The mille crepe cake was eventually designed in twelve different flavors, and all participating chefs had to sign a confidentiality agreement regarding the recipes.
Jiang Wang joked half-seriously, “Read this carefully: if caught leaking the recipe, you might have to pay between 50,000 to 200,000, not to mention the costs related to brand damage.”
The first mango mille crepe went on sale at 8:30 AM on Saturday, with a limited quantity of 66 pieces, each coming with a small cup of freshly brewed coffee. Once sold out, that was it.
The news was leaked by the staff early on. When the store opened at 8:30 that morning, the long line extended 50 meters outside the store.
It’s true that people in the small town weren’t used to coffee, mainly because it was bitter, like Chinese medicine.
If vegetable fat was added and more milk and sugar were used, it would become neither sweet nor bitter, losing the rich coffee flavor.
Now, paired with the refreshing and sweet mango mille crepe, the creamy, smooth fruit, combined with authentic coffee, made the effect just right.
Many people who missed out on such a rare treat and were tired of the greasy, standardized pastries from regular bakeries could only grudgingly buy a cup of milk tea to take away, not forgetting to ask the staff how many would be sold the next day.
“Not selling tomorrow,” the staff said crisply. “We only sell once every weekend.”
Others found it strange. “Since the business is so good, why not make more?”
The staff shook their heads.
Some people who knew the inside story whispered, “I heard from Aunt Wang, who plays cards, that this shop uses a foreign secret recipe. It’s delicious but very difficult to make. The chefs have to sign a confidentiality agreement to learn it!”
“What chefs? They’re called patissiers!”
People bursted into laughter.
Later, the mille crepe was sold for many years. The flavor changed every month, but it was always sold at 8:30 AM on Saturdays, with no exceptions.
People living near the Buwang Bookstore1不忘; Unforgettable also got used to queuing and chatting together every weekend, even becoming familiar with every staff member.
Many Western restaurants and bakeries were envious of the bookstore’s success and somehow obtained similar recipes, selling mille crepe cakes with the same flavors.
But everyone who tried them shook their heads, saying they were not quite right.
“They have a secret recipe, yours just doesn’t work.”
But that was a story for later.
When the long holiday came, Jiang Wang took Peng Xingwang to Cizhou. They bought two soft sleeper tickets and didn’t have to squeeze in with other passengers.
The child had never experienced the cramped top bunks and thought all train compartments had TVs. He was so fascinated that he was reluctant to get off the train.
Jiang Wang was exhausted, and as soon as he got on the train, he fell asleep. He woke up four hours later with his hair all messy.
Cizhou is located in the southeastern province, with humid and warm air. Stepping out of the train felt like being immersed in warm mist, with lush camphor tree branches and leaves shading the sky.
Peng Xingwang, going on his first long trip, held Jiang Wang’s left hand tightly and cherished a small cake box with his right hand.
It was a strawberry mille crepe he and his brother made for their mother before leaving home.
Chang Hua and Du Wenjuan were waiting at the exit, waving at them with smiles.
“Mom!”
Peng Xingwang initially wanted to rush over to hug his mother but then noticed her noticeably rounded abdomen and hesitated, gripping Jiang Wang’s shirt and looking at his brother’s expression.
His steps also slowed down.
Jiang Wang, now an adult, had no strong feelings about his mother having a second child. It was only now that he realized Peng Xingwang’s retreat.
“… Are you scared?” He thought the child was worried that his mother was ill. “Your mother is just pregnant, she’s fine.”
Peng Xingwang couldn’t process such a huge change in such a short distance. First, he deliberately slowed his pace, then simply remained silent, hiding behind Jiang Wang.
Chang Hua clearly saw his reaction and whispered something to Du Wenjuan but held her back, not letting her move into the crowd.
Jiang Wang noticed Peng Xingwang didn’t want to move forward. He put the suitcase against the wall, crouched down, and held the child in his arms.
For a moment, he didn’t know what he was thinking as a child.
“Why are you so scared?” he murmured. “You’re rarely afraid.”
“Mama is having a new baby, right?” Peng Xingwang’s eyes were red and on the verge of tears, but he only maintained this state, looking at Jiang Wang with a kind of calm despair. “I’m no longer her only child.”
At eight years old, it was too young to accept being completely replaced by another existence.
Jiang Wang was stunned, and the emotions he had long forgotten surged up.
He didn’t answer immediately but reached out to stroke the child’s soft hair.
Peng Xingwang’s world needed all of his mother’s love, while Jiang Wang’s world was empty, with no need for such a word.
Neither of them should have come here, nor should they touch this reality.
Peng Xingwang knew his mother was still watching them, feeling both guilty and self-reproachful but paradoxically not wanting to go over and smile at her. At that moment, he could only hide in Jiang Wang’s arms as if to completely conceal himself.
Hiding, time seemed to pause for ten minutes, allowing a little more delay.
Jiang Wang knew his own nature well and understood that comforting the child would be useless. Children are immune to adult reassurances.
He said nothing and just signaled for them to wait a little longer.
The child didn’t cry in the end, miraculously holding back the tears that were about to spill, pressing his face against his brother’s chest and taking deep breaths for a long time.
Then he stood up again, wiping his face with his sleeve.
“Let’s go, we’ll go see Mom.”
Jiang Wang didn’t stand up immediately but looked down at him carefully.
“Do you want to wait a little longer?”
Peng Xingwang shook his head and held his hand, walking forward.
Du Wenjuan, worried but afraid that her sudden approach might make the child more uncomfortable, waited for a long time before opening her arms, embracing and walking towards her Xingxing once more.
Peng Xingwang, who had originally tried hard not to cry, was very restrained when hugging his mother, carefully avoiding her stomach and saying seriously, “Mom, I twisted my foot just now, sorry for making you wait so long.”
Du Wenjuan noticed his subtle change, gently rubbing the back of the child’s head, and said nothing more.
“I missed you.” The child looked at her again and smiled. “Is it true that I’m going to have a younger brother? That’s great.”
Du Wenjuan finally smiled, gently stroking her belly. “Yes, you won’t be lonely anymore.”
Chang Hua relaxed a bit and invited them to dinner together.
This time, the Chang family hosted, and the hotel where they stayed was quite nice. Probably because his wife was visibly pregnant, Chang Hua was much more attentive than when they first met and deliberately reassured the child that they would treat both children equally, and there was nothing to worry about.
Peng Xingwang seemed to have come to terms with things in that short ten minutes. During dinner and drinks, he returned to his innocent demeanor, eagerly agreeing to everything the adults said, believing in everything.
Jiang Wang, having caught up on his sleep on the way, yawned during the meal.
Chang Hua, having learned more about Jiang Wang over the past two months, eagerly said, “Boss Jiang, we’ve booked a very good hotel room. Please rest early tonight, and tomorrow we’ll accompany you to explore Cizhou!”
Jiang Wang was about to agree when Du Wenjuan suddenly spoke up.
“If Mr. Jiang doesn’t mind, we have a guest room at home, though the soundproofing is a bit poor. Is that okay?”
She kissed Peng Xingwang, as if she had already made up her mind.
“Xingxing can sleep with me tonight, and my husband can sleep in the living room or side bed.”
“You came here specifically to visit, and I feel that staying in a hotel… is too distant.”
Chang Hua looked surprised, as if he hadn’t anticipated his wife’s decision, and said awkwardly, “The guest room facilities aren’t very good. I don’t mind, but I’m afraid Boss Jiang might not be comfortable.”
Jiang Wang hadn’t considered such an invitation, but Peng Xingwang was very happy. “Let’s stay together! That’s great!”
In the end, they bought some towels and toothbrushes near the neighborhood and stayed at Du Wenjuan’s house.
The child was so excited at the thought of sleeping with his mother that he seemed to thaw from winter into summer. When they entered the house, he exclaimed in delight about how beautiful it was, complimenting everything in the living room and hallway with great enthusiasm.
Chang Hua felt a bit embarrassed. “This will also be your home from now on, so it’s good you like it.”
Jiang Wang, not interested in participating in their family activities, had taken a shower and changed into pajamas early. He pretended to be tired and went to the guest room to lie down.
Chang Hua preferred the soft sofa bed and did not move to the side bed.
At 10 PM, the lights in the corridor and guest room went out, leaving only a small orange light on in the master bedroom.
Jiang Wang was about to fall asleep with his eyes closed when he suddenly heard clear voices coming from the other side of the wall.
With the environment becoming quiet, the soundproofing seemed non-existent.
“Mom, I brought this book. Can you read it to me? It’s my favorite one.”
Du Wenjuan had specifically prepared bedtime reading for the child and accepted it gladly when Peng Xingwang brought it.
“Mom loves reading to Xingxing the most.”
“When you were just one or two years old, you always wanted me to read the same book, Little Lamb Plants Cabbage, over and over. Later, even when Mom was almost asleep, you still wanted to hear it.”
“Ah, I don’t remember that.”
The man turned over in the dark room, again and again, for a long time.
On the other side, the mother and child pair had covered themselves in a blanket, with Peng Xingwang snuggling into his mother’s warm embrace.
“It was time for the little rabbit to go to bed, but he was clinging to the big rabbit’s long ears.”
Du Wenjuan’s voice was gentle, every word enunciated pleasantly and clearly.
“Then, the little rabbit asked the big rabbit, saying that he needs to listen to his question carefully.”
“‘Guess how much I love you,’ he asked.”
“The big rabbit replied, ‘oh, I can’t guess that.’”
Jiang Wang suddenly recalled that his past self did pester his mother to read this picture book.
But he couldn’t finish recalling it, forcing himself to switch to another book halfway through.
The word “love” was hard to say, like it would swell in his throat like a sponge, making it hard to breathe.
Peng Xingwang opened his arms and read the story he had secretly read a hundred times to his mother.
“So much.”
“Mom, I love you this much.”
Du Wenjuan naturally kissed him and smiled as she continued reading.
“The big rabbit’s arms need to be very long. ‘I love you this much,’ he says.”
“Hmm, that’s really a lot, the little rabbit thinks.”
“‘How high I can raise my hands, that’s how much I love you,’ says the little rabbit.”
“‘How high I can raise my hands, that’s how much I love you,’ says the big rabbit.”
“That’s really high,” the little rabbit thinks. “I wish I had arms that long.”
Jiang Wang fell asleep, feeling relaxed just from hearing his mother’s voice.
Later, he didn’t remember what else the little rabbit said to the big rabbit.
