A Taste of Life in Ancient Times

Over the past two years, caring for family members while seeking medical treatment has completely drained me, and I haven't been able to write well. After struggling several times, I still can't continue the story I started this year, so I've decided to make it free to read. I'm sorry, everyone.

Song Ying transmigrates as the youngest daughter of a scholar.

She arrives in a prosperous county filled with sugar merchants and weavers. Each day, before dawn, servants from wealthy households hurry through the streets, buying fresh shrimp and pork trotter slices in one place, goose with five-spice apricot cream in another. The sound of music and singing never stops aboard the pleasure boats on the river, while inside the mansions, the clatter of meat and bones landing on plates rings out clearly.

But such gilded riches have little to do with the common folk, whose average life expectancy is under forty.

Song Ying's grandfather, born a cowherd, opened a school that barely made money to give back to his clan and help them out. Along with two sons preparing for the imperial examinations, the family also has two daughters of marriageable age.

As they struggle to build up enough family wealth for the children's marriages, the whole family is fighting to survive to the average age of death. When they finally have a little pocket money, her youngest aunt, Qin-jie, spends it on unhealthy junk food and eats until her little face turns sallow.

To live to a hundred, Song Ying, whose family comes from a cooking background, can only keep studying nutrition, hoping to make nourishing meals for her family from cheap ingredients.

Little by little, the Song family puts on weight, Song Ying's cooking becomes famous throughout the county, and their home fills with gold and jade. Yet no marriage prospects come along. Curious, the matchmaker asks what the Song family wants in a son-in-law.

Song Ying's father says: He must have scholarly honors.

Song Ying's mother says: He must be handsome.

Her grandparents say: He must live nearby.

Tang Su, an orphan who comes to visit with chestnut cakes, grins: A fine young man like that, isn't he just me?

A lively little life, simple farming for a relaxing change of pace.

Theme: Strive tirelessly for self-improvement.