut nestled at the foot of the mountain.

"Brother Fan, Brother Fan." He knocked on the door. It opened quickly, revealing Little Fatty Fan’s worried face, which immediately lit up when he saw Xie Yanzhi.

"Brother Xie, why are you here? Come in, sit."

"Look, this. You and your mother haven't had this, have you? I was full, so I brought the leftovers for you to try." He added, "Hello, Auntie."

Xie Yanzhi acted as if he were in his own home, sitting right down on a small stool by the wall. Fan's mother lay on the bed, her complexion even paler than it had been that afternoon.

"You child, why bring food when you come? You should have eaten it yourself. Little Fatty and I have already eaten."

Fan's mother caught sight of the treat in his bowl. It was adorned with chestnut crumbs and looked exquisite; the aroma alone signaled that it contained plenty of eggs and flour. Xie Yanzhi was still just a growing boy, too naive to realize how precious such food was.

Little Fatty licked his lips, staring at the cake; his stomach, which had never been full to begin with, growled even louder. But he still waved his hand. "We really have eaten. Just now! Brother Xie, take it back and eat it tomorrow. This stuff looks filling; it could last someone all day!"

*Last a day?* It was barely half of his dinner, a mere afterthought compared to the desserts he used to have.

His peripheral vision caught the firewood stacked neatly by the stove. Having spent the last two days in the kitchen, he knew that usually, when there was leftover wood, it was pulled out to be used next time, and the smoldering embers took a long time to go out.

They clearly hadn't eaten dinner tonight.