"Little one, you know we don't need those few coins. You really didn't have to give us change..."
Seeing her young lady's look, the maid took the initiative to bring it up.
But Aiwen did not answer the maid directly. He merely glanced at Mo Fei nearby, then said solemnly,
"I know too that young ladies who arrive in carriages are important people we've never had any contact with. Lots of people have said that if we could win the appreciation of important people like you, we'd be incredibly lucky..."
The young noblewoman had no objection to that. After all, Aiwen had spoken the truth. They really did not care about that little money, and winning even a little of their favor could allow someone to cross class boundaries.
But she wanted to hear what this child would say next.
"But from the very first day our director brought us to the West End, he told us that we could use people's sympathy for us to attract customers, but we couldn't accept handouts..."
"We have to earn our living through our own work, not sympathy..."
He puffed out his chest and said proudly, "Our bread is good, and it isn't expensive at all, so we can support ourselves with it. We're not beggars on the streets!"
At this, the young noblewoman laughed, not mockingly, but with a measure of delight.
She had once given some homeless children financial help too, but by the third time they came begging at her door, she no longer felt any sympathy for them.
Weakness was never an excuse. She was not some young lady cloistered in her boudoir. Having received plenty of schooling, she knew a great many things.
Life in London was hard, but a child who relied on sympathy rather than working hard would find it difficult to change his life. Such charity would even do nothing but encourage their laziness.
Though she still gave them some money, she no longer appeared in person, merely having her maid toss it to them.
She had thought this child would be the same, fawning over her and flattering her. She had never expected him to give her a pleasant surprise.
This also left the girl a little curious about the bread.
"When will you be selling again? And can you make fine white bread?"
Noticing her young lady's interest, the considerate maid asked outright.
Aiwen did not know what fine white bread was, but to him, the director could do anything. "We come on this day every week, though the time isn't fixed. As for white bread, our director can make it. Would you like to order some? We can make some white bread especially for you..."
In a sudden flash of inspiration, he looked expectantly at the two young ladies.
This time, both of them laughed. The young lady covered her mouth with a handkerchief and laughed discreetly, while the maid laughed more freely.
"That's right. Make some white bread for us and bring it at this time next week. I'll buy it. Take this money as a deposit, and we'll pay for the bread next week!"
As she spoke, she pressed the change Aiwen had given her back into his hand.
After that, the young lady withdrew into the carriage, and the maid stepped up again, lifted the curtain, and slowly took her seat inside.
Aiwen nodded vigorously too. "I'll remember, miss! I'll definitely bring white bread at this time next week!"
Hearing his promise, the maid's lips curved up, but she did not reply.
Throughout their exchange, the young noblewoman had never given either her first or last name, and neither had the maid.
Only after watching the carriage gradually drive away did Aiwen run back to Mo Fei.
He then recounted exactly what had happened.
After listening, Mo Fei understood what the young lady had meant.
In truth, there had been no real intention to order bread. Those coins were merely a token of their appreciation and praise for Aiwen.
Still, Mo Fei did not point this out. Besides, in his view, this might be an opportunity. Who said he really could not make delicious white bread?
His cooking skill was advanced, after all. Besides, he had not made it before simply because there was no need. In the East End, fine white bread would sell far less well than brown bread.
But that did not mean he could not make it.
Now, perhaps this connection could lead them down a path even he had never imagined.
In London, a titled noble was someone with immense influence.
Yes, in those few short minutes just now, he had guessed the young noblewoman's identity.
After all, Mo Fei had attended school back then and had met many important people at the chamber of commerce.
Moreover, the family crest was displayed openly on the carriage. It was hard not to guess who she was.
Earl Winter's daughter.
Earl Winter was an important figure in charge of London's finances. As his daughter, she naturally had no shortage of money.
If they could establish a connection with this young lady, it would bring nothing but benefits to the orphanage's development.
So Mo Fei resolved to make this batch of bread well.
Meanwhile, inside the carriage, Colleen Winter did not casually toss the bread away. Instead, she opened the oilpaper and looked curiously at the bread in her hands.
Her maid did the same. However, as a maid trained by the Winter family since childhood, she possessed many skills.
Though she could not make bread herself, judging its quality had been a required part of her training.
She picked up a loaf and gently broke it open. Very few crumbs fell onto the oilpaper, while the rest remained tightly bound together. Its structure surprised her a little.
Next, she carefully tore off a small piece of crust and gently rubbed it between her fingers, feeling its texture.
Then she took a piece from the inside and held it up to her nose to smell it.
She then said to her young lady, "I underestimated the director that little one spoke of. This bread is quite well made. Apart from the rather ordinary ingredients, everything else is remarkably good. He's even close to matching the baker at home..."
"That's unexpectedly high praise from you, Molly. I thought you'd throw it away in disgust..."
Colleen raised her eyebrows.
"Perhaps it's because that little one was rather adorable. I couldn't let his kindness go to waste."
Molly smiled as she explained.
But that was enough on the subject. They had already spent a little too long here, and the play was about to begin.
After they arrived, the maid Molly thrust the broken loaf into the coachman's hands and told him to dispose of it.
They both forgot that there was still an unopened, whole loaf in the carriage.
And the coachman did not dare dispose of anything inside the carriage.
After the play ended, they grew a little hungry on their way home and happened to notice the intact loaf. For some reason, Colleen opened the oilpaper wrapped around it.
Molly should have stopped her young lady from doing this, but she failed to stop her in time.
However, when she saw that her young lady really wanted to eat it, she reached over and tore off the crust, exposing the soft center.
To guard against any mishaps, Molly first put a piece of crust into her own mouth.
Only after confirming that nothing was wrong did Colleen finally tear off a piece of the soft center and eat it.
The bread's texture was not good. Though it was already very fine for brown bread, it still felt somewhat coarse in Colleen's mouth.
But that much was entirely acceptable to her.
Then she was drawn in by the bread's distinctive texture.
It was not extraordinarily delicious, but the rich flavors she had never experienced before still left her somewhat hooked.
And so, for the first time, Aiwen's name and the Mo Orphanage truly left an impression on her heart.