TSMDH 2
Chapter 2: Peach Blossom Pastry – You Will Get What's Coming to You
Geng Yao had just sharpened a few butcher knives and went out for a stroll since he had nothing better to do. His cropped hair drew attention, but he pretended not to notice.
By the time he returned home in the evening, Father and Mother Geng had already returned from the Yan residence.
Geng Yao hurried over. “Mom, what did you say before you left? A canceled engagement? What engagement?”
Mother Geng replied, “Not canceled. The engagement’s been confirmed.”
Their second son had reached the age of marriage. Originally, they’d gone to return a token of engagement from years ago. But unexpectedly, it ended in the arrangement of a marriage.
A pig butcher marrying into the Yan family? How could they possibly afford to raise someone so delicate and noble?
They had thought perhaps the Yan family’s child had some defect maybe foolish, mad, or ugly. If that were the case, they would still be willing to go through with the marriage out of gratitude for the life-saving favor years ago.
But after inquiring around outside the Yan estate, they learned that the young master in question had a stunning appearance and was intelligent and well-mannered.
Though they felt uneasy, they were also moved by Old Master Yan’s honesty and kindness.
If they turned him down now, how could they still call themselves decent people?
“I’m engaged?” Geng Yao was stunned.
“That’s right! You’re getting a wife.” Mother Geng teased, “And you can’t say I never picked out a wife for you again.”
Geng Yao: ??? So this is what arranged marriages in ancient times are like?
“Where did this engagement even come from?”
As she picked vegetables in the courtyard, Mother Geng explained the whole story.
Father Geng concluded the tale, full of praise for the Yan family, saying Old Master Yan was an upright man, trustworthy, and generous. For someone like that to think highly of them was a great honor.
Geng Yao, who had been single his whole life (in both lifetimes), went quiet. He had passed by the Yan estate that afternoon while wandering around town it was clearly far out of their league.
The social gap was immense. Everything about it felt off.
But this had all happened nineteen years ago. The Gengs weren’t destitute, but they weren’t rich either. What would the Yan family even want from them?
“Mom, this marriage should still be called off…”
Before he could finish, his father, who was stacking firewood nearby, took off his shoe and flung it at him. “The Yan family is willing to accept you and you're turning them down?!”
Geng Yao dodged, then threw the shoe back. “Dad, seriously, your temper needs fixing. Can’t we talk like normal people? You're not gonna win in a fight.”
Father Geng: ...infuriated!
He *really* couldn’t win. Back in Wu Ping County, he’d once tried to raise his hand during an argument with Mother Geng, only for Geng Yao to kick him across the room with a warning“ Argue if you must, but touch my mother and see what happens.”
His son had grown up, and he, the father, now had to swallow his pride. What kind of nonsense was this?
Geng Yao said, “It’s not that I think I’m too good it's that I’m not good enough. We’re not a match. Bringing someone raised in luxury into our life of hardship how is that not betrayal of a kindness?”
Mother Geng laughed. “Your father’s just hot-tempered. Someone treats him kindly, and he wants to repay triple. The Yan family treats us well—of course he’s upset if you suggest turning them down.”
Geng Yao explained, “I’m not saying I won’t marry her. I’m just worried she’ll suffer. She deserves better than a butcher’s life.”
Mother Geng said, “You think we don’t know that? That’s why we went today intending to return the token. But Old Master Yan is so sincere—he refused to go back on his word. Said we insulted him by even suggesting it.”
“And... she’s willing?” Geng Yao scratched his head.
Mother Geng paused, then chuckled, “With arranged marriages, it’s not up to the girl. Besides, Old Master Yan said his Ah Yao has been waiting every day for you to come back and marry him.”
In ancient times, people valued obedience. Women were to follow their father before marriage, their husband after.
Geng Yao assumed this Ah Yao must be a typical noble lady.
“Mom.”
“What now?”
“Just one question... is she pretty?”
Mother Geng, holding vegetables, laughed uncontrollably. “Very pretty. We asked around. The most beautiful in all of Ning’an County. Educated, gentle, kind.”
Normally thick-skinned, Geng Yao couldn’t help but blush a little.
“Damn you, heaven,” he thought. “Fine. You’re forgiven.”
Getting struck by lightning for five miles was worth it for a wife like this.
“You’re willing then?” Mother Geng teased.
Geng Yao said seriously, “If she’s not ashamed of me, of course I’m willing. I’ll treat her well, never let her suffer.”
As Mother Geng joked about his future wife, Geng Yao’s thoughts turned to a gentle lady.
In this era, the summer breeze was unblocked by tall buildings. Shade from trees brought refreshing coolness in June.
The Gengs smiled and teased him, and Geng Yao could only let them laugh.
In a corner, the little boy Hou was doing something suspicious. Geng Yao walked over and nudged him.
Hou turned with wide eyes and quickly covered his mouth.
“What are you sneaking?” Geng Yao crouched and held out his hand. “Share or I’ll tell grandma and get you scolded.”
The child drooped his head and pulled a few candies from his pocket.
“Where’d you get these?”
“M-My auntie.”
He’d overheard his second uncle was going to marry his second aunt.
“Second aunt?” Geng Yao blinked. “Which second aunt?”
“The one you’re marrying.”
His parents had brought Hou to the Yan residence today. It wasn’t hard to guess who the “aunt” was.
Geng Yao grinned wide. So his unseen bride really was kind and gentle.
Even before meeting her, he was already fond of her.
Ah Yao…
He committed the name to memory.
A lovely name.
Back in Wu Ping, the magistrate had died. Geng Wu took his recommendation letter to Ning’an’s county office, and the magistrate there sighed and appointed him as a patrol officer.
Compared to the capital, Wu Ping’s scholars were subpar. Geng Wen, who had shined back home, was now just a nobody. As a mere xiucai (licentiate), no one noticed him.
The family spent silver to get him into the county academy, where he studied day and night. Geng Yao, waking at 3 a.m., would still see candlelight from his brother’s room.
They still owed thirty taels of silver to Jianshan Temple. Father Geng took on pig-slaughtering jobs in nearby villages, leaving at dawn and returning at dusk.
Geng Yao handled butchering at home, selling meat at the chopping block.
He had been an orphan in his past life, taken in by an unreliable master who trained him in swordsmanship becoming a blade cultivator.
He wasn’t part of a formal organization, just a loose cultivator, but even so, he was registered and trained at the state’s expense.
In return, loose cultivators had to complete two missions per year until their 100th birthday. After that, missions became voluntary but highly rewarding.
Geng Yao didn’t dream big. He just wanted to finish his missions and then travel with his master, enjoying life.
He started at fifteen and finished all the missions for both him and his master in just ten years. They’d made more money than they could spend in a lifetime.
But before they could celebrate, his master died. Then he died too.
All he left behind was a luxury mansion in Beijing and a bank account with endless zeroes.
Old workhorse Geng Yao: ...whatever. I give up.
After transmigrating, he figured he’d just butcher pigs. He didn’t care for power or fame, and this world's Heaven had already taken away his spiritual power clearly it didn’t want him interfering.
But now that he was engaged to someone from a high-status family, he was unsure again.
Could he really support a spoiled, well-bred wife by slaughtering pigs?
Then came the Qiqiao Festival.
With Hui-niang watching the stall, Geng Yao sneaked away, carrying Hou.
“Mom! I’m heading out for a bit!” he shouted.
Mother Geng emerged from the kitchen. “Where to? We’re counting on you to sell meat! Your sister-in-law has no strength for it.”
“I’ll be right back,” he said.
Street children selling festival flowers weaved through the crowd, stopping only to ask affectionate couples if they wanted to buy Qiqiao blossoms.
They avoided old women those with tight budgets spent silver on rice, not flowers.
Carrying Hou, Geng Yao wasn’t approached either.
“Second aunt.”
Hou pointed at a grand residence across the street—his second aunt’s house.
Under the shade, Geng Yao set Hou down and handed him a paper-wrapped package of peach blossom pastries.
“Do Uncle a favor, okay? See that little servant by the side door? Tell him you're Hou from the Geng family and ask him to give this to Miss Yan.”
“For second aunt?” Hou asked, biting his finger.
“Smart boy. Yes, for your second aunt.” Geng Yao praised.
He’d heard in the morning that it was now trendy to gift peach blossom pastries to your sweetheart during Qiqiao. If someone was engaged and didn’t receive them, it meant the fiancé wasn’t fond of them—people would gossip.
Usually, he spent money spoiling Hou with snacks, but now broke, he had borrowed thirty wen from Hui-niang to buy this one pack.
They usually cost fifteen wen, but prices had doubled today.
Hou, hugging the pastries, skipped toward the Yan family’s side door, his ponytail bouncing, utterly adorable.
At Qingting Courtyard in the sweltering heat, guests had arrived. Three pots of ice kept the worst of the heat at bay.
“Yan Yao must be buried in peach blossom pastries today!” one young man joked.
Another added, “I heard there's a new kind from the capital—made with last year’s first snow and various flowers. There's even a savory kind with minced meat.”
“Really? I was hoping you’d have some here today, Yan Yao,” a girl said behind her fan.
Yan Yao smiled gently and glanced at Qiu Yu.
Beautiful boxes were stacked on the table. Yan Yao replied, “Two boxes came from the capital, but I haven’t tried them yet. Not sure if they’re the ones you’re talking about.”
He was sick of them. Since this pastry fad began, even the rats had grown tired of peach blossom pastries.
Then another servant entered. “Young master, another box arrived at the side door.”
“Even at this hour? Yan Yao, you really are popular.”
“Must be at least eighteen boxes by now, right?”
“Who knows who’ll win your hand in the end.”
Their jokes masked hidden jealousy. Yan Yao kept his calm smile, but found it all tedious.
Then a plain oil-paper-wrapped pack was brought in. Everyone was stunned.
“Whose is this? Did they grab the wrong one?”
Yan Yao was surprised too and looked at the servant.
The servant, stationed at the gate, had been told to treat the Geng family with respect, so he quickly said, “This is from the future son-in-law. Sent by his little nephew to the future second aunt.”
The room fell into stunned silence.
Then someone said, “I heard Yan Yao got engaged to a butcher recently. I thought it was a rumor, but this paper wrapping…”
“Can’t be true, can it…”
One exclamation after another, as if slapping Yan Yao across the face.
But he only smiled softly and said, “An engagement is a joyful matter. You’re like family to me, so I wanted to tell you—but as Zhao Nian said, my fiancé’s family slaughters pigs. I was afraid you'd look down on me.”
Tears welled in his eyes, heartbreaking to witness.
Even the fiercest girls began to hesitate.
Zhao Nian had come to humiliate Yan Yao today. But he had once again been outmaneuvered.
“You—your fiancé is a butcher. That makes you a pig wife! No matter how you dress up, you’ll always smell like pork!” Zhao Nian snapped.
He was the county magistrate’s son—handsome, used to attention. But that changed when Yan Yao came along.
Zhao Nian hated him bitterly.
They’d been at odds for years. Yan Yao toyed with him when amused, and shut him down with words when annoyed.
Zhao Nian had plotted today’s ambush for two days and hadn’t slept last night from excitement. He was expecting utter humiliation.
But Yan Yao, eyes wet, looked longingly at the others.
“I know this is the last time we’ll all be together like this. From now on, we’ll be worlds apart. I lost my mother at two, and no one’s ever cared for me. Marrying a butcher is my fate.”
A beauty in tears was hard to resist. Even Zhao Nian was thrown off.
“You—you stop playing the victim!” he shouted.
But another girl tugged at his sleeve
. “Zhao Nian, enough. Yan Yao’s already pitiful.”
Others also voiced gentle disapproval.
Zhao Nian turned to Yan Yao only to see his triumphant smirk behind the tears and flushed with fury.
“Yan Yao! You’ll get what’s coming to you!”
And he stormed out.
