At the same time the following week, for reasons unknown, Miss Colleen actually passed that way again.
What she had not expected was that Aiwen really was waiting there with a brand-new basket.
Inside it, all by itself, was the white bread Mo Fei had specially made.
To make this white bread, Mo Fei had used very finely refined white flour. He had also added plenty of milk and white sugar, greatly improving its overall texture and flavor. The only thing that had not changed much was that he still used an old dough starter to bring out that distinctive flavor.
Finally, to suit a young lady's preferences, he had whipped some cream and added some unique seasonings.
Unlike the ordinary cream products currently in fashion, he had boldly added some salt and savory ingredients, giving the bread a sweet-and-salty flavor that was not cloying, but instead even more palatable.
However, this also meant the bread would not keep for very long. It would last two days at most, and its taste and texture would deteriorate significantly on the second day.
But none of that was a problem.
The problem was that this bread cost more than a pound to make. If this noble young lady had only been polite, the production costs of this exquisite bread alone would mean a considerable loss.
Although it could be used to improve the children's meals, it was still far too extravagant.
Fortunately, Miss Colleen had shown up after all.
Aiwen did not know any of this. He only knew that the bread was not cheap to make, so he was very worried that the noble young lady would get angry once he named the price.
The carriage stopped beside Aiwen again, but this time, the maid Molly beckoned Mo Fei over as well.
Though somewhat surprised, Mo Fei did as she asked.
With the director beside him, Aiwen felt much less anxious.
He passed over the basket in his hands, handing it to Molly.
"My lady, this is the exquisite white bread our director made. He used the best flour we could buy, as well as lots of sugar and milk, and some unique seasonings. We hope you'll like it..."
This time, Colleen did not show herself. Molly handled everything from beginning to end.
She opened the basket and looked inside. The basket was simple and ordinary, but clean enough. From the details, she could tell it was brand-new. Moreover...
When she lifted the cloth covering the basket to keep it warm, the bread inside looked quite appetizing too.
There was a little filling in the middle of the snowy-white bread, and it gave off a faint flour fragrance and a rich milky aroma, mingling into a scent ordinary people could not afford.
Molly, however, had seen and eaten this kind of bread before. At the earl's residence, bread like this was often served for the young lady's breakfast.
Still, she was somewhat surprised that the director of an orphanage possessed such skill.
Because of this, she could not help giving Mo Fei a few more looks.
Up close, Mo Fei's bearing stood out even more.
He was unlike the poor who had spent their entire lives at the bottom, unlike a wastrel from a fallen family, and certainly unlike a gambler with nowhere left to turn.
Although he knew full well that if this bread failed, they might lose a visible shortcut for their future, not a trace of anxiety showed in his eyes.
His eyes were as calm as the waters of a lake.
Molly was a little startled. She seemed to have seen such composure only in the earl himself.
She shook her head, putting those presumptuous thoughts out of her mind.
Considering the history of the Mo Orphanage, which she had asked someone to investigate, such bearing did not seem entirely inconceivable.
A once-wealthy young man, forced to abandon his studies in the face of sudden, devastating news, had chosen to open an orphanage to preserve his family's old home. Such decisiveness deserved admiration no matter how one looked at it.
And after being tempered by so many experiences in life, a gaze that seemed to have seen through the ways of the world was perhaps nothing to find surprising.
Molly came up with a satisfactory explanation for Mo Fei's gaze all on her own.
When Aiwen saw Molly shake her head, his heart leaped into his throat.
Fortunately, however, things had not taken a turn for the worst.
"How much is this bread?" As she asked this, she looked not at Mo Fei, but straight at Aiwen.
She wanted to know how this child would answer.
Mo Fei also took the opportunity to step back, leaving the space to Aiwen.
Aiwen gathered his courage. "My lady, this bread costs around three pounds just to make. We intend to sell it for four pounds!"
If any passersby had heard this price, they would certainly have been astonished. A loaf that might only serve one or two people could actually sell for so much.
But Molly had no objection to the price. In her eyes, this bread was positively cheap at that price.
What surprised her was that the child had even stated the cost outright. That was hardly how one did business.
She looked at Aiwen, then at Mo Fei, and suddenly smiled. "You've taken very good care of the child!"
With that, she took out the money. This time, there was no extra; she gave him exactly four pounds.
But once he had the money, Aiwen intended to take out the deposit from last time and return it to Molly.
"Then I'll give you back the deposit you paid me last week..."
At this point, Miss Colleen could no longer hold back and laughed inside the carriage.
This was the first time Mo Fei had heard the person inside speak. Her voice was clear and bright, and she sounded quite young, probably around twenty.
The young woman spoke with a smile as well. "Little Aiwen, just keep that money as the deposit for next time. I'll buy from you again at the same time next week..."
After saying this, Miss Colleen spoke no further.
Molly also patted Aiwen's head. "All right, just do as the young lady says... See you next week..."
And just like that, they completed their first dealings with Miss Colleen.
They had also gained a valuable connection that might perhaps prove useful.
Meanwhile, Miss Colleen in the carriage and Molly, who held the basket, looked at the exquisite bread with some hesitation.
Although eating food from outside was rather improper, Colleen was still tempted when she recalled the rich flavors she had tasted in the carriage last time, when she had been hungry.
Molly noticed this as well, so she took the initiative to suggest something.
"You could have a little, miss, just enough to tide you over. Judging by that director, there shouldn't be any safety concerns, and the theater is quite convenient too..."
Seemingly persuaded, Colleen took a small piece and put it into her mouth.
The softness of the white bread and the sweet fragrance of the cream instantly conquered her taste buds, and the unusual flavor of the cream left her momentarily dazed.
The distinctive flavor of the old dough starter also gave her a different experience.
Before she knew it, she had finished the small piece of bread in her hand.
Just as she wanted a second piece, they arrived at the theater, and she could only get out of the carriage with lingering regret.
But the delicious bread left even that evening's play seeming somewhat lackluster.
After riding home that night, she immediately summoned the household cooks and tried to have them recreate it.
This also drew her father's attention. "My little pearl, what is it? What delicious thing have you eaten that you're having the cooks recreate it so late at night?"
Seeing her father, Colleen happily ran over to him and told him everything that had happened over the past two weeks.
With Molly adding details from the side, he also formed some impression of Mo Fei and Aiwen.
"All right, my darling daughter, leave the bread to them to recreate. It's time for you to rest..."
Glancing at the time, Colleen was startled to realize how late it already was, so she promptly said goodnight and went to bed.
What no one expected, however, was that the next day, the cooks proved unable to fully recreate the bread's flavor. This was an important reason Earl Winter truly remembered Mo Fei.