A Little Song Dynasty Eatery

Huang Ying transmigrates into the body of a fourteen-year-old girl from a poor working-class family in the Northern Song. Her father is a carpenter, her mother makes excellent baked flatbreads, and the family of eight is crammed into two rented rooms. They owe a rent of one string and five hundred cash coins every month. They can’t afford coal or new padded coats, and barely have enough to eat. Living in Dongjing is no easy matter. She carries her baskets through the streets, calling out, “Sweet bean buns! Pork flatbreads! Egg cakes!” The young masters from the Imperial College come pouring out after class and crowd around her. “How are the pork flatbreads sold out again?” A young woman called Huang Erniang has set up shop on South Street by the Imperial Academy. Her food tastes better than Li Si’s teahouse snacks, Granny Cao’s meat pies, Jia’s gourd soup, Zheng’s oil cakes, and the rest… Every rest day, the students return with their arms full of food. Later, Huang Erniang opens Huang Family Pastries, Huang Family Teahouse, Huang Family Restaurant… * When Xie Hui is studying at the Imperial Academy, he can always see the young woman at the Huang family stall, her voice bright and clear as she works quickly to wrap up food, a smile on her face all day long. There are plenty of people in the marketplace, but somehow she alone shines so brightly. Later, when his family arranges a marriage for him, he casually turns it down. By then, he is already a familiar face at the Huang family pastry shop, and every time he passes by, he has to restrain himself. Because Miss Huang is already engaged, and he knows the man: his classmate. But the flesh and blood called jealousy grows in secret in his heart. Whenever he sees the joy on Du Yu’s face, he watches coldly from within. Later, the engagement falls through. The marketplace is full of gossip. He walks up to Huang Ying and calmly proposes, “I am willing to take you as my wife. I will not interfere in your affairs, and if you later fall for someone else, we can divorce at any time. I hope you will offer me the same.” Huang Ying knows how much this world constrains women, and Xie Hui’s proposal tempts her. She thinks that Third Young Master Xie is as elegant as an orchid and jade tree, and comes from a distinguished family. He has no reason to scheme against her. She doesn’t realize until after they marry that something is not quite right. Theme: Good food heals all.