South Street Bakery [The 1990S]

[Complete. My next book, Summer in Lipu, opens September 5. Add it to your collection!] Tao Tao only dozed off for a moment, but woke up back in 1997. That year, Hong Kong returned to China. She was eight, and everything was still as it had been. The family's bakery hadn't gone out of business, Aunt Yu, her stepmother, hadn't been driven away by her difficult, sharp-tongued self, and Yu Luan hadn't died. As the old sunlight shone through the bakery's antique glass display case, she watched seven-year-old Yu Luan crouch beneath a row of cream basket cakes, playing with a tin frog, and burst into tears. He was Aunt Yu's little brother, who had a mild form of autism. Staring at the childish scratch marks on the table that read “Bad women and idiots stay out,” Tao Tao resolved to rewrite her fate. Having a second chance at life, she wanted everyone she loved to be happy. Especially Yu Luan... When they were little, she'd bullied him, but he never cried loudly. He was fair and sweet, and could only gaze at her with spring-clear eyes as he tugged at her clothes and said, “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 an emotional meltdown. Tao Tao comforted him for ages before he finally buried his face in her shoulder like a big dog and tearfully complained, “I hate it when other people hold your hand.” ** In Yu Luan's mind, the world followed a rigid, formulaic order. Only Tao Tao was an unknown X. She'd knock over his puzzles, hide his homework, and make him do all sorts of things, but when a typhoon hit, she'd pull him into her room to protect him. Later, every thunderstorm in his childhood, he'd stand outside her door holding a pillow, waiting for her to grumble and pull him inside. Even the most difficult math problems could be solved. But he couldn't work out his feelings for his big sister. Until he saw Tao Tao holding hands and embracing a boy, and the pain in his chest gave him the answer. He would never let anyone take his big sister away. On the day he became an adult, his big sister rose onto her tiptoes and rubbed his head like she was crisping the head of a roast duck. “Our little Taro is eighteen! What would you like for your birthday?” He stared at her and said softly: “I don't want anything in particular.” “I just want you, Big Sister.” Read before enjoying your meal: 1. A story from childhood to adulthood, set in a fictionalized place, with a healing 1990s vibe and lots of food and daily life. 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 leisurely and slow-paced. Running the bakery is a major plotline throughout, but daily life, personal growth, and romance also take up plenty of space. This isn't a career-focused female power fantasy, and the supporting cast has room to shine, with a slight ensemble feel. 5. 70% of the story is protected from spoilers. I'm deeply grateful to readers who support the official release! 6. Neither lead is perfect, and the male lead isn't a genius. Please don't compare him to real people. Everyone with Asperger's is different; some are talkative, while others struggle to express themselves. I sincerely hope that one day every child from the stars will no longer be lonely. If this bothers you, please don't read. Thank you, and enjoy! Blurb screenshot dated 2025.2.27 Theme: Love is love