Chapter 30: Rising Early and Returning Late to the Town

With Granny Du Yun, the matriarch of the family, granting her approval, Du Yun’s venture of making pastries to sell in town was finally legitimate. At the very least, she no longer had to sneak about with her endeavors. However, Du Yun was somewhat disappointed. Though she was permitted to use the family’s vegetables and her plans received official consent, when it came to the matter of lacking startup capital, not a single person offered her any money as initial funding.

All she had left in her hands was three yuan and forty cents. For this first attempt at selling pastries, she certainly couldn’t go to the county seat—bus fare alone cost fifty cents each way, and with such a meager sum, the added travel expense might well leave her penniless.

Given such circumstances, it was impossible for Du Yun not to feel a measure of displeasure. She had already made her intentions clear, and there was absolutely no way she would accept marrying someone like Dong Yuejin. Earning her own money was now an imperative.

The next day happened to be market day in the town. The night before, Du Yun made careful preparations for everything she’d need. To prevent her third aunt from secretly stealing another taste, she stashed most of the pastries in the storage compartment, leaving only a small plate in a little basket, which she hung from a beam in the small storeroom behind the west wing.

In this era, there were no sterile vacuum packages, nor were the conveniently useful plastic bags of legend widely available. To pack her pastries, Du Yun had specially gathered lots of hemp and perilla leaves, washing them clean before storing them in the compartment.

At dawn, Du Yun rose early, put on her freshly laundered blue coarse cloth dress, slung the little basket over her arm, and prepared to set out.

“Yun, are you heading to town already?” Her mother, seeing her up so early, also rose. To her, the town was a distant and unfamiliar place, filling her with anxious uncertainty. “Perhaps you’d better not go; it’s so far…”

“Don’t worry, Mother, I’m only going to town. Didn’t I go there often enough when I was in school?” At this point, Du Yun was determined not to back down. She smiled as she spoke.

Her mother seemed about to say more but couldn’t find the words. After a moment’s hesitation, she untied a small pouch from her waist and pressed it into Du Yun’s hand. “It’s different outside than at home. If you get hungry or thirsty, buy yourself something to eat.”

“Mother!” Du Yun felt a wave of emotion as she looked at the little pouch—inside were five neatly folded ten-cent notes. Clearly, her mother feared she might suffer hunger or thirst while in town and wanted her to have something for necessities.

Given their dire poverty, coming up with fifty cents must have been a great struggle for her mother. And this was not an investment in Du Yun’s business; it was simply a mother’s deep, selfless concern for her child’s well-being. Such pure love stirred Du Yun’s heart profoundly.

“Go on now, the earlier you leave, the sooner you’ll be back.” Her mother waved her off and turned away. Her thin frame was slightly stooped, making her appear much older than her not-yet-forty years.

Du Yun wiped her eyes and stepped out of the east wing, still shaken by emotion. Suddenly, she saw a tall figure standing in the dark kitchen, startling her so much she nearly cried out. Only when a sliver of moonlight revealed it was her own family did she breathe with relief.

“Oh, it’s you, Second Brother. What are you doing up so early?” She patted her chest, trying to steady herself. She didn’t have much of an impression of her usually silent second brother, so her tone was not particularly warm.

“Aren’t you going to town? I’ll walk you there.” Her second brother, Du Huai, the eldest son of the second house, was a diligent worker but rarely spoke. His offer surprised her, making her feel somewhat honored.

“There’s no need to trouble yourself. You still have to work in the fields…” Du Yun, not close to this brother, was about to politely refuse when he took the basket from her hands and strode out the door.

“Wait for me, Second Brother!” Seeing his determined actions, Du Yun knew he meant to see her off. She gazed at his broad back and quickly hurried to catch up, accepting her quiet brother’s kindness.

The early summer breeze blew softly, carrying the scent of fresh grass across Du Yun’s face. It was so pleasant she couldn’t help but sigh. Watching her brother’s sturdy back, she felt a gentle swell of gratitude. Perhaps her family wasn’t all indifferent to her, after all. At least, her second brother was truly good to her.

Since they were not close, Du Huai walked ahead in long strides, while Du Yun jogged to keep up. They walked in silence for over half an hour before reaching the town. By then, dawn had broken, and because it was market day, the streets were full of people. Once inside the town, Du Huai stopped at the roadside.

“Second Brother?” Du Yun looked at him in confusion, seeing that he had no intention of going farther. Watching him awkwardly rub his trouser leg, she suddenly understood—her brother was likely uncomfortable in such a crowded place.

“It’s daylight now and the town is full of people. You can head back, Second Brother.” Du Yun spoke considerately. Besides, she’d be freer to act alone; otherwise, she wouldn’t dare take the pastries out of her storage compartment.

Du Huai glanced around, saw that it was indeed safe, nodded at her, handed back the basket, and turned to leave.

Watching his departing figure, Du Yun collected herself and headed toward the market square she remembered from her childhood. The streets bustled with people and vendors. With only a small basket, she didn’t need to compete with the food sellers for space and instead stopped beside a toy stall, taking out her plate of pastries.

Du Yun’s mind was sharp: her pastries were pretty but not filling, and they didn’t keep well. Perhaps children would pester their parents for a piece or two, but there was little hope of selling them in bulk to adults.

With her target customers clear, she knew she’d chosen the perfect spot—children who could afford toys were from better-off families. If their parents saw inexpensive, novel pastries, it was only natural they’d spend an extra dime or two for their child to try something new.

Standing beside the toy stall, Du Yun couldn’t help but laugh quietly to herself, feeling she was truly clever.