Those Years I Sold Steamed Buns in the Imperial Palace

Zheng Wanyuan, the owner of a steamed bun shop specializing in decorative buns, is steaming the five-red nourishing buns a customer ordered when she is suddenly bound to the "Steam Buns, Not Your Anger" game System.

The System tells her that the character she is bound to was trampled by a princess's carriage three days ago. The character is gravely injured, unconscious, and has only two hours left to live. She is on the brink of death, so Zheng Wanyuan must save herself at once.

By completing the daily steamed bun tasks, she can earn points to exchange for lifespan and other necessities in the System's shop. If the bound character's lifespan runs out, the user will also be erased and will be unable to return to the real world.

Zheng Wanyuan, newly bound to the game and still unclear about what's going on: "?"

If she doesn't steam buns, she'll die?

**

Before, she steamed buns day and night to earn money for her mortgage. Now that she's in the game, she still has to steam buns day and night to stay alive. Zheng Wanyuan feels like a little bitter melon of a person.

Until one day...

Ding! Appraisal value +1. The premium shop is now open, with countless wonderful items for you to choose from. Enjoy the game!

Looking at the dazzling array of treasures and skill cards in the premium shop, Zheng Wanyuan suddenly perks up.

Steam!

She'll steam buns for the rest of her life!

After observing and testing it, she discovers that appraisal value depends on the status of the people who eat the buns in this world. The more prestigious and noble they are, the higher the appraisal value. She tosses and turns all night, then sets her sights on the imperial palace.

When it comes to prestige and nobility, nothing beats the imperial palace.

After scrimping and saving enough points to exchange for a palace entry token, Zheng Wanyuan pushes her bun cart into the palace!

**

She steams layered buns, fermented with rice wine and kneaded with lard. The dough is kneaded just right, making the buns chewy and sweet, with distinct layers. Everyone in the palace loves them. And since the Imperial Kitchen serves the people below them rather carelessly, business is booming.

But her customers are all palace servants and clerks without official rank, or at most low-ranking officials. The appraisal value they bring is rather limited.

But there are so many items she wants to exchange for, so Zheng Wanyuan develops all kinds of decorative buns.

"Poria and five-red buns! Nourish your qi and blood, and eat your way to a healthy glow~~"

A palace official in charge of Chuxiu Palace, passing by with a sallow face and exhausted by palace affairs: "A healthy glow? I'll buy one to try!"

"Five-black black pearl buns! Nourish and protect your hair and your spleen and stomach. Eat your way to a gorgeous head of hair!"

A vice minister at the Court of Judicial Review, losing handfuls of hair over old unsolved cases: "Nourish my hair? Protect it? I'll take some!"

"Yam, red date, and longan buns! Help you sleep and digest, and eat your way to good health~"

A senior official at the Ministry of Revenue, kept from eating and sleeping by his subordinates: "Help me sleep? I'll buy, buy, buy!!!!"

"Rose and seven-white buns! Moisturize and whiten your skin, and keep you looking young~"

A prince who dotes on his wife: "Keep her looking young? I'll take them all! All of them! Send them to the Princess Consort!"

The bun stall offers more and more varieties, and Zheng Wanyuan's purse and appraisal value keep growing. Then one day, as she is packing up, a pale little eunuch in tattered clothes shakily asks to buy a bun on credit.

Business is so good that Zheng Wanyuan generously gives him one.

Before he can thank her, she pushes her cart out of the palace in a hurry. It will be trouble if the palace gates are locked.

As soon as she passes through the palace gates, she hears a ding: Appraisal value +1000

Zheng Wanyuan: "...?!"

Even the Crown Prince's appraisal value is only 10!

Theme: When the road seems to end, a new path appears