A Guide to Opening a Shop in the Song Dynasty (Gourmet Food)

The capital of the Great Song.

Yunji Pastry Shop has launched a new product, and the people of Bianjing are spreading the word.

"I found out what it is: plum blossom buns!"

"Oh, those are Wanglou's signature dish."

"But I heard Yunji's plum blossom buns actually have plum blossoms in them!"

"That's something new. Come on, let's go buy one and try it!"

"Hmph!"

The head chef at Wanglou sneered to his face, but secretly sent an assistant to buy some.

One bite, and the thin wrapper gave way to a generous filling, rich with savory broth and fragrant oil. Along with the delicious soup came the unique, cool fragrance of white plum blossoms, as though one were standing amid endless plum orchards, with wind sweeping blossoms down like rain and their fragrance clinging to one's clothes, washing away all worldly dust.

The head chef at Wanglou was speechless. He conceded defeat and was deeply impressed.

Meizhou, Sichuan.

The county school canteen has been completely renovated, and the students are buzzing with talk.

"I heard they outsourced the canteen to a young lady."

"That young lady has quite a background. They say she's the adopted daughter of the Director of Education."

"A pretty young lady should be doing embroidery at home, not running a canteen at the county school!"

"Sigh, she's just passing the time for fun, but we're the ones who'll suffer. Brother Zhang, are you going to eat at the new canteen?"

"No way. Only an idiot would go!"

"I'm not going either. Is the roast lamb leg at the restaurants outside not delicious enough? Go if you want to."

After the new canteen opened...

"Another serving of spicy rabbit heads and fragrant rice, please!"

"Me too!"

"Me too!"

The students: Eating their words. It's so good!

Lu Shiyun was born into a family of chefs, and the restaurants and taverns she owned were spread across the globe. Then, in a single moment, she transmigrated into the body of a little cook in the Lu residence, with her pockets emptied in an instant.

What should she do after transmigrating and becoming penniless?

No need to panic. She set a modest goal: first, earn ten thousand taels of silver!

She'd start by opening a pastry shop to test the waters, then run a county school canteen to get some practice.

Once she had enough capital and had hired enough staff, she'd open the best restaurant in the capital and the strongest tavern in Bianjing!

Lu Shiyun: I'm serious about making money.

Completed works: The Song Dynasty's Daoist Physician, The Interstellar Food Therapist

Please check out my upcoming work: Bianliang's Road to Riches (Food). Cui Lanpei, the eldest daughter of Assistant Magistrate Cui, has been different from other people since childhood. She often says strange things, sparking plenty of gossip.

But after Cui Lanpei turns three, it's as if she suddenly comes to her senses. She becomes the cleverest young lady in all of Yin County, knowing astronomy and geography and able to cook all kinds of delicacies. She leads the whole county to prosperity.

People of the time say, "If you have a daughter, let her be like Miss Cui. Who needs a son?"

But the good times don't last. When Cui Lanpei is fourteen, both her parents die. The Cui family's grandmother is old-fashioned and stubborn, favoring boys over girls, and forces the Cui sisters to travel all the way to the capital to seek help from their father's old friend.

Living in Dongjing is no easy matter. Fortunately, the Shen family in the capital once made a marriage agreement between their children and the Cui family.

Cui Lanpei visits the Shen family with the token, only to be thoroughly humiliated. Cui Lanpei isn't the sort to let people bully her. She decides to go all out, swindles a hefty sum of silver from the Shen family, and uses it to buy a building with a shop in front and a home behind, then starts a restaurant business.

Cui's Restaurant is thriving, and Cui Lanpei counts money until her hands ache. Just then, the Shen family comes calling.

When Cui Lanpei asks why, she learns that the eldest son of the Shen family has been poisoned and is at death's door. With no other options, the Shen family has decided she should marry into their family to bring good fortune to their eldest son.

"Absurd!" Cui Lanpei says, eyes flashing with anger.

Yet after one twist and turn after another, Cui Lanpei ends up marrying into the Shen family after all.

But the man who stands beside her in the wedding ceremony is Shen Jingling, the younger brother of the eldest son.

Shen Jingling is a madman.

At some point, the disdain in his gaze toward Cui Lanpei gradually changes, turning into something heated and restrained, yearning yet controlled.

Cui Lanpei knows she's in trouble.

Three months later, the eldest Shen son dies.

After fulfilling her agreement and completing the funeral, Cui Lanpei wastes no time moving out of the Shen residence with her younger sister and establishing their own household.

But Shen Erlang seems to have had some sort of epiphany, and begins doggedly pursuing her.

Cui Lanpei says expressionlessly, "Shen Jingling, are you ever going to stop?"

Shen Jingling raises an eyebrow and smiles. "Of course not."

Standing nearby, Cui Erniang looks sweet and obedient, but is already quite practiced at handing her elder sister a long broom.

Cui Lanpei takes it and raises it, ready to sweep him out the door.

Shen Jingling sighs helplessly. "Sister-in-law, please show me a little affection..."

"Get lost!"

Theme: Tender shoots of mugwort and bamboo shoots make a spring platter. The finest flavor in life is simple contentment.