A Little Song Dynasty Eatery

[Blurb One] The Zhu Family Eatery is tucked away in a small alley in Bianjing. The eatery opens only at night. It is small, and its chef is a young woman with slender wrists who can nevertheless wield a heavy cleaver and toss an iron wok. Though young, she can cook by any method: stir-frying, roasting, searing, deep-frying, boiling, stewing, braising, steaming, curing, candying, skewering, pickling, and more. The Zhu Family Eatery brings together dishes from every corner of the land. Crucian carp made to resemble clams, with firm, springy, tender, silky fish. Plum Blossom Soup Cakes, delicate and elegant, with a superb flavor. Golden-fried delicacies and mountain-style triple-crunch vegetables; jade-colored lung pudding and wine-brined pig trotters; chilled chrysanthemum noodles and marinated crab; meatier-than-meat sandwiches and oven-roasted chicken… Diners leave with oil shining on their lips, so full they have to brace themselves against the walls. [Blurb Two] For Zhu Chenyuan, opening a little eatery and cooking the food she loves is one of the happiest things in the world. She follows the seasons, making fish paste, wine-marinated shrimp, sugar-steamed eggplant, stuffed melons, mustard relish, ginger pickled in wine, steamed dried vegetables… The jars in her pantry line the shelves from end to end, while seasonal delicacies hang drying beneath the eaves: fragrant, spicy wind-dried fish, pale eggplant with purple skin, delicate dried bamboo shoots, and red-and-white cured sausages… Another source of happiness is having her family and friends around, cherishing her like a precious gem, with kind neighbors and a harmonious community. A third is having a few close friends to share tea and flower arranging in their spare time, go for spring outings on Qingming, wander the night markets, and set up stalls at Daxiangguo Temple… The only thing she is unhappy about is that she is over eighteen and still unmarried. But just after her birthday, her father put up a notice seeking a husband for her and found a handsome young man. A young cook heroine × a Song Dynasty civil servant hero [A Guide to This Novel] 1. The Northern and Southern Song dynasties are treated as one here, so the story includes customs from both. There is no war in this story: it is set in a peaceful, prosperous age. 2. The food and pastimes in the story are drawn from various books about the Song Dynasty. The author has tried to make the research as comprehensive as possible. Feel free to criticize, but please do not make personal attacks. 3. Everyday life in the common quarters: no abusive villains, no household infighting, and no political machinations. 4. The hero is preparing for the imperial examinations at first, then becomes a civil servant for the Great Song. 5. Both are each other's first love, with no bad habits. This is a cozy winter story about two people falling in love and eventually marrying. [Blurb posted October 23, 2021; copyright evidence preserved] Theme: Sharing love and delicious food