Liu'er, a young cook in charge of delicate tea snacks at the Rongguo Mansion, slipped on a dew-covered bluestone slab and plunged into the water.
When she opened her eyes again, she was in a world hundreds of years later, an orphan with both parents dead, looking after a dusty little restaurant.
Other people transmigrated with a System or a pocket dimension. All she brought was a bellyful of recipes from Dream of the Red Chamber, etched into her bones.
Lotus-root starch and osmanthus cakes were soft and pearly white, like moonlight made solid.
The glossy, rosy duck breast was rich and fragrant, with a honeyed freshness when you bit into it.
There was also braised ham and pork knuckle, eggplant with dried shrimp, lotus seed and red date soup... All were delicate delicacies the pampered young masters and ladies of a noble household had grown up eating. With a few tweaks, Liu'er toned down the cloying sweetness and added a touch of home cooking. The moment she put them on the menu at her little restaurant, half the street went wild with hunger.
At first, only the neighbors waited for her to open. Then she casually posted a video, and suddenly the whole internet was searching for her.
Some people traveled thousands of miles to visit, while others kept asking if they could reserve a banquet...
Liu'er simply started livestreaming, standing at the stove to teach viewers how to make pine-nut goose-fat rolls, little cream pastries...
With nothing but her skillful, time-honored cooking, she became a top-tier star in the food world, with the whole internet calling her “Chef Liu.”
From a kitchen maid in a noble household, to the owner of a small neighborhood eatery, to a food blogger followed by millions.
Liu'er hefted the wok ladle in her hand.
Wherever you are, cooking is cooking, isn't it?
Only this time, she would make the flavors handed down by her ancestors fragrant throughout the entire age.
