The Taste of Ling Xin

When Su Ling was five, she accepted her fate at the Marquis of Zhenguo’s residence: she was treated worse than the yellow dog that guarded the gate. Her stepmother withheld her allowance, the maids spat at her and called her filthy, and even when hunger twisted her stomach, all she could do was crouch in a corner and memorize medical texts. No one could have guessed that this icy little concubine-born girl would one day become the cold-faced miracle doctor who held the lives of the capital in her hands. Then, on a snowy day, she joined forces with a cousin as thin as a stalk of hemp. Xie Zhiwei was eight, an ill-fated orphan whose parents had both died and who was treated as a burdensome dependent. In reality, he was a food blogger from the modern world. He could cook the finest dishes in the land, and with his silver tongue, turn wild greens into delicacies and rescue spoiled rice to make it delicious. “Lingling, blanch dandelion greens and toss them with sesame oil. They’ll whet your appetite so much you’ll eat two more flatbreads!” “Wrap meat in perilla leaves and roast it. It’ll smell so good you’ll want to suck every last bit off the bones!” “If anyone dares insult you again, I’ll fix them a bowl of ‘wake-up bitter decoction’ and make sure they never forget the taste!” Little by little, his cheeky words warmed Su Ling’s heart. She used her medical skills to identify poisons and save lives. Anyone who crossed her would suffer at the end of a needle. He used his brains and cooking to protect her. Anyone who bullied her would pay dearly for it. In the deep, sprawling estate, two children abandoned by the whole world formed the most unhinged alliance. She took care of the healing, he took care of the meals. She kept him safe, and he cherished her beyond measure. Years later, two famous names in the capital were beyond anyone’s reach: “For illness, go to Ling Hall. For feasts, go to Wei House.” You’d be better off provoking the King of Hell than those two.