Eleven-year-old Gu Nian stared at the sheet of [Gold Star Stickers] on the wooden table, then up at Gu Changsheng’s calm, grinning face.
“A whole month of Big Brother Xiao’s geometry homework?” Gu Nian asked, the tight knot in his shoulders loosening at once.
“Every single triangle,” Gu Changsheng promised, holding out his pinky finger. “Pinky swear. My kitchen doesn’t bake ugly monsters, Nian’er.
It only bakes good-looking kids.”
Gu Nian hooked his pinky around his dad’s warm finger and gave it a firm shake. A small, bright grin broke across the boy’s face.
“Deal,” Gu Nian said.
He picked up the warm black-gold [Caramel Egg-Tart Chaos Bun] with both hands. Across the table, twelve-year-old Ye Xiao lifted his pale-green bamboo-mint bun, and nine-year-old Su Nuannuan held her pink honey-blossom bun. Seven-year-old Jiang Tuntun opened her mouth wide over her strawberry-and-roast-pork bun, while Grandpa Yao cradled his white soul-lotus bun with trembling hands.
“One, two, three—bite!” Jiang Tuntun cheered.
