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"No, no, no." Afraid that Lin Yuan might misunderstand, Xiao He quickly shook her head, "This pancake is really delicious, better than all the pancakes I’ve ever had before, so warm and fluffy, and the meat is tasty, unlike the ones my mom makes..."

She inadvertently mentioned Lady Ma and Xiao He herself was stunned. She shut her mouth and stopped talking, took another bite of the pancake, but this time the taste was obviously not as delectable as before.

Lin Yuan could feel the change in her and didn’t continue on the topic of Lady Ma, but shifted the conversation, "Well, this pancake is my special secret technique; others simply can’t make it as good."

Xiao He’s eyes brightened, she bit her lip, and asked tentatively in a soft voice, "Sister Yuanyuan, can I, can I learn to cook from you?"

After saying this, afraid that Lin Yuan might be upset, the young girl quickly added, "If you don’t agree, it’s okay, I was just saying. Please don’t be mad at me."

Having grown up being scolded and beaten by Lin Dashuan and Lady Ma, the child was extraordinarily sensitive. Lin Yuan looked at Xiao He with a touch of sympathy and smiled, "Why do you suddenly want to learn cooking?"

Seeing that she wasn’t upset, Xiao He gained some courage, glanced at Xiao Shitou, who was competing with Xiao Linshuang in eating pancakes, and said, "After Uncle Ershuan and Aunt took me in, they’ve been coming home even later than before.

Although they don’t say it, I know I am a burden to them.

They need to earn more silver now, to provide for both me and my brother.

And Aunt said that she plans to send both my brother and me to school, but you know, going to school costs money for tuition.

Although I want to go, I can’t be selfish and ignore our family’s situation. "

Lin Yuan was silent, and so was Lin Wei, who was sitting next to Xiao He. She remembered her eldest sister, how tired she was to ensure that she and her younger sister could go to school. So, she understood Xiao He’s thoughts, as well as her pressing desire to earn money for her family.

What Lin Wei could think of, Lin Yuan naturally did as well. But Xiao He was only eight years old; to have her learn cooking now instead of attending school would truly be a disservice to her future.

"Xiao He, having such thoughts shows you are a benevolent and grateful child. For that reason alone, I’m willing to teach you how to cook," Lin Yuan said.

Xiao He’s eyes sparkled more brightly, her little face flushed with excitement.

"However," Lin Yuan added, seeing the obvious disappointment in her eyes, and smiling, "you are still young. You should listen to your Aunt and go to school first. When you are twelve, I will start teaching you how to cook. How does that sound?"

"Good. I will certainly study hard, and I will also learn how to cook well," Xiao He agreed eagerly, nodding vigorously. But it didn’t take long for her to think of Uncle Ershuan and Aunt, who were always bustling about; she wanted to learn to cook not just to have a skill for the future, but also to ease their hardships.

Lin Yuan saw her concern and patted her hand reassuringly, "Don’t worry, your Uncle Ershuan and Aunt are about to make a good sum of money soon."

While Sister Guizhi’s cold noodle stall was still doing well, business was not as booming as before since there were fewer customers.

Fortunately, the woman was shrewd and capable, and had come up with other foods to sell.

Now she was selling not only cold noodles and baked wheat cakes but also large round pancakes, along with pickled vegetables she got wholesale from Aunt Wang. Her business was the best in that area.

Moreover, Lin Yuan was now free to fulfill the promise she had made to Lin Ershuan.

She planned to take Lin Jiaxin to town tomorrow to look at the new shop she had acquired; the tofu shop was about to open, and Rice Flower Fragrance was already being renovated.

Yet, her father, the head of the Lin family, had not even visited the shop yet.

Previously, it was because Lin Jiaxin’s health was not good, but now, after the treatments and adjustments by Lao Fan, he no longer needed to wear splints on his leg and could move it slightly without feeling any pain.