Chapter 8: Sweet, Sweet Dongling

"Oh? Red actually taking a break? Good." Taoshi take one look at Beiyue's absence and nodded. "How did you convince her to stay at home? I thought she would put up a fight and coming in anyways. Especially after you said her fever had broken down yesterday."

Dongling sighed. "It's not easy." She admitted. "I have to... be harsh at her."

This means Dongling had yelled at her stubborn Miss and shaking her roughly, making it clear that Miss going out is a no-no. It certainly was easier to get angry when Dongling found out why did her injury getting worse instead of better, that she had a fever, and that she was meeting with a boy older than them. A boy from Noble's family who has danger potential tattling the secrets to all and sundry, even with Kero and Miss insist that they have talked to him to not to.

Yes. Dongling isn't going to welcome Lanling anytime soon. Not unless he can prove himself to be trustworthy.

"Uh-huh." Taoshi nodded. "And I doubt that was enough. What did you do?"

"...I tell her that she can embroidery the fabric to sell." It was the only thing Dongling could think of. Non-straining her injured hands, time-consuming, and would keep her miss safe from going out and get into danger behind her back... again.

And if Miss messed up and had to start from the beginning, thus didn't even think to go out? All the better.

Taoshi made a noncommital humming noise.

"Ever told her to weave?"

"...I would if we have looms."

Dongling can weave. Sure, the fabric will be plain since she can only make plain pattern-less fabric or simple patterns like stripes. But with Color and embroidery, Plain Fabric is all she needs.

"...exactly how poor you were, that you don't own looms? Do you know that weave and sew your own clothes is cheaper than buying new ones every time you had growth spurts?" Deadpanned Taoshi. "Girls had it harder than boys. Right now you don't have to worry much, but once puberty hits you will have to change clothes often. Especially if you were quite... ahem, gifted."

Dongling made face.

Yeah. Boys grow in height. Girls grow in height and curves. Dongling remembers some maids who complained that they have to ask for a new uniform when their breasts and hips developed. Hell, she even knows Xiao Ling recently need to take measurements for her new dress, since her old dresses have been getting tight around breast area lately. Hard to not, when the maids gossipped that Xiao Yun was jealous over it and want puberty hit her ASAP. Really, that bitch...

Too tight clothes would make it hard to breathe... and also display their 'goods' a bit too much for comfort which was a no-no, be it a commoner girl, or god's forbid noble ladies! That's just asking to be called a Whore or Harlot!

"You seem to worry much. Normally shops owner don't worry this much over their employee."

"One, You are kids. Two, My parents would haunt me if I ever treat my workers badly. Three, Karma exists and definitely will find a way to screw you over if you did bad deeds. One way or another."

Dongling nodded. The first is rather strange to hear, seeing that genius cultivators were made to shoulder financial burdens, but she guesses commoners have different common sense than noble family. They don't have to worry about "saving face" and Cultivation Cost. The second is also understandable. WHO wants to disappoint their parents, especially if said parents were loving and kind?! The third though...

She hopes Karma does exist and start scheming things to give the Xiao their Long Overdue payback! And make it gloriously deserved!

Dongling sigh. A girl can dream...

"You know if you're done with the red bean paste, you can move straight to coloring, right?"

"Yes, yes."

The sweets sell were exotic and clearly different than ones sold elsewhere. They also need a lot of time to make, so the girls learn how to wake obscenely early because they HAVE to arrive at SIX IN THE MORNING. The only other people who were awake and already doing their job at the time were patrol guard, shop vendor particularly those who sell raw food ingredients, and the maids and servants who had to buy said ingredients to make breakfast for their masters.

First Dongling will make the sweet bean paste. The red kind. Actually, there are two kinds of bean paste. White and red. Taoshi and Tuzi already made the white kind, since fillings aside, the white bean paste also used as dough ingredients, so they have to make in bulk and fast. Usually, when Dongling arrives, they were almost done with the dough. Her job is to make the red sweet bean paste, the fillings, then she helped coloring the food with special food color.

Said food color is also can't be purchased just anywhere. It was a personal recipe. This shop's secret.

It was as if this shop was hidden from the public's view and only select few can see it.

"Nee, miss Donging?" Dongling squeaked when Tuzi suddenly was on her face. "Umm..." He pointed down.

"Huh?" Confused, she looked down and screamed, AAAAAHH! SHE PUT TOO MUCH FOOD DYE IT SPILLS OVER!

"You know." Taoshi looked over, "most people usually keep eyes on the job until they mastered it enough they can do things without looking... that took years."

"Taoshi, don't tease her." Chided Tuzi.

"Right, right. Hey, don't cry. You can fix it."

"H-how?" Dongling almost sobbed.

"How? Girlie. Use your brain. You use too much food dye and too little dough. What should you do to make it salvageable?"

Dongling bites her lips and racked her brain. This disaster... too much food dye and too little dough make the dough unbalanced... to balance it... "I should add more dough?"

"Bingo." Tuzi smiled, taking over the Disaster Dough and adding more plain dough to it. Skillfully, he kneaded the dough until the color is no longer overbearing and no spilled food dye on the table. The dough is kinda rough in the color, but Dongling has seen how the two males skillfully shaped dough into a state of arts. She's sure they will find away. After all... Dongling glanced at Taoshi who inspected the dough and nodded.

Yep. He deemed it passable enough and by the looks in his face, he already had an idea how to design it so the customers won't realize there's an accident in the kitchen.

How smart. Dongling is envious of him. He's a guy and yet he's leagues better than her in the kitchen. He didn't freak out when an accident happens, instead, he already knows how to fix it and how to use it to his advantage. That took skill...

"Don't worry." Pluck! Tuzi ruffles her hair, inciting squawk from her. "You're still a kid. Kids make mistakes all the time. That's how they learn how to do things right."

"Now, let's go back to work, nee? Those sweets won't make themselves."

Smiling at the joke attempt, Dongling nodded and went back to finish her job.

Kneading the dough until they become colorful... done. And just in time for the red bean paste to cool down. Next is making actual sweets. There are twelve types of sweets to sell today. Because they were shaped by hand, Taoshi will be the one to shape them. Dongling's just have to make simpler sweets. The sticky balls on a stick that requires no filling*, the simple bean-paste filled sweet**, and one that looks like a triangle but has bean paste fill at the center, and the dough skin was covered in soybean flour*** .

Once sweets are done, she will change to a waitress's uniform. She will cover up for Miss until Miss is back to full health. It wasn't hard. Dongling was Miss' maid for years and still is. Working as a waitress is not that much different, she only has to be fast and deliver the order to the right table.

It helps that today was quite slow.

Maybe because the supplies are kinda low due the Weather had just picked up (or rather, Miss had cleared the problem at cost of her own health) and people were still recovering from heavy rain. When the supply was up to usual, there will be Sweets-of-the Day, which always attracts people. The exclusive Sweets that can only be tasted that day. Limited time sweets!

And how! Those sweets were good-looking and taste good! Ha~ah~ Dongling really can't wait until the supply gets back to the usual.

It was quite a wonder that the news hasn't spread yet. So far the customers were well-off commoners and low to mid-class merchant families. The wealthy, but not quite wealthy. The nobles and high class, wealthy merchants haven't visited this shop yet.

Dongling thought the uniqueness of the sweets served here might've drawn their attention, but she guesses they just ignore this shop. There's many teahouse, bar, and restaurant nearby, some had set musician to perform at certain hours, which was another attraction factor. Maybe they don't want to dine among the peasants, too.

What a stuck up prude. Oh well, their loss.

On the plus side, Dongling doesn't have to see the likes of the Xiao in this place. Yup. That was one thing she fully supported. If those little bitches know about this... ugh. Dongling was sure she can't hold herself back and landed herself, Miss, Taoshi, and Tuzi in trouble for attacking a Noble.

The Xiao doesn't deserve to be called Noble. They were Noble only because that Xiao Yuancheng married Princess Royal. WHO Authorize that marriage, anyway? Dongling really doesn't understand. Princess Royal and the Xiao Clan were like Heaven and Earth. There's not even a common ground that exists between them.

"Oi. Don't plaster such scary expression." Taoshi bopped her on the head. "You gonna scare 'em away."

"R-right."

Right. She's working. At front. Can't show scary face. That was not good for business. No Scary Face! Show smile and friendly expression. Speak in a cheerful voice. Be polite and attractive. Be a sweet girl like sweets.

~X~

In the last three days, the teahouse was getting full. Much, much fuller than even the grand opening week.

It was... both nice and exhausting. She had to run back and forth from the kitchen counter and to the table, scribes down the order, and make sure everyone gets what they ordered. Plus, breaking up near-fight over who arrived first.

The most exhausting time was around noon and evening.

It becomes manageable around dinnertime, and even then, it was still full, they have to close the shop two hours earlier to they're run out of wares. Yes. Even tea.

However, it might be the best Miss to stay at home because on day four, things get rather... difficult.

Dongling was cleaning up the table when a customer enters in with a stormy face. Tuzi took one look at that and swiftly greeted the man.

"Ah, good evening. You're on time." Tuzi greets with a beaming smile, and as one, all eyes are on him, Dongling includes. It's hard not to when a warm and fuzzy feeling blossomed in her chest. She's sure her cheeks are stained red, like Miss' hair color when in disguise. "We've been expecting you. Now if you may, please follow me."

The man looks flabbergasted and flustered but followed Tuzi all the same.

They went to the secluded booth near the counter. Dongling briefly meets Taoshi's eyes as he comes out from the kitchen, still complete with the apron. With a handwave, he called her in. Curious, Dongling obey.

She didn't expect him to show her already made sweets in various shapes and kind, fifty each, and there's TWELVE variety! He told her to handle the fort, aka the customers and cashier at once, while he and Tuzi have a chat with the recently coming man.

To say Dongling was overworked that day was like saying the sky is blue. Massive understatement.

By the time the shops closed, Dongling was never so grateful to early closing hours, as she was lying face down on the counter, red-faced and her breath come out in a shallow huff. Her arms hurt... her legs feel like about to fall off anytime...

As a staff, she should be happy that business is booming... but Dongling would very much prefer if things get back to normal or even a slow day. She prefers kitchen duty, thank you. She hasn't worked this hard since the day she and Miss start covering their own expenses and stopped being reliant on the Xiao. And even back then, she doesn't have to deal with an endless stream of people at once.

...can Dongling suggest to put up 'Help Wanted' sign? If this keeps up, they need an extra pair of hands and feet to deal with all those customers.

Speaking of dealing with people...

"What... was that... earlier...?" Dongling rolled her head aside and asked. "You know... that man..."

"He's a business rival, from store five buildings to the left." Replied Taoshi. "He comes to complaints."

"Complains?"

"His business is getting worse."

"And that's our fault, HOW?"

"Well..." The man looks annoyed. No, he definitely is annoyed. "Long story short, business around here start getting weird. You see that we're swamped earlier?" Of course. Her arms and feet are killing her. "Turns out the other business around is has been getting bad supply lately. They receive too much sugar, or get very potent sugar that ended up making their dishes overly sweets."

"But... isn't too much thing will make it worse?"

"Exactly. The sweets ended up ruined. Too sweet to consumable, so the customer left. Several other stores also have similar problem Too sweet."

"...but our wares are still normal..." Dongling muttered. "Do... do they think we sabotage the supply?!"

"What else?" Scoffed Taoshi. "People tend to blame others if things don't go their way. He actually comes here to sue us and drag us to the court. Good thing Tuzi is good conversationalist, otherwise, we have to do something drastic."

"Taoshi, no, please. You can't do that."

"Hai... hai..."

Dongling looks confused. 'That'? What did they mean by 'That'? Maybe spell or something? Taoshi did have the aura of a cultivator. He did intimidate a Guard when they first met. Just that... he's probably out of shape. Managing shop and cultivating each took a long time, and you can't do both at the same time, no matter how good you are at multitasking.

But even out of shape cultivator is still a cultivator, thus quite dangerous so...

"What should I do then?"

"We wait and see." Decided Tuzi, his eyes are unusually sharp and it sends a shiver down to Dongling's spine. "So far the store was attacked one by one. We still had supplies from the last shipments, and the next one is three days. You will wait and keep vigilant, if someone comes here in stormy expression and wearing decently nice clothes, do not approach them. Let Taoshi or me deals with it. A high chance they are pissed off fellow store owners who n search of someone to blame."

"...you don't trust me to try to calm them, do you?"

"You're a kid." Deadpanned Taoshi. "Name one adult who takes a kid's word seriously, a commoner kid at that."

Well... uhh... Dongling slumped. That's right. Adults rarely listen to what a child has to say. Had she was a noble child, people at least willings to humor her, but as a Commoner? No one, that's who.

And even if she was a Noble child, high chance she will be ignored anyway. Noble blood doesn't equal having authoritative power or respect. She and Miss learn it the hard way.

True to the predictions, other shop owners were getting pissed that Moonlight Teashop is still on business and pointed an accusing finger. And Tuzi, Taoshi, or both have to put stop to their duty to make sure there are no more complications as well reassuring those shop owners that, no, they are NOT the one who's been messing with supplier.

Dongling can feel her arms and legs were dying on her. It gets so bad that Miss handed her the balm.

She also gets annoyed at whoever messing with supply stocks! Ugh... and tomorrow they supposed to get the supply for the next week.

~X~

Dongling watched the procedure like a hawk. While her bosses were dealing with the supplier, as in negotiating the price, amount of supply, and subtly inquire of the source if there's a surplus of bad supply lately because some shops were getting terrible sugar supply. She looked over to the stocks. Flour, sugar, tea, milk, beans... you know, the usual. Plus some food ingredients.

Taoshi made double sure by tasting the sugar.

"Okay. The supply is good."

Everyone let out a relieved breath. Especially the supplier.

Dongling helped to carry the supply to the storage. Sugar there, beans there, flour there, tea went to this shelf...

Giggles

She turned around. "Who's there?!" She shouted.

No answer, but Dongling swear she heard giggles. A child's giggles.

Curious, she stood silent, focusing on her hearing.

Come on... she can't be THAT paranoid to the point of hallucinating. She knows there's someone else here. Someone who should not be here, at all. This is Employer-Only Place. A child has no business here.

There was only silence until...

Giggles giggles

There!

Spun around, Dongling sneaks to the source. It was... it was near the sugar supplies! Narrowing her eyes, she waited until the right opportunity before—

"Got you!"

She grabbed something. It was a tiny kid, no bigger than her palm. The kid has pink cotton ball hair, pink skin, yellow dandelion dress with blue decorations around waist and shoulder. One look, and Dongling instantly knew this is a Card.

The card who's responsible to give Dongling hard time lately.

Dongling could feel her eye twitching in irritation.

Mind's made, Dongling grabbed a jar, and threw the tiny Card in. She sealed the lid with a cloth, which she made holes into using knife, as to not suffocate the Card.

"I'll be out for a moment!" She called out. "Be back later!"

She didn't wait for a reply before dashing home, the jar held tightly in her hands.

Sealing this Card, Sweet, was proved to be easy. The jar prevented Sweet from going anywhere. It was odd, though, as Kero commented that Sweet is capable of turning objects into edible sweet, so why didn't she simply turned the jar into a sweet and escaped? Maybe because it will be hard or she's afraid Dongling might accidentally crush her or something?

At least from now onwards Dongling can join Miss in Magic lesson.

TBC

*Dango

**Mochi

***Nama Yatsuhashi

Yup. Dongling can use Magic too. Have fun guessing what kind of Magic she used in this chapter!