Of course, polite words are easy to say, but the final decision on who to call still depends on her own choice.
Si Nian was leading Yaoyao into the house when she noticed the Eldest Child and Second Child looking at her with hurt expressions.
She walked over and asked, "What's wrong?"
The Second Child pouted unhappily, standing there with a sulky demeanor.
Hearing Si Nian's question, he immediately turned and ran away, as if throwing a tantrum.
Si Nian was taken aback and glanced at the Eldest Child.
Being more mature, the Eldest Child, though upset, didn’t dare to act out like his younger brother in front of Si Nian.
Zhou Zedong didn’t dare to show his anger. He quickly looked up at her and whispered,
"We agreed to plant vegetables together."
The day before, their mother had bought vegetable seeds, saying she wanted to cultivate the yard to grow some vegetables and fruits.
The boys had immediately decided to come back and help dig the soil.
So after school today, they had run all the way home, cutting their usual hour-long journey down to just forty minutes.
But when they got back, they found the ground already dug and the seeds planted.
There was no chance for them to contribute.
The two children felt disappointed and upset. And just now, hearing everyone ask Si Nian to teach them how to make mung bean cakes only made them feel worse.
Selfishly, they believed that was something only their mother should do.
Other children envied them for having a mother who could make so many delicious treats.
If she taught everyone else, wouldn’t anyone be able to make them in the future?
Si Nian listened and smiled. "Is that all?"
Most kids avoid chores and just want to play.
But these two were so eager to help that they got upset when they couldn’t.
How adorable.
She had indeed mentioned the gardening plan the night before, and the boys had offered to help. She’d agreed, thinking she’d need their assistance to make the work easier.
But then Zhou Yueshen came home and finished the job in no time.
Even she hadn’t gotten much hands-on experience, let alone the kids.
Zhou Zedong stayed silent, biting his lip.
Unable to resist, Si Nian ruffled his hair. "Alright, don’t be mad. The soil was too hard for us to dig—your dad did it. I just scattered the seeds. Later, when we plant peppers, eggplants, and corn, I’ll definitely need your help."
Zhou Zedong peeked at her cautiously. Seeing her smile, he twisted his fingers and murmured, "I’m not mad."
He was just a little disappointed.
Truthfully, Zhou Zedong had experience farming, but since coming to live with his father, he hadn’t done much fieldwork.
Mostly, he just helped with household chores.
He’d wanted to prove himself, to show Si Nian that he was just as capable as any other village child.
But the opportunity had slipped right through his fingers.
Si Nian patted his head and glanced toward the house.
Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted a little head peeking from behind the door.
Hearing his brother say he wasn’t angry anymore, the Second Child couldn’t stay put.
If his brother wasn’t upset, but he was, wouldn’t their mother think he was too spoiled and dislike him?
Panicking at the thought, Zhou Zehan rushed out and stood in front of Si Nian, pouting. "Mom, I’m not mad either."
"Really not mad?" Si Nian had already noticed him. Unlike Zhou Zedong, Zhou Zehan wore his emotions openly—his anger came and went quickly.
Seeing Si Nian’s gentle smile, Zhou Zehan still couldn’t help sulking. "Well… maybe just a little."
Si Nian chuckled. "Then what will make you feel better?"
Zhou Zehan fidgeted. "If you don’t teach them how to make mung bean cakes."
The mung bean cakes were theirs.
Si Nian asked, "What if I teach your grandma and aunties? Would that be okay?"
Zhou Zehan paused.
"Grandma… Well, of course Grandma can learn!" Thinking of the kind old woman, his anger instantly faded.
Grandma was his mother’s mother—that made her family.
Family was allowed.
He nodded firmly.
Si Nian smiled and tousled his hair. "Even without mung bean cakes, I can still make osmanthus cakes, flower pastries, and lots of other delicious things."
Zhou Zehan nodded eagerly.
His mother knew how to make so many tasty treats—he already knew that.
Si Nian had her own thoughts on the matter.
Though it sounded simple, when it came to actually doing it, everyone quickly realized it wasn’t as easy as just learning.
Mung bean cakes weren’t complicated, but not everyone could afford to make them.
When they saw how much sugar Si Nian used, their expressions changed.
Everyone knew sugar was a rare and expensive commodity.
None of them had ever run a business before—they’d just come to learn because Si Nian offered to teach.
They figured mung beans were cheap, something every household had.
But they’d overlooked the most crucial ingredient: sugar.
Making mung bean cakes required a lot of it. To get the right taste, you needed malt sugar, white sugar, or even honey as substitutes.
Otherwise, the texture wouldn’t be right.
Forget malt sugar—most couldn’t even spare regular white sugar.
Besides, none of them had any business experience. They’d just thought that since Si Nian was offering free lessons, learning to make and sell the cakes might be a good idea.
But families that hesitated to drink an extra bowl of sugar water at home would hardly splurge on making pastries—especially when there was no guarantee they’d sell.
Making too little wasn’t worth it, and making too much risked losses if no one bought them.
Soon, everyone started having second thoughts.
The investment was too high—they simply didn’t have the money for it.
Even if their families had encouraged them to learn, actually spending money to start a business was something their relatives would oppose.
Without any experience, they were afraid of losing out.
Plus, mung bean cakes weren’t something ordinary people could afford to eat often anyway.
Interest quickly waned.
In the blink of an eye, the group that had arrived excitedly now left with little enthusiasm.
Si Nian explained everything carefully, but few truly paid attention.
In the end, only Lin's mother and Zhou Suisui stayed to learn.
"Si Nian, this thing uses way too much sugar. It’s not easy to sell," Lin's mother said, wincing as she watched her daughter pour in the expensive ingredient.
Sugar was so costly, and just this small batch of mung bean cakes required so much. No wonder these pastries sold for such high prices in the city.
Clearly, they weren’t meant for ordinary folks.
Si Nian nodded. "That’s true, but Mom, you’re underestimating how many wealthy people there are. In town, plenty can afford mung bean cakes. If we make them ourselves, we can sell them a bit cheaper and rely on small profits but quick turnover."
"Besides, I’m not saying you should pour all your effort into this. Just do it occasionally in your free time to earn some extra money. If something becomes too common, it loses its appeal. You can treat it as a side income."
"We won’t make too much at first. If they don’t sell, we’ll eat them ourselves. Just keep trying."
Hearing this, Lin's mother found it reasonable.
If her daughter said so, there must be some wisdom in it.
She nodded and focused on learning.
After a long day, Si Nian was exhausted.
Once Lin's mother left, she relaxed by flipping through a book.
There was still more than half a year left until the next college entrance exam, so she had plenty of time to prepare.
