Rong's Fragrant Medicine Shop

[Rong Zhao's Bedside Notes, Year 22 of Ansheng]

Qingming - Rain

Brought my little nephew home, and spent twenty taels buying my sister-in-law's younger brother back, called Fu Song.

That's not a good name. I need to change it.

Dragon Boat Festival - Rain clearing

I fell and hurt my leg. Fu Song helped me bathe, and he was quite proper. I wonder what his eyes look like when they're uncovered.

The silkworms at home are growing so fast, but I'm still a little scared.

Great Heat - Sunny

A weasel killed the chickens. The child was so upset he got sick. This is bad; it's no ordinary illness.

They wanted to take the child away, and we almost became refugees.

Winter Solstice - Sunny

It's so relaxing not having to hunt, but the blind clerk wrote down the wrong household class. Now I have to do forced labor, since I can't earn 180 coins in a day.

Fu Song offered me money, but I refused. The chicken laid eggs. I'm not selling them.

Minor Cold - Overcast

Love whatever job you do. They think I'm improving the method, but really I just want to slack off.

I twisted my ankle, and Fu Song carried me to the doctor. He smells so good, and his arms are so strong. I can't quite bring myself to look at him.

New Year's Eve - Sunny

I actually fell asleep on Fu Song's shoulder while we were staying up for the new year. He muttered something, but I couldn't make it out. It's better this way.

I love the pearl bracelet he gave me. Hehe.

Awakening of Insects - Sunny

The shop is settled. It's on Liuhe Street. I've spent half my savings, and still need to stock up.

I found a mute man who was badly injured. I need to find a doctor to treat him. I know Fu Song wants to beat him up.

Spring Equinox - Sunny

The shop opened, but business is bad. I need to think of something.

The dam burst, and I was called in for questioning. In the evening, I got into a fight and won. That felt great.

That's what you get for scorching my seedlings. I'll knock your mouth crooked.

Qingming - Sunny

We moved house. The mute man's leg is getting better. Song Song is helping at the shop, and the child has started at the academy.

Everything is getting better.

Minor Snow - Overcast

Too much has happened lately. I haven't had time to write.

Thank goodness the new provincial governor is a good person. Thank goodness Song Song is still here. I love him so much.

The three of us will be together forever.

[Reading Guide] 1v1, both pure | Slow-burn domestic life | No childbirth | Male lead does not sit the imperial examinations | Unlocks an achievement at the end

- The villains serve the plot.

- Not a gender-swapped female-dominant society. Women simply hold social dominance; egg-laying is a fictional setting detail.

- Mostly daily life, with a very, very slow pace. The main characters open their shop in the latter half of the story.

Double Happiness Eatery

Zhu Shuangxi accidentally died after her stir-fry shop became a huge hit. When she opened her eyes again, she discovered that her soul had crossed over.

The good news: she's alive again. The bad news: no golden finger. The worse news: she's a beggar living in a ruined temple.

Since she'd already ended up here, Zhu Shuangxi decided to start earning money by setting up a breakfast stall.

Just as she was worrying about how to start, a rich young gentleman passing by tossed her a silver ingot.

Lian Weixi: "Begging isn't easy. Take this and buy yourself a few meat buns."

"I'm not a beggar!" Zhu Shuangxi felt the heavy silver in her hand and immediately changed her tune. "I... am a beggar."

With her Jiangxi home-style cooking, Zhu Shuangxi's eatery changed its menu every day, drawing crowds of diners.

Before long, Double Happiness Eatery had become the border town's favorite canteen: sesame balls and sky-high firecrackers for breakfast, vinegar fruit and stir-fried intestines for lunch, sweet roast duck for dinner, and sizzling charcoal-grilled meat for a late-night snack.

One day, a masked man came to the eatery. Zhu Shuangxi recognized him at once as her angel investor and sent him a plate of sesame balls.

He didn't recognize her. Money talk can ruin a good relationship, so she let it go.

The day bandits ambushed them on the road, Lian Weixi was there too. Zhu Shuangxi told him to run with her, but then she heard the bandits ask the second-in-command where he was taking the girl. The man beside her turned around and yelled, "Mind your own business!"

Zhu Shuangxi's mouth twitched. She'd planned to come clean, but... this guy actually escorted her back to the eatery that very night.

Well, it turned out this bandit was a pretty nice guy.

When Lian Weixi showed up again, he wasn't wearing a mask. Zhu Shuangxi calmly accepted his request to place an order, and the two communicated only through notes.

Gradually, the little notes grew bigger. Lian Weixi carefully considered each word in his replies, more seriously than he used to review memorials.

The bandit chief wanted to entrust his stronghold to Lian Weixi, and figured he might as well help him find a wife to settle down.

But the imperial decree announcing his grandfather's submission hadn't arrived yet, so he had no choice but to agree.

Looking at the familiar face beneath the red bridal veil, Lian Weixi felt, for the first time in his life, that speaking was a burning ordeal.

Lian Weixi: "This lie seems to have grown bigger than a sesame ball. Is it still not too late to confess?"

Zhu Shuangxi: "You think I can't recognize you without your mask? I'm not blind. Go on, let's hear your excuses."

Theme: Eat well, live well, and strive to become a better version of yourself