Chapter 50: Blossoms and Baskets
With the festival behind them and spring in full bloom, the village seemed to breathe easier. The air smelled of blooming plum blossoms and new earth, and birdsong floated lazily through the windows.
Su Yanyue stood in front of her small storefront—once just a stall, now a proper little building of warm wood and sliding paper windows. A delicate painted sign read:
Phoenix Bloom Delicacies
—Tea & Buns That Warm the Soul—
She adjusted the placement of a bamboo basket filled with freshly steamed buns, each one stamped with her signature phoenix symbol, and arranged jars of flower-blend teas on the front counter.
Inside, customers trickled in—villagers, passersby, and even the occasional traveler from Qinghe Town. The buzz about her tea blends and festival buns had spread quicker than fire on dry grass.
"A pot of Sweet Osmanthus with peach blossom, please," said an older auntie. "My knees stopped aching the moment I drank it last week!"
Yanyue poured with a steady hand, smile never faltering. "Maybe it's the tea, maybe it's the good mood."
"Or maybe both," the woman laughed, handing over her coins.
The triplets had appointed themselves "assistant managers" and wore matching aprons, each bearing a tiny embroidered phoenix.
Su Lin managed the "Flavor Consultation Booth."
"You look like someone who needs something calming. Try the Snow Chrysanthemum blend," he said to a man who had merely come in for directions.
Su Rui worked the tea counter with exaggerated elegance, pouring with such flair it looked like a performance.
Su Zhi was on "Security Duty," which mostly involved inspecting pastries for "safety"—by tasting them.
Yu Shiming had helped install a small covered seating area near the shop's entrance, and was currently trimming a flowering vine that had begun creeping too close to the roof.
"You're doing all this without a blueprint?" he asked as he watched Yanyue sketch out expansion ideas on scrap parchment.
"I see it in my head. I just draw until it matches," she replied. "I want to add an outdoor tea garden, maybe grow herbs here too."
He studied the parchment. "You're building something more than a shop."
She smiled. "A place where people feel safe. Warm. Like they belong."
He nodded. "Then it'll succeed. No doubt."
The quiet affirmation made her blink. Of all people, Yu Shiming rarely spoke praise aloud. His words were like mountain stones—few, but weighty.
As the sun climbed higher, village children ran past, giggling, followed by two chickens and a goat in hot pursuit. A young boy stopped at the window.
"Auntie Su, can I trade my painted rock for one bun?"
Yanyue knelt and took the rock, examining it seriously.
"A fine specimen. Very round. That's worth at least half a bun."
The boy grinned. "Can I have the other half next week?"
"Deal."
Inside the shop, laughter rang out as Su Zhi got caught sneaking his third bun. Su Lin declared a "staff meeting," and Su Rui began drawing serious-looking charts made of crumbs and tea stains.
Yu Shiming leaned against the frame of the shop, arms folded, watching it all with unreadable eyes.
"Chaos," he said, not without fondness.
"Progress," Yanyue corrected gently.
Outside, the wind carried the scent of blooming tea leaves and fresh pastries. Phoenix Bloom wasn't just a shop anymore—it was becoming a haven. A hub. A quiet force growing roots in the heart of the village.
And with each passing day, Su Yanyue's dream was no longer just hers alone.