Gabe, still chewing on the bun, scanned the faces of the four girls, then finally spat out the bun and said honestly, "It's full of grit and pebbles. Can't eat it."
Full of grit and pebbles?
Lily, puzzled, grabbed a bun, tore off a piece, and put it in her mouth.
After just two chews, her teeth were already hurting, and she stopped chewing.
Covering her mouth, she shook her head, "It's really inedible."
Grace, Sophia, and Cecilia frowned and each tried a piece of the bun.
The result was the same—grit and pebbles made it impossible to chew.
All four spat out the buns they had bitten into.
Lily furrowed her brow, "How did this happen?"
They had worked hard to make the buns, and now none of them were edible.
She couldn't figure out where they went wrong.
Lily's gaze fell on the dish cupboard. She quickly went over and opened the top left cabinet door, where Summer's steamed buns were stored. She took one out and bit into it.
Chewing through it and swallowing, she found no grit or pebbles.
Turning back to Gabe and the others, she said, "It's not the flour. We cleaned the bowl and the water was clean. Did you wash the grain before milling it?"
Gabe froze.
Then he stammered, "Wash it? We... didn't wash it..."
"Didn't wash it?" Lily and Grace exclaimed in unison, nearly fainting.
They always washed the grain before cooking it. Naturally, it should be washed before milling, otherwise, it would be full of dirt and small stones, making it impossible to eat.
Gabe stammered again, "So... all the flour we milled is inedible?"
Grace sighed, "Yes, it's all inedible."
Cecilia panicked, "What do we do now?"
Gabe turned to leave, "I'll tell Henry. He'll know what to do."
Before he could take a step, Lily grabbed his arm.
Confused, Gabe turned back, and Lily said, "What's Henry going to do? We'll just have to cook coarse grain porridge again for this meal and go back to the mill tomorrow. Do you want to eat coarse grain porridge again?"
Gabe thought for a moment, "What else can we do?"
Lily, holding up the bun she had bitten, suggested, "We just steamed these buns, the water under the steamer is still hot. We could steam Summer's buns to heat them quickly. If we cook porridge, it will take a long time. How about we use Summer's buns for this meal...?"
She had suggested this at lunch too.
Gabe replied, "Henry didn't agree to that."
Lily whispered, "Then we don't tell him. Tomorrow, we'll mill new flour and make fresh buns to replace hers. She won't even know."
Gabe hesitated.
Lily looked at Grace, Sophia, and Cecilia.
Seeing they were silent, she continued, "If you disagree, start making porridge."
With that, she took another bite of the bun.
Watching Lily eat the bun, they all felt averse to the idea of coarse grain porridge.
Grace spoke up, "I agree. I don't want to eat coarse grain porridge..."
Cecilia, hesitant, added softly, "We aren't taking it for free. We can explain to her tonight and replace the buns tomorrow. Given how she used to be, I doubt she'll mind this small thing."
Sophia remembered Henry's words from the previous night, "She used to be very kind and never minded small things, but now who knows."
Lily and Grace exchanged glances.
Tired of the indecision, Gabe decided, "Let's just solve this meal first. We won't tell Henry for now, and if anything happens, I'll take the blame."
He couldn't believe Summer would make a fuss over this.
With Gabe's decision, Lily and the others stopped hesitating.
Lily acted quickly, opening the top left cabinet doors and taking out the small bamboo basket filled with Summer's steamed buns.
Cecilia, worried, asked quietly, "Are you sure these are Summer's buns? What if they are Logan's?"
Eating Logan's buns would be a big problem.
Lily carried the basket to the stove, "Don't worry, these are definitely Summer's. Logan's are in the right cabinet."
The cabinet, given to them by the locals, was old but spacious.
It was divided into two sections, the upper section split into left and right halves. Summer used the left side, Logan the right. The bottom section held the flour for the ten of them.
Reassured by Lily's certainty, Cecilia relaxed and returned to stoking the fire.
Grace grabbed an empty basket, transferring their own buns into it to clear the steamer trays. Lily then placed Summer's buns on the steamer tray.
With all of Summer's buns fitting perfectly for one meal, Lily covered the pot with the lid and returned the bamboo basket to the cupboard.
About to close the doors, Lily paused, feeling uneasy. She glanced at their own buns.
A spark of inspiration hit her. After some hesitation, she transferred some of their own buns into Summer's basket, filling it halfway.
Satisfied, Lily closed the cupboard doors.
Seeing this, Grace whispered, "Are you trying to cover it up?"
Before Lily could respond, the door curtain was lifted.
Henry walked in, asking, "Is it ready yet?"
Lily, Grace, and Cecilia instinctively held their breath, their expressions tense.
Gabe smiled, acting as if nothing had happened, "Almost ready."
### At a Local's Home
Summer and Logan were patiently persuading a couple to send their children to school.
As they were discussing the benefits of reading and writing, Summer's right eyelid twitched violently.