South Street Bakery [The 1990s]

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Tao Tao only dozed off for a moment, and woke up back in 1997.

That year, Hong Kong returned to China. She was eight, and everything was just as it had been.

The family bakery hadn't gone under. Her stepmother, Aunt Yu, hadn't been driven away by her difficult, sharp-tongued self. And Yu Luan hadn't died.

As the old sunlight streamed through the vintage glass display case in their home, she watched through tear-filled eyes as seven-year-old Yu Luan crouched beneath a row of cream basket cakes, happily clicking away at a tin frog.

He was Aunt Yu's younger brother, a boy with mild autism.

Staring at the childish carving on the table that read, "No bad women or fools allowed," Tao Tao resolved to rewrite her fate.

Reborn into a second life, she wanted everyone she loved to be happy.

Especially Yu Luan... When they were little, she used to bully him. He never cried loudly. With his fair, delicate face, he was so sweet and well-behaved, and all he did was look at her with spring-clear eyes and tug her sleeve. "Big sister."

After being reborn, she helped run the family bakery, studied hard, cherished her family and friends, and taught Yu Luan to live independently. Just as everything was looking up, Yu Luan had a meltdown. After Tao Tao spent ages soothing him, he finally buried his face against her shoulder like a big dog and wept in frustration. "I hate it when... other people... hold your hand."

In Yu Luan's mind, the world followed a set of absolute, formulaic rules.

Only Tao Tao was an unknown X.

She would knock over his puzzles, hide his homework, and make him do all sorts of things, but when a typhoon came, she would pull him into her room and protect him. After that, on every stormy night of their childhood, he would stand at her door clutching a pillow, waiting for her to grumble and let him in.

Even the most difficult math problems could be proved.

But he couldn't calculate his feelings for his big sister.

Not until he saw Tao Tao holding hands and embracing a boy. The pain in his chest gave him the answer.

He would never let anyone take his big sister away.

On the day he came of age, his sister rose onto her tiptoes and rubbed his head like she was patting a crispy duck. "Our Yutou is eighteen! What do you want for your birthday?"

He stared at her and said softly,

"There's nothing I want."

"I only want you, Big Sister."

Read before the meal:

1. A healing, food-filled slice-of-life story set in an alternate version of the 1990s, following the characters from childhood into adulthood.

2. Happy ending. A reborn baker big sister x her younger brother with Asperger's syndrome.

3. No blood relation. Their stepfamily relationship ends, without angst, and they fall in love as adults.

4. The writing is detailed and slow-burn. The bakery business storyline runs throughout, but daily life, personal growth, and romance also take up a good deal of the story. This isn't a career-focused story about an all-conquering heroine. The supporting cast also gets plenty of page time, with a touch of ensemble storytelling.

5. 70% of the novel is protected from piracy. Many thanks to readers for supporting the official edition!

6. Neither lead is perfect, and the male lead isn't a genius. Please don't compare the characters to real people. Everyone with Asperger's is different: some are talkative, while others find it hard to express themselves. I sincerely hope that one day, no child from the stars will ever have to feel lonely again. Please don't read if this bothers you. Thank you, and enjoy the story!

Blurb screenshot dated 2025.2.27

Theme: Love is love.