A Little Snack Shop on the Song Dynasty Frontier

The year Yin Lainiang turned fourteen, war broke out again along the Song border. She fled with her master’s caravan, became separated from her parents and elder brother on the way, and eventually made her way to Xiongzhou. All she had left were a few copper coins, an old apron, and a handful of basic skills her mother had taught her. Fortunately, she knew how to light a fire and knead dough. She could turn an unremarkable piece of mutton and a handful of mixed grains into a meal warm enough to fill the bellies of weary travelers. To survive, and to wait for news of her family from the merchants coming west, Yin Lainiang set up an old stove in Xiongzhou. To her surprise, a round, palm-sized stove cat crawled out of the firebox. The little creature was called Satuan. It could tell fresh ingredients from stale ones, remember recipes for all sorts of dishes, and clutching a ledger, holler out tasks for the business at the top of its lungs: “Boss! Three soldiers outside are so hungry their eyes are glowing green!” “Boss! A caravan just arrived from the west, and they’ve got spices we’ve never seen before!” “Boss, this is bad! If that mutton keeps simmering, it’ll get tough!” Starting with an old stove and a few broken tables, Yin Lainiang sold the cheapest bowls of mixed-grain noodle soup and later prepared sumptuous feasts that drew Song and Liao merchants from far and wide. Soldiers, porters, post riders, traveling merchants, and visitors from distant lands all sat down in her eatery, had a hot meal, then set off again toward their own faraway destinations. And she never took down the sign above her door, the one bearing the character “Yin.” She believed that as long as her eatery remained open and the road from the west stayed clear, her missing family would find their way there one day. Tips: 1. A food story with a gentle pace and a cozy, everyday feel. It takes place in Xiongzhou, a border town in the Great Song, an important trading post between the Song and Liao. The merchants bring ingredients from distant lands, and the borderland has the feel of a military town with its inns and taverns~ 2. The male lead is a military man. Their romance is a sweet, slow-blooming love. Theme: Eat well!