“What is it?”
Looking at the opened cake, Meng asked in wonder.
“It’s a birthday cake, we’ll use it as a staple in our cake shop from now on.”
Song Wangyue said back.
Meng didn’t quite understand, but the birthday cake she heard, “You mean this is for the birthday?
“Grandmother is wise.”
Song Wangyue gave Meng a thumbs up, causing her to smile all over.
Xu smiled along with her, “Why don’t you quickly make a piece for your grandmother to try?”
Song Wan Yue cut open the cake, Xu took a special plate and handed it to Meng, who took it, took a small bite and praised it, “Your great-grandfather will have his birthday in five days, your mother and I and your second grandmother are discussing how to spend it, so it’s perfect, use this birthday cake.”
“Your great-grandfather’s birthday is coming up?”
“Yes.”
At the mention of this, Meng felt guilty, “All these years since your mother disappeared, your maternal great-grandfather has not had a single birthday, and now that your mother is back, we want to give him a big one.”
“Yes, yes, I can help with the planning.”
“No need for you, you just go about your pastry shop, it’s right to have me and your mother and your second grandmother.”
These days, Song Wangyue had been toning Meng’s body, and with her good mood, Meng had basically gotten better and her person had regained her old spirit.
“Sister Wu, go and call second sister-in-law here, so she can try this cake too.”
Sister Wu was quick on her feet and called out for the Second Lady to come over in no time.
After tasting the cake, the second madam was also full of praise, but also raised a question, “There will definitely be a lot of people coming for father’s birthday, so just one small cake will definitely not be enough for people to eat, if you want me to see, just make more, one for each table, it will also support Yue’er’s business properly.”
Meng thought it was feasible.
But Song Wan Yue waved her hand and said half-truthfully, “You can only make one birthday cake, it’s not good to make more than one, but second grandmother is also right, such a small one is really not enough to eat, I will make a six-layer one, it’s enough to eat.”
“You can make six tiers?”
Not to mention Meng and the Second Lady, even Xu was surprised.
“Yes, I’ll draw it down for you and we’ll discuss what shape is good.”
Sister Wu quickly went to bring paper and pencil, and Song Wangyue first drew a six-layer cake with a blessing written on the top layer, and another five-layer one with a birthday peach on the top layer, also with a blessing written on it.
The second madam instantly spotted the one with the longevity peach, “This is the one.”
Meng also nodded, “It’s settled, you guys discuss the details again, I’ll ask father.”
Sister Wu came forward to assist her, and the two of them went to the old gentleman’s courtyard.
Xu Yan was accompanying the old gentleman to discuss his studies; Yun had taken her children back to her mother’s home and was not in the house.
“Mother.”
Xu Yan rose to salute first, Meng nodded slightly and gave the old gentleman a bow, “Father, my daughter-in-law has come over to discuss something with you.”
It was said that people were in high spirits when they met with joy, and the old gentleman was no exception. With his granddaughter found and his grandson’s family back, the old gentleman had a smile on his face these days.
“Go ahead.”
“My daughter-in-law and sister-in-law will be taking care of your birthday these days, everything is ready, we are just waiting for the guests on that day, but now there is one thing that only you can do.”
He wanted to take advantage of the festivities to drive away the bad luck in the house, so he said, “What is it?”
“My daughter-in-law does not want him to attend, can father think of a way?”
The old gentleman paused before he realised that she was talking about the eldest gentleman, and without the slightest hesitation, “Leave that to me.”
“Thank you very much father.”
The old gentleman said, “Yan’er, you help your mother back first.”
Xu Yan responded and got up to help Meng back.
When they had gone, the old gentleman asked Xu Liang to call for Mr. Da to come over.
If he hadn’t had to, he wouldn’t have wanted to see him at all. The old gentleman couldn’t understand what kind of sorcery Huo had put on this son of his to protect her so much.
His voice was cold and hard, “It’s my birthday in a few days, I don’t want to see you, you pretend to be sick!”
Mr. Big raised his head haughtily.
Naturally, he had heard about the big birthday celebration for Old Mister, and had even been discussing it with Huo for days, thinking about what kind of birthday gifts they would prepare to please Old Mister.
“You know clearly in your heart why I am doing this, if you don’t want to lose face then do as I say.”
“Father ……”
“What, want to tell me what happened back then?”
Mr. Big’s steps forward stopped raw at the sound of the old man’s cold, hard words.
“Since you don’t want to talk about it, you can pretend there is no such thing as me as a father and get back to your courtyard.”
“Father ……”, Mr. Big stood still, these days he and Huo had been in that side of the small courtyard and had not come out once, he thought he had given in enough, but he did not expect his father to think that way at all.
“No matter what happened back then, so many years have passed and Wan’er has returned, so why do you need to hold on to it and give your son this embarrassment?”
How sick did a father have to be to celebrate his birthday and not be present when he was a son? How could he pretend? If people saw the flaw and spread the news, how could he save his face?
“So, you do know what happened back then?”
There was already fire in the old gentleman’s tone.
“Don’t you all already assume that I know or not? Even if I said I didn’t know, would any of you believe me? Father, I am your son, your own son!”
“If you weren’t my son, do you think you would still be standing here talking to me properly, I would have sent you to jail even if I used all my contacts, so that you would sit through the bottom of the jail and never get out for the rest of your life.”
Mr. Big changed his face.
“Get out, I don’t want to see you again.”
Hearing the old gentleman’s angry voice, Xu Liang, who was standing at the door, lifted the curtain and entered, “Please, Mr. Big.”
……
On the road, Xu Yan walked slowly with Meng on his arm, and Sister Wu followed behind them, mother and son, and from time to time, subordinates passing by stopped to salute.
“Your uncle will be here soon, right?”
When she sent the letter to Xu Yan, Meng also had someone send a letter to her mother’s family, but Jiangnan was a long way away and it would take many days.
“If there are no surprises on the road, uncle will arrive before grandfather’s birthday.”
Meng nodded, “Help your uncle choose a gift for his birthday in the next few days, and give it to your grandfather directly when he arrives.”
Xu Yan replied.
……
The next day, after going to the cake shop, Song Wangyue took out the drawing of the six-layer cake, and Xiao Yao and the Huangcao couple both looked straight at it.
“Let’s make one first to try it out, so that we don’t get it wrong at once.”
Song Wangyue said.
The crowd instantly got busy, when this cake was done well, it would certainly be a hit at the old man’s birthday feast, and by then their reputation for this pastry shop would be out.
It took until half an afternoon for the cake to be completely ready.
The room was shocked as they looked at the cake, which was even taller than themselves.
Especially Huang Gao, who had been making pastries for most of his life and had never been so proud as at this moment.
……
It was three days later in the blink of an eye.