Moonlight over Zhou Bridge: A Dream-Eater's Chronicle of the Northern Song

Zhang Mingyong, an inheritor of Song-dynasty pastry-making, transmigrates to Bianjing during the Qingli era of the Northern Song and becomes the young owner of a failing restaurant buried in debt.

His father is gravely ill, their debts are mounting, the Wang Tower next door maliciously cuts off their supplies, and no one in the city dares sell him a pound of meat.

Luckily, he has a well-worn copy of Records of the Splendors of the Eastern Capital with him, and more than a hundred recipes for lost Song-dynasty delicacies in his head.

One bite of Granny Cao’s meat pies makes you a believer, and the night market at Zhou Bridge goes viral overnight. Crispy jade leaves dazzle visitors at Xiangguo Temple, bringing nobles and dignitaries flocking to his door. Icy cold yuanzi becomes all the rage at Jinming Lake, a top-tier star attraction in Bianjing.

Starting with a tiny street stall, he works his way up to become the leading figure in the Song culinary world. Through the warmth of his restaurant, he connects the Grand Canal’s grain transport routes and bears witness to the Song dynasty’s lands, bringing ancient books that have slumbered for a thousand years to life amid the bustle of everyday streets.