The Beloved Chef Conquers the World with Her Spicy System

[Next up: Raising Pigs on a Dating Show with My Exes, a sweet modern-day story with an ancient person transmigrating to the present. The blurb is at the very bottom! Also, please bookmark my upcoming ancient-set story, Nighttime Snack Shop (^_^)]

[Here's a completed, ridiculously sweet BL story set in an entertainment-industry tycoon family: I Read Minds in My Archenemy's Arms by Zhou Shu. Go check it out!]

Blurb:

As a top chef in the apocalypse, A Li transmigrates into a book and gets bound to a Spicy Flavor System.

But while other protagonists who transmigrate into books get rich or conquer the world with their Systems,

the Spicy Flavor System drags a max-level chef straight back to the beginner village.

Spicy Flavor System: [You are now bound to the Spicy Flavor System. You can only make spicy food. Please earn money to unlock the next flavor.]

A Li is near tears.

--

To unlock other flavors and return to the peak of her culinary skills, A Li starts earning money to meet the System's requirements.

With the natural appeal of spicy food, the pickled chili chicken feet, Sichuan-style cured sausage, tiger-skin peppers, chili bean paste, ginger-spiced eight-treasure congee, and spicy beef tallow hot pot she makes become nationwide sensations, earning her a fortune.

She even manages to use the Spicy Flavor System to make instant noodles with chili seasoning.

She sells spicy food in public and farms chili peppers in private, a natural at both growing crops and running a business.

But as she sells her food, she seems to discover an astonishing secret...

On the first day, the one-armed old kitchen maid suddenly splits firewood with her bare hands.

On the second day, the mute old cook next door does a backflip in the street.

On the third day, the two of them pull her into a secluded corner...

The old kitchen maid with one arm asks in astonishment, "Is that little A Li? We chopped vegetables together in the apocalypse."

The mute old cook gestures, "Is that little A Li? We made charcoal together in the apocalypse."

Would you believe it? They were both her close friends from the team of cooks in the apocalypse.

A Li is stunned. "Is transmigration in groups the trend these days?"

--

A Li knows that Jiang Su is reborn. In his previous life, the original owner killed him, and now he hates her to the core. To survive in Prince Huaian's household, A Li has to win him over through his stomach.

After unlocking the System, A Li is hired as a royal chef. Before leaving, she serves Jiang Su foods in all the flavors: sour, sweet, bitter, spicy, and numbing. But he darkens his expression and slams the table.

"Zhao A Li, are you doing this on purpose?"

A Li stands there stunned. She sees the young lord, who usually can't wait for her to leave, sniff and choke out,

"Can't you stay?"

*

A sweet, soft, beloved chef who transmigrates into a book x a cool, arrogant, jealous general who is reborn

P.S.:

1. Here, "young lord" is a general term for officials and sons of wealthy families.

2. Both leads are devoted to each other, 1v1. The female lead transmigrates into a book, the male lead is reborn, and the female lead has a Spicy Flavor System. Later, she'll unlock every flavor, so the story isn't limited to spicy food. The female lead is gentle with a little cleverness. Readers who prefer a strong, dominant female lead may want to think twice before starting!

3. The story is set in a peaceful era and focuses mainly on everyday cooking and the leads' interactions.

4. The setting is highly fictionalized, with lots of absurd premises and little scientific basis. Don't take it seriously.

---Coming soon: Nighttime Snack Shop. Please bookmark!---

Shu Qing was born into this world and became a courtesan who was secretly saddled with an inflated ransom by a playboy, roughly beaten and scolded by her brothel madam, and insulted to her face by clients.

Faced with the enormous ransom and the madam's hostility, Shu Qing spends her days lounging around and doing nothing at the brothel, then earns money at night with the Nighttime Snack Shop System to buy her freedom.

The snack shop serves crisp, delicious miniature pan-fried buns, tangy and spicy grilled sweet potato skins with long beans, cheese-crusted chicken bursting with creamy flavor, refreshing, slightly sweet lemon and tamarind cakes, bubbling yin-yang hot pot, and spicy, savory cold skewers...

The snacks are cheap and delicious, a feast for the taste buds.

Later...

The famous date cake shop in town offers a huge sum to collaborate with the snack shop.

The Jincheng County Office hires Shu Qing as its chef at a high salary.

Even the new emperor in the capital wants to invite her into the palace to cook.

Before long, the cramped nighttime snack shop becomes a famous restaurant and night market in Jincheng, with branches all over the counties and prefectures of the Hongyuan Kingdom.

One day, the brothel madam looks at Shu Qing lying in bed and munching on seeds, then scoffs, "You'll never save enough money at this rate."

Shu Qing points casually at the wine shop next door. "See that? The shop that's stealing business from Lianyue House every day and making a fortune? It's one of my branches."

*

Short scene:

After buying her freedom, Shu Qing becomes the chef at the Jincheng County Office. Magistrate Ji Chuping also helps her deal with unfair competition against her restaurant, so Shu Qing thinks he's an honest and upright official.

But one day, a handsome young man rushes into the county office and kneels at Ji Chuping's feet, tears and snot streaming down his face. "Your Majesty, you've had your fun in Jincheng under my name. Please return to the capital now. Chuping thanks you."

Shu Qing: The... the emperor?

*

Beautiful snack shop owner x the new emperor traveling incognito

A light, feel-good, sweet story about food and running a business~

*

Reader's Guide:

1. Both leads are devoted to each other. They each have a secret identity, and they're both clever.

2. The setting is highly fictionalized. Don't overanalyze the dynasty or expect historical accuracy. Many premises are absurd and have no scientific basis.

3. Blurb written on 2023.2.12, revised on 2023.12.13.

Theme: Eat well, drink well, escape poverty and build wealth