Chapter 19 Decision

Chapter 19: The Decision

Lu Shiyan paced around the kitchen island several times during those fifteen minutes, opened the steamer three times, got burned by the steam twice, and got a smack on the head once by Xie Fengshi.

Xie Fengshi leaned against the counter: "Stop peeking. Every time you lift the lid, all the steam escapes."

"But it smells so good! Can't you smell it? The aroma of mapo tofu mixed with the wheaty smell of steamed dough."

"Your nose is pretty sharp."

"Of course. I've eaten more than you—" Lu Shiyan caught himself mid-sentence and swallowed the rest of his words. "—more than anyone I know."

White mist began to billow from the edges of the steamer, forming a warm, hazy glow under the kitchen lights.

"Time's up."

Xie Fengshi lifted the lid. A cloud of white steam rushed up, carrying the rich fragrance of flour and the complex aroma of the filling steamed thoroughly at high heat. As the mist cleared, two rows of plump, white buns lay in the steamer—the neatly pleated ones were Xie Fengshi's work, while the crooked, oddly shaped ones were Lu Shiyan's creations.

But regardless of appearance, every bun had risen beautifully, with smooth, glossy skins.

Lu Shiyan reached out but quickly pulled his hand back: "Hot hot hot!"

Xie Fengshi picked one up with chopsticks and placed it on a small plate, handing it to Lu Shiyan: "Let it cool for a bit before eating."

Lu Shiyan took the plate and held it up: "Okay."

Xie Fengshi ignored him, picked one for himself, blew on it, and carefully took a small bite.

The dough was soft and springy. When he bit into it, red oil seeped out of the opening, partly absorbed by the dough, pooling into a small, shiny red puddle on the plate. The tofu was silky, the minced meat savory, and the complex flavors of bean paste and fermented black beans burst in his mouth, with the numbing sensation then dancing on his tongue.

Xie Fengshi squinted in satisfaction, unable to resist taking another bite. So good!

Seeing that Xie Fengshi had started, Lu Shiyan eagerly took a bite too, his cheeks bulging a little as he chewed slowly: "The last time I had baozi was at the airport back in China. My mom insisted on stuffing them into my carry-on, and I even argued with her. But after I got here, I thought about those two buns so much I couldn't sleep until late at night."

Xie Fengshi listened quietly and pushed the tissue box over.

Lu Shiyan pulled out two tissues and blew his nose loudly: "I tried Chinese restaurants, frozen sections in supermarkets, and delivery apps. Either the skin was thick and the filling scarce—so I just got dough with every bite—or the bottom was hard when steamed, and the filling tasted bad. I just wanted a hot, soft bun that oozes oil when you bite into it. Why is that so hard?!"

The more he spoke, the more whiny he sounded, but he still stuffed a second bun into his mouth.

Xie Fengshi said, "Well, you're eating it now. Slow down, don't choke. There's also soy milk."

Lu Shiyan looked up, his eyes sparkling as he looked at Xie Fengshi: "You can make soy milk too?"

"I saw beans in your fridge. What did you buy the beans for?"

"I wanted to lose weight."

"What do you need to lose weight for?"

Lu Shiyan touched his face: "My brother said I got fat. He said my face has gotten round."

Xie Fengshi glanced at Lu Shiyan's naturally round, baby face: "Your brother is way too hard on you."

Lu Shiyan mumbled grumpily: "He just can't stand seeing me happy. If I eat well, he says I'm fat. If I don't eat well, he says I can't take care of myself. No matter what I do, he has something to say."

Xie Fengshi poured the soybeans into a bowl and added water to soak them. There wasn't much time, and using dry beans directly wouldn't be impossible, but the texture wouldn't be as good. After a moment's thought, he decided to soak them in hot water first, then use the high-speed blender.

As he prepared, Xie Fengshi asked, "Do you miss your brother?"

"Yeah, most of all when I eat. I never noticed it back home. My mom loves to cook. At noon, when my brother and the others are at work, the housekeeper does the cooking. But in the evening, when everyone comes back, my mom does the cooking herself. My brother always says I eat too much. How is that my fault? With mom's cooking being so delicious, who wouldn't have another bowl or two? He just likes to nag me."

The more Lu Shiyan talked, the angrier he got. He gripped the bun tightly and took a furious bite, adding, "I'll bite you to death!"

Who exactly he wanted to bite to death was obvious.

While listening to Lu Shiyan's complaints, Xie Fengshi never stopped working. He poured the blended soy milk into a pot, simmered it over low heat, and stirred constantly with a ladle to prevent scorching. The aroma of soy milk gradually filled the kitchen: "It's ready."

The soy milk was thick and smooth. Lu Shiyan took a sip and felt totally satisfied: "Delicious!"

Lu Shiyan picked up another bun filled with chicken and mushrooms, took a bite, and felt like he was in heaven: "This is amazing too! The chicken is so tender, the mushrooms are so fragrant, and the skin is so soft!"

Xie Fengshi laughed at Lu Shiyan's reaction: "Can you use a different word?"

"I'm out of words, really. I feel like I'm not just eating—I'm having a spiritual food experience. Your baozi saved me from the food desert. It was almost dying of thirst, and you poured a bowl of soy milk over it, and it came back to life."

Xie Fengshi was caught between laughter and tears: "What a weird metaphor."

"I'm serious, Xie Fengshi. You could sell baozi."

"Huh?"

"Sell baozi! Look, I just posted a photo. Check it out."

Xie Fengshi leaned in to look. His loyal foodie friend had once again posted the food in the group chat, facing a barrage of comments from all sides, his words full of showing off.

Lu Shiyan read them off one by one for Xie Fengshi: "See, so many people want to eat this. Let me tell you, our school has hundreds of international students—over a hundred Chinese alone. Plus the Chinese diaspora and foreigners who love Chinese food. That's a huge market."

Xie Fengshi hesitated: "But I don't have that much time."

Lu Shiyan said, "You don't need a lot of time. Just cook on weekends. Post an announcement in advance about what you're making, let people place orders, and cook according to orders. No leftovers, no waste. Make fifty at a time and sell each one for this much."

Lu Shiyan made a gesture with his hand. "Do the math. How much would that be in a month?"

Xie Fengshi obediently did the math and gasped. Oh no! This guy's a shady businessman!

Lu Shiyan grew more excited: "And that's just baozi. You could also make jiaozi, wontons, shumai, zongzi, mooncakes—whatever the holiday calls for. I'm telling you, the frozen stuff at the Chinese supermarkets here costs over ten bucks a bag and tastes terrible. If you sell fresh ones, people would pay over twenty."

Xie Fengshi was very tempted by the picture Lu Shiyan painted, but his rationality held him back: "Wait, I haven't even learned to walk, and you want me to run? Let me handle the immediate stuff first."

"Fine, fine. Take your time. I won't rush you." Lu Shiyan took a sip of soy milk, contentedly. "Anyway, I've already got you on board. I don't care if others get to eat or not."

As Xie Fengshi took the last few buns out of the steamer, Lu Shiyan was already sprawled motionless on the sofa. He patted his bulging belly: "I'm done. I feel like a baozi now—thin-skinned and generously stuffed."

Xie Fengshi glanced back at him: "That's way too over the top."

"Not at all. I ate six."

"Six?!"

"Mainly because it was so good. I couldn't control myself."

Xie Fengshi shook his head and packed the remaining buns into food containers. Lu Shiyan propped himself up from the sofa: "Take some home. I can't eat all this alone."

"I can't finish them either."

Xie Fengshi was in a bit of a dilemma. He really had made too many—big ones, generous portions. But his small fridge was only so big. "I'll just take a few to try."

"Take more, I insist."

"No, really, it's fine. My fridge can't fit any more."

Thinking of where Xie Fengshi lived, Lu Shiyan didn't insist further.

Xie Fengshi took four buns of each flavor, separated them with parchment paper, and put them into a small bag. "Put the rest in the freezer. When you want to eat them, just steam them directly—no need to thaw."

"Yeah, yeah, got it. When are you free next week? I talked to those friends, and they want to set a time."

Xie Fengshi thought for a moment. "Sunday. I'll be at the shop on Saturday, and I'll catch up on homework Sunday morning. I should be free in the afternoon."

"Alright, I'll have them come over on Sunday at my place, so you don't have to run all over."

"Okay."

Lu Shiyan pulled open the door, and the wind from the corridor rushed in, making him shiver. "Take care on the way. Send me a message when you get home."

"Got it. Go back inside, don't catch a cold."

In the last second before the elevator doors closed, Xie Fengshi saw Lu Shiyan's round face still had that satisfied look. He waved at him and said something, but Xie Fengshi didn't catch it—by reading his lips, he was probably still talking about the buns.

Leaving the apartment, the night wind hit him. Xie Fengshi quickened his pace toward the subway station. It wasn't too early or too late, and there weren't many people. He entered the carriage, found a corner seat, placed the bag of buns on his knees, and put his hands in his pockets.

Across from Xie Fengshi sat a guy holding a guitar, who looked like he had just finished a street performance. A few coins were still scattered in his case. The girl beside him was wearing heavy eye makeup, only her eyes visible, and was chatting with the guy.

An ordinary subway car, an ordinary night, ordinary people.

Now Xie Fengshi was one of them. When he exited the station, the wind on the street was even stronger. He quickened his pace along the small path—now he had no particular feeling about it. When he reached the apartment building, he looked up and saw the lit window on the left of the second floor.

When Xie Fengshi went upstairs, he paused at Isaac's door. He could still hear music inside. He knocked, and the music stopped abruptly. Footsteps approached, and Isaac opened the door. "Back?"

"Yeah, I brought you something." Xie Fengshi lifted the bag and shook it. "Buns—mapo tofu and chicken-mushroom. Want to try some?"

"You made them?"

"Who else? You think my classmate made them?"

Isaac grinned as he took the bag. "So he can't cook?"

"I don't know, but he blew up the kitchen."

Isaac looked at the plump white buns inside the bag. "Have you eaten?"

"Yeah, I had quite a few."

"So, are you still hungry?"

Xie Fengshi realized Isaac was asking him to join in. He smiled and shook his head. "No, I'm fine. You go ahead. The buns won't be good if they get cold. Just heat them up a bit."

Isaac nodded, but he didn't close the door, just stood there like he wanted to say something.

Xie Fengshi was puzzled. "What's wrong?"

"Kaelen is coming next week."

"I know, he told me."

Isaac's expression turned subtle. After a moment, he said, "Does Kaelen have a crush on you?"

"Wh—cough, cough, cough!!" Xie Fengshi choked on his own spit, coughing so hard he got dizzy. "What did you say?"

Isaac didn't expect that strong a reaction. He blinked a few times. "Kaelen has a crush on you."

Xie Fengshi was totally caught off guard by the foreign kid's bluntness. "What are you talking about? That's nonsense! Your brother's just coming to visit you, and grabbing a meal while he's at it."

"Me is just the side dish; the meal is the main course."

"Isaac!"

"I'm serious, Xie Fengshi. Kaelen never flies for hours just to eat. The chefs at home are way better than any restaurant he knows."

Xie Fengshi shook that image out of his head hard. "Stop talking crap. Go eat your buns!"

For once, Isaac had a sly look on his face—the kind only an eighteen-year-old can pull off. "Are you blushing?"

"It's from the cold! The wind's really strong out there!"

"Oh." Isaac clearly didn't believe him.

Xie Fengshi turned and walked away, but after two steps, he looked back. "Remember to heat them through before eating. Don't eat them cold!"

"Got it."

Xie Fengshi hurried back to his room. The moment he closed the door, he touched his face—it was burning.

"What an idiot."

He cursed himself again.

...

Xie Fengshi said to wait a little longer, but actually, he had already figured everything out that very night.

He was broke and needed cash badly. As he had said countless times before, it's stupid not to make money when you can.

That day, after the lunch rush at Good Fortune, Xie Fengshi took advantage of a quiet moment in the shop to tell Aunt Lin everything he and Lu Shiyan had discussed.

Xie Fengshi was actually a bit nervous when he spoke. Although Aunt Lin had told him many times that she supported him going out on his own, when it came time to actually bring it up, he still felt guilty about it. After all, he had pushed open this door when he was at his wit's end, and Aunt Lin and Uncle Li had given him his first job.

Aunt Lin didn't even pause her wiping when she heard him. "That's great—this is a good thing."

Such a light remark made all the words Xie Fengshi had prepared die in his throat. "Aunt Lin, I..."

Aunt Lin put down the cloth and sat down across from him. "Kid, haven't I told you before? You can leave anytime you find a better opportunity. And you still have to move up. If you stayed with us forever, I'd think you were out of your mind."

"But if I leave, will the shop be able to handle the work?"

Aunt Lin laughed. "Why are you worrying about that? I've already discussed it with Lao Li. A fellow townsman's coming at the end of the month, just in time to take your place. Just teach him the ropes, and then go focus on your own stuff."

Xie Fengshi felt a lump in his throat. Seeing his face, Aunt Lin knew exactly what was going through his mind. "Okay, okay, don't get all mushy. You're a good kid. We don't ask about your family, and you don't have to tell us. We're all struggling out here, so we help each other out."

This wasn't the first time Xie Fengshi had heard those words. He said, "Without you, I have no idea where I'd be."

When he had crossed over, the original body had already been abandoned. If Aunt Lin hadn't taken him in out of the goodness of her heart, he didn't even want to think about where he'd be now.

Aunt Lin patted him on the head. "What are you talking about? With your skills, you'll never starve wherever you go."

Xie Fengshi wobbled a little from the pat, but when he looked up, a smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. Aunt Lin went back to her usual brisk self. "Alright, enough sappy stuff. I'll ask around for you. With your skills, you won't have to worry about business."

"Thank you, Aunt Lin."

"What are you thanking me for? When you open your own restaurant someday, don't forget to treat Uncle Li and me to a meal."

Xie Fengshi didn't know whether to laugh or cry at that. "Aunt Lin, nothing's even been decided!"

"Sooner or later." Aunt Lin said confidently.