The bakery shop finally opened.

After Establishment Day, Shengsi arrived before dawn to prepare for the day ahead.

Truly, the market still slept. Behind the county yamen, every storefront remained dark and shuttered. Not a single shop had opened its doors yet.

Except hers.

Before leaving home, she had checked on Grandfather Li and Chengxu. The stranger they had taken in was still resting in her grandfather's room, and after exchanging a few words about his condition, she hurried toward the market. Now she stood before her shop.

Above the entrance hung a wooden plaque bearing its name:

Lizhi Ju Bread Shop.

Shengsi planted her hands on her hips and stared at it. Then she grinned. Such sight never failed to make her heart jump!

A single day away had felt far too long.

Pushing open the door, she stepped inside.

The interior was still dim. Cool morning air lingered among the shelves and counters. She opened the windows one by one, letting the first hints of daylight spill into the shop, then busied herself with tidying the space before making her way to the kitchen behind the storefront.

The moment her eyes landed on the clay oven, she paused. No matter how many times she saw it, she still liked looking at it. It reminded her of the stove at home, yet it somehow wasn't the same, too.

Aunt Li had once told her the design came from the Northern Empire. Whether that was true or not, Shengsi couldn't say. What she did know was that it made baking much easier.

Her fingers brushed lightly across the steel door of the lower chamber.

The oven had always fascinated her.

The fire would burn above, while the baking chamber sat below. Behind it ran a flue system Aunt Li had enthusiastically explained more than once. Back then, Shengsi had only understood half of it.

It took her some time to appreciate every part.

Especially on mornings like this.

She opened the chamber and cleaned the inside, then arranged firewood and lit the hearth. Soon warmth began spreading through the kitchen. Then there came the familiar scent of burning wood.

After washing her hands, she moved into the pantry and began preparing ingredients.

One task flowed into the next — mixing, kneading, then shaping.

Some were being steamed.

Others were being baked.

The hours slipped past almost without notice.

By afternoon, the shop smelled of fresh bread and warm dough. From the rows of steamed buns that sat neatly arranged, loaves that cooled upon the racks, to the three-tiered shelves that were nearly full.

Shengsi stepped back to admire them.

Not yet ever so perfect, but close enough to make her smile.

Outside, a middle-aged woman in a red-sleeved dress stopped before the shop. A basket hung from her arm as she tilted her head upward to read the sign, ‘Lizhi Ju Bread Shop’. And so, a moment later, she stepped inside.

The bells above the door chimed softly.

“Shengsi dear?” the woman’s high-pitched voice called, as the fragrance of distinct flavors filled the air, causing her lips to curve in satisfaction. “It’s Mrs. Qin!”

“Go on in, Mrs. Qin!” Shengsi politely called out from the kitchen. “I'll tend to you once I'm done here.”

Mrs. Qin walked toward a bread rack and observed how the goods were displayed, each shelf lined with black fabric. The loaves lay bare upon it, yet there was no sign of filth, while others were placed in baskets. Those in baskets had plaques indicating their types, such as the steamed buns, which were separated into three: meat, vegetable, and red bean paste.

“Hmm, I’m glad you're selling steamed buns again. It’s been a while since your shop offered these.” Mrs. Qin smiled as she took three of each from the baskets, then added three loaves to her selection. “Since you didn’t open yesterday as you usually do, I had to wait... I was wondering why you didn’t open early. This loyal customer of yours was almost impatient and grew hopeless.” She chuckled. “I thought you weren’t going to open at all, Shengsi dear!”

“Pardon me, Mrs. Qin... something came up at home, which is why I was a bit late.”

“Either way, I am your first customer!” Mrs. Qin grinned. “So it’s a win-win for both of us.”

Shengsi then came out of the kitchen, holding a tray containing the last batch of goods she would be selling, and they were baked flatbreads topped with sesame seeds. They were still emitting steam as she placed them on the opposite rack. When Mrs. Qin saw them, she almost wanted to buy them all, for the aroma was simply enticing.

“I’ll take two of those, dear.”

Shengsi paused and smiled as she approached, then handed Mrs. Qin four instead. “For good luck.”

“That’s why Lizhi Ju Bread Shop has loyal customers! The seller is generous in spirit!” Mrs. Qin praised as she placed the goods into her basket. “How about sticky rice dumplings? I remember you sell them during the summer solstice. My son has been craving some, so I’d like to buy as well.”

Shengsi led Mrs. Qin to the rack on the other side and pointed to the basket on the lower shelf, which contained several sticky rice dumplings wrapped in bamboo leaves, before placing the flatbreads on the second rack.

“I’ll take three of these,” Mrs. Qin said, then glanced at Shengsi with a slightly creased forehead. “By the way, there’s been some rampant stealing in the market, so you have to stay alert, alright? I’m worried that thugs might come to your shop.”

Shengsi simply smiled, and attempted to fix the position of the loaves. “Don’t worry about me, Mrs. Qin. I’m not the type to be easily shaken or to cower. If they step in here, they might as well flee for their lives,” she teased.

“Oh, you silly girl!” The middle-aged woman sighed heavily. “Still, it’s best to be careful. You’re someone I care about in this town, that even my youngest asks if you’re doing well!” She shook her head. “I may be old, but I can still fight those thugs if they come. Just tell me if there are any problems. After all, your Aunt Li was very important to me.”

When Shengsi heard that, she almost lost her composure. Mrs. Qin had always been truthful and gentle. Still, hearing her mention Aunt Li so suddenly was something she was not prepared for.

Even so, Shengsi pushed the thought aside. “You were important to Aunt Li as well. As for fighting those thugs… leave them be, Mrs. Qin. I don’t want to see you get hurt...” She stopped herself before she could say more.

Mrs. Qin looked toward the rack, though it seemed she was staring into the void. “Shengsi, do you know how much this place meant to your aunt?”

Shengsi fell silent.

“When you and Chengxu were still infants, I was here when she renovated the place and turned it into a bakery.” She glanced at Shengsi, a faint glimmer in her eyes. “The name came from her and your family, Li and Zhi. That’s how important you were to her.” Mrs. Qin tightened her grip on the basket. “I was there when she wrote the will, just after you turned five... She did it here in the bakery, with you, your grandfather, me, and the other witnesses... as if she had prepared everything for you to walk your path.”

Shengsi was reminded of what the will had stated and what her aunt had intended. Aunt Li's gentle smile remained, even then though until now, she could barely grasp the full meaning behind it, from why it had been written, and why everything had been arranged so carefully.

The will named Shengsi as the heir to the bakery and all associated properties. Since she was only five at the time, it specified that Grandfather Li would manage the estate in trust until she reached the age of fifteen, marked by the hairpin ceremony.

It was signed by father and daughter, and witnessed by trusted individuals such as Mrs. Qin and other loyal customers and local merchants, whose names and seals were recorded.

When Shengsi turned fifteen, Grandfather Li held the Ji Li ceremony, publicly declaring her adulthood. He then petitioned the district magistrate to formalize the transfer. With the will, seals, witness statements, and property deeds, the court recognized Shengsi as the legal owner of Lizhi Ju Bread Shop and all inherited assets.

Mrs. Qin blinked and rubbed her temple. “I’m sorry for being so reminiscent... I’ve been bothered by not visiting her grave yesterday...”

“Aunt Li would understand, Mrs. Qin.”

She looked at Shengsi once more, her expression softening. “Look at you, a beautiful young lady who just turned eighteen two lunar months ago. Don’t change, alright?”

Shengsi didn't drop her smile. “I won’t.”

After their conversation ended, Mrs. Qin paid for the goods she bought. The loaves cost one hundred and fifty wen, at fifty wen each, while the flatbreads, steamed buns, and sticky rice dumplings totaled twenty-one wen.

Before night arrived, all her goods were sold out once more, as many customers came after Mrs. Qin. Whether it was her luck or the shop’s reputation, Shengsi could not tell. But she was glad she had baked enough for the day.

When she returned home, she had no way to evade her other responsibilities.

Not that she wanted to.

But that she was not yet used to.