Nine Yang Life and Death Transformation

Just as everyone was busy at work, Li Ling suddenly walked into the kitchen. Looking at the group of men bustling around with a puzzled expression, she asked curiously, "Why are all you grown men in the kitchen?"

"Mom, don't worry, something delicious will be ready soon!"

At this moment, the entire kitchen was filled with thick steam, making one feel as if they were in a misty fairyland. Li Ling couldn't help but sniff the air.

"Mmm, it smells really good! But what exactly are you making?" Li Ling asked again.

"Mom, these are the steamed buns we just made!" As she spoke, the person took the steamed buns out of the steamer, and the steaming buns gave off an enticing aroma.

"Come and try it! Everyone, please give us your opinions and tell us how it tastes."

Sun Wang excitedly stretched out his hands and grabbed one of the steaming, freshly cooked buns. However, the bun was so hot it felt like a burning flame, instantly searing his fingers. He couldn't help but cry out "Ouch!" and reflexively let go. Just then, Sun Gang, standing nearby, moved with lightning speed, catching the bun that was about to fall. Having worked in the fields for years, Sun Gang's hands were rough and thick, and he didn't seem to mind the heat at all.

"Wow, this bun is incredibly soft!" Sun Gang exclaimed, eagerly stuffing it into his mouth. In an instant, his pupils dilated as if he were witnessing the most amazing delicacy in the world. Then, he mumbled indistinctly, "It's...it's so delicious, it practically melts in my mouth!"

Seeing this, the others no longer cared whether the buns were piping hot; they grabbed them like hungry tigers pouncing on their prey and stuffed them into their mouths. In no time, the air was filled with the sounds of ravenous eating, everyone enjoying their food and praising it highly. In less than a minute, all twenty buns were gone.

Tiesheng gave a thumbs-up with great satisfaction and exclaimed, "Xiaokang, this is absolutely the most delicious thing I've ever eaten in my life!"

Standing to the side, Carpenter Li looked at Sun Gang with a face full of surprise and said in astonishment, "Old Sun, I never expected that your family would produce such a culinary genius! If a few of us teamed up to open a shop, we could definitely make a fortune!"

Hearing this, Sun Wang shook his head helplessly and sighed, "Alas, it's a pity that there's only a little bit of flour left, which is not enough at all."

At this moment, Xiao Kang had a sudden inspiration and suggested with a smile, "Since we don't have enough wheat flour, we can use corn flour instead. Uncle Li and Uncle Tie, why don't you two contribute some money to rent a shop and hang a big sign at the door with the words 'Sun's Steamed Bun Shop' written in big, eye-catching characters? I'll be responsible for providing the technique for making steamed buns. As for the profit sharing, our family will take 40%, and your two families will each take 30%, how about that?"

After listening to what the other party said, Carpenter Li nodded heavily without hesitation and replied, "No problem! We'll do it your way!" His firm gaze seemed to reveal his full confidence in the successful implementation of the plan.

Immediately afterward, the three families sprang into action, with a clear division of labor. The Sun family took on the crucial task of grinding flour; the Li family devoted themselves wholeheartedly to making steamers and decorating the storefront; and the Tie family was responsible for the key step of building the stone mill.

Time flies, and in the blink of an eye, half a month has passed. Thanks to everyone's concerted efforts and tireless work day and night, all preparations are finally complete. On this day, the long-awaited Sun's Steamed Bun Shop grandly opens!

"Brother Wang, set off firecrackers!" With a shout, the festive sound of firecrackers instantly rang out, the crackling and popping echoing through the sky like a joyful and exciting symphony playing in the air. This lively scene immediately attracted the attention of a large crowd, who curiously gathered around, wanting to see what was so special about this newly opened steamed bun shop.

At this moment, both Li the carpenter and Tiesheng turned their gazes to Wu Feilong, who was standing to the side. Tiesheng looked somewhat uneasy, thinking to himself, "Xiaokang, I've spent several taels of silver on this opening ceremony, inviting all my relatives and friends to come and support me. What if business doesn't go well?"

Wu Feilong seemed to sense Tie Sheng's worries. He smiled slightly and comforted him, "Master Tie, please don't worry. With such thorough preparations, this steamed bun shop is sure to be a success!" Just as he finished speaking, the firecrackers stopped.

At this moment, their respective families also rushed forward excitedly, quickly forming a neat line. At the very front of the line was Li the carpenter's wife, who said loudly with a big smile, "Give me two steamed buns!" After receiving them, she carefully held the two steaming, fragrant buns in her hands, then swayed her hips and walked away from the crowd with light steps.

Walking a short distance away, in front of the many onlookers, she couldn't wait to take a bite of the steamed bun in her hand, and then excitedly shouted, "Wow! This steamed bun is so delicious, it's simply a delicacy!" Her exaggerated and satisfied expression and words made the people present burst into laughter, and at the same time made more people full of anticipation and curiosity about this steamed bun shop.

Seeing the man enjoying his food so much, the onlookers became even more curious and started shouting, "Boss, give me one to try!" "Me too!" In an instant, the sounds of their shouts filled the entire steamed bun shop.

The man held a steaming, fragrant bun in his hand, gently squeezing it with his fingers. A look of ecstasy appeared on his face as he muttered to himself, "This bun is even softer than a woman's body!" He then took a large, impatient bite. Instantly, he seemed frozen, his eyes widening in shock, followed by a joyful shout: "Delicious! Absolutely delicious! Boss, one more, no, no, give me two!"

Those who tried a single steamed bun were all captivated by its deliciousness. They didn't care about waiting in line and flocked to the bun shop like swarms of bees, crowding the small shop three or four deep, making it impossible to move. Before long, just twenty baskets of buns were sold out, not even a crumb was left.

Seeing this, Li the carpenter's wife hurriedly went into the shop to help, while Tiesheng continued kneading dough without stopping to ensure a continuous supply. Li Ling stood aside, methodically handling the collection of money and giving change.

And so, from sunrise to sunset, the three of them worked almost non-stop. As darkness fell and curfew approached, the guests reluctantly left, turning back again and again. By then, everyone was utterly exhausted, collapsing to the ground like rag dolls.

Li Ling sat on a stool, panting heavily as she counted the mountain of copper coins in front of her. After a while, she finally finished counting and exclaimed excitedly, "Wow! We've earned a total of eleven taels of silver today! The cost is only about one tael, so your family can get three taels!"

Hearing this, Li the carpenter's wife, who had been lying listlessly on the ground, suddenly perked up. She jumped up, rushed to Li Ling, and snatched the gleaming silver, beaming from ear to ear. Tie Sheng was even more excited, his eyes reddening and tears streaming down his face. He choked out, "This is wonderful! If I could earn more money, I could get married and have a few big, healthy sons!"