Doted By The Regent King

On the first day of the Chinese New Year, Wufu’s whim provided everyone in the Wu Residence with a delight for their taste buds. The so-called "cake" was indeed fresh and sweet, tender and sticky, and very digestible, adding a novel zest compared to the usual pastries.

Some people got ideas and inquired about how it was made, only to be left speechless and shaking their heads when they heard that even just the eggs used amounted to a small basket, not to mention other ingredients.

In those days, those who sold themselves into servitude were usually from impoverished families. For them, even eggs were considered precious, something that could be stored and sold for money by rural households. Who would be willing to use them just to make cakes?

Moreover, considering that Wufu had just bought a shop with intentions to turn it into a restaurant, Purple Jade was extra cautious. She decided not to let Sister Ji, Ling Er, and others who knew the recipe reveal it, thinking that it might be used in the restaurant to attract customers with its novelty.

Wufu was indifferent about it; after all, it was just a cake. As they said, being digestible, it could be sold and enjoyed by children and adults alike.

It was, from the beginning, a spur-of-the-moment idea, something to amuse a child—a child who Wufu had secretly started to think of as Ah Jiu: stubborn and petty.

Purple Jade personally delivered the cake.

When Ah Jiu heard Purple Jade had arrived, he thought Wufu might have something for him. Seeing her carrying an enormous food box, he grew curious.

"What does your lady need?" Ah Jiu’s gaze fixed on the food box.

"The lady made some pastries herself and would like Ninth Master to try them. They are unique," Purple Jade said with a slight bow.

Yuan Ye stepped forward to receive it, but Purple Jade sidestepped him, smiling, "I’d better do it. The lady put a lot of effort into it. We don’t want it to get damaged."

So cautious? And unique?

All eyes turned, wondering what sort of treasure this could be.

Ah Jiu too was curious to see what it was as Purple Jade placed the food box on the table and lifted the lid, then brought out a large, pastel-colored porcelain plate.

"Wow!" Hoo Die was the first to pounce, her eyes glittering as she stared at the cake on the porcelain plate, as white as cloud snow. She took in the sweet scent, almost drooling, and reached her hand out to dig in.

That white thing looked so delicious, even if she didn’t know what it was.

"Stop." Ah Jiu called out, giving her a glare.

Hoo Die awkwardly withdrew her hand, still gazing longingly at the item. She, too, loved sweets, whimpering in desire!

"Ninth Master, this is cake. The lady says she wishes you a happy new year, joy, no anger, and no frowns," Purple Jade conveyed with a smile.

Ah Jiu’s mouth twitched as he leaned in to look.

The white pastry was delicate and sweet-smelling. On top, two life-like roses were carved from carrots, intermingled, with the white and red complementing each other beautifully.

In front of the roses, cherries were arranged into a smiling pattern. Around it, black sesame seeds spelled out small letters, "9, Happy New Year."

Ah Jiu’s mouth spread into a broad smile, feeling warm and overjoyed inside.

"Did your lady make this herself?" Ah Jiu asked.

Purple Jade nodded: "Yes, the girls helped as well, but it was mainly the lady’s idea."

"Your lady is thoughtful. I really like this gift," Ah Jiu said with a smile.

A fresh gift was more appealing to him than any gold and silver jewelry.

Purple Jade responded, "As long as the master likes it, I will take my leave."

"Mm. Yuan Ye, see to the reward," Ah Jiu waved his hand.

Later, Wufu received a complaint from none other than Hoo Die. She reported that someone stubbornly hid the cake and ate it all by himself over two days, refusing to share even a bit, miserly to the extreme.