Transmigration: Space-Aided Rise to Power and Prosperity
Chapter 69 - 65: Delicious Buns

Chapter 69: 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, you’ll want more. A big meat bun for three copper coins!" The shop’s attendant enthusiastically shouted, as two people had just entered the bun shop.

Gu Chengyu heard the attendant’s shouting and smelled the aroma of the buns, feeling his stomach growling with emptiness. He tugged Mr. Gu to stop. "Dad, let’s buy some buns! I’m hungry. We left early today, it’s already noon and we haven’t eaten yet!"

"Oh! I almost forgot to mention, there are still some steamed corn cakes your mother made! Are you craving buns? I’ll buy two for you; your brother and I will eat the corn cakes." Mr. Gu understood that children can’t resist the aroma of buns.

"Little brother, two meat buns, please." Mr. Gu didn’t 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, it’s not often we come to the county; eating two buns is nothing." Buying just two, how could he eat to his heart’s content?

"Little brother, make that four more!" As for bringing them home, that’s 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! That’ll 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, let’s go quickly! We’ve 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 we’re having buns, let’s bring some food back for Mom and the others! Didn’t Second Sister say last time she wanted to eat Cloud Cake? Let’s 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! Let’s just buy from the town instead!"

"Alright, let’s go then!" Although the county’s 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 it’s been a long time since. I still have to go back to pick up people! If they don’t come soon, I’ll leave!"

"I don’t know either! They said they’d come back right after buying things. Ah~ they’re coming, they’re coming, look, they’re 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 Auntie’s place?"

"Ah! Bought a few things and came right back. We’re not going to your aunt’s today; there’s no time. We’ll go another day." Mr. Gu felt a bit embarrassed, having kept the old man waiting so long. "Old brother, I’m really sorry to have kept you waiting so long."

"Waiting doesn’t matter much, so are we hitting the road?" The old man saw Mr. Gu sincerely apologize and didn’t say much more.

"Old brother, give us a ride home! It’s not far, just to Shangling Village, I’ll 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, they’ll 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 didn’t 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 — how could he eat a bun when his dad was eating a corn cake? That wouldn’t be filial!

"Dad, we bought them earlier, you eat it! If you don’t, neither I nor brother will eat," feeling that it wouldn’t taste right if his dad didn’t eat as well.

"You two just eat! Whoever said I wasn’t eating buns?" Mr. Gu felt heartened by the children’s filial piety, knowing that if he didn’t eat, the two sons wouldn’t 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 bun’s skin was somewhat thin, and with one bite, the meat filling was oozing oil. Although most of the meat filling was fatty, it wasn’t greasy. In ancient times, when buying meat, it was usually fatty, as pork belly was considered superior meat. Lean meat wasn’t bought because it couldn’t be used for rendering fat, and farmers rarely ate pork. Naturally, the fatty meat tasted better. Gu Chengyu couldn’t resist taking another big bite, "Wow! Why is this bun so delicious!?" Such that years later, he would still remember the taste of the county’s 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 hadn’t 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 he’d eaten.

"No need, no need, I ate while waiting for you. People like us always bring corn cakes and water when going out; we can’t 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 didn’t insist further and took another bun to give to Gu Chengli and one more to Gu Chengyu.

"Dad! I’m full; you eat it yourself! I’m 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, you’ll become strong by eating more!" Mr. Gu frowned, noting Gu Chengyu’s small appetite. Xiao Bao’s eating habits worried him; a boy needs to eat well to grow strong.

"Dad, I’m really full!" Gu Chengyu felt that eating until 80% full was good enough, fearing that overeating might enlarge his stomach.

"Alright, let’s save yours. When you’re 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 won’t 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 wouldn’t end up in the grandchildren’s stomachs. It was better to keep it discreetly in the room where Mrs. Lv wouldn’t 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.