The Little Chef of the Song Dynasty's Eight Workshops

Jiang Xing transmigrated. Her father had died young, and her mother had just passed away after an illness.

Her grandmother wanted to pay off the family's debts by marrying Jiang Xing off as a concubine. With no other choice, Jiang Xing quietly left home for Bianjing, where she planned to seek refuge with her aunt.

Her aunt made a living selling embroidery, while her uncle was a chief foreman in the Eight Operations Bureau under the Directorate of Construction. They had four children, the youngest still nursing, and life was hard for the family.

Jiang Xing's arrival made things even worse.

Ever since the Capital Construction Office was established two years ago, it had taken most of the Eight Operations Bureau's work, poached its best craftsmen, and this year even took the cooks from the government kitchens!

Jiang Xing just couldn't get the hang of embroidery, so she asked her uncle about hiring at the government kitchen.

First, funding for the Eight Operations Bureau kept getting cut, so its cooks earned less than cooks at other government kitchens.

Second, there were no restrictions on age or gender. You just had to be a decent cook.

Third, it was a permanent government position.

Jiang Xing, who had owned a private dining restaurant in her previous life, was instantly tempted.

A permanent government position? What more was there to say? She was in!

*

The official in charge of the Eight Operations Bureau had had enough and used his connections to transfer out. The new official was a man of few words, aloof and unsociable, but capable.

Not only did he win back some construction projects from the Capital Construction Office, giving the craftsmen at the Eight Operations Bureau work and saving them from worrying about layoffs, he was also very good at choosing cooks!

Ever since the new cook arrived, the officials felt they had something more to look forward to each day!

Chopped chili fish head today, sweet and sour ribs tomorrow, then braised pork belly and chicken the day after... The menu was varied, and the delicious aromas carried for miles, drawing colleagues from nearby government offices over for a bite.

As more and more people came for the food, Jiang Xing struck a deal with the new official, expanding the kitchen's catering business so she could share in the profits.

Before long, through her own efforts, Jiang Xing had turned the government kitchen into the Eight Operations Bureau's only profitable department.

A little scene:

The new official was extremely diligent and often volunteered to work overtime.

One night, Jiang Xing was still on duty while testing new recipes, so she brought Li Goudang a sample to try as a late-night snack.

As soon as she entered the office, she saw the words on the sheet of paper on his desk: "On expanding the departments' renovation business..."

Jiang Xing was stunned.

Meanwhile, Li Yan, normally so cool and calculating, stared at the bowl of late-night food in her hands in equal astonishment.

Jiang Xing asked cautiously, "Renovation? Interior renovation!?"

Li Yan replied without changing expression, "...Instant noodles!?"

Jiang Xing: !!!

Fellow countryman, is that you, fellow countryman!!!

Theme: Hard work brings prosperity