A Taste of Lin'an

Food blogger Lin Sheng opened her eyes one morning to find herself transmigrated into the body of an orphan girl with nothing to her name.

The dilapidated house was drafty, the rice jar was nearly empty, an elderly invalid lay in bed, and a little child had fainted from hunger on the floor. It was hell mode from the start!

There was no time to grieve. Lin Sheng rolled up her sleeves. It was time to return to her old trade and earn money to feed the family!

At dawn, an irresistible aroma drifted from the end of Wutong Alley.

Freshly steamed honey-date cakes were soft and chewy, with a rich sweetness. Chilled lotus-leaf rice wine was refreshing and summery, with a lingering finish. A bowl of spicy, fragrant red-pepper fish was just the thing to soothe a troubled heart.

The food at the little eatery was delicious, and the proprietress was a stunning beauty with snowy skin and a gentle voice!

In just over a month, it was impossible to get a table at Lin's Eatery.

*

The newly appointed county magistrate, Mei Jin'an, was said to have been demoted after committing an offense. His features were strikingly refined, but his nature was as cold as ice. He worked tirelessly day and night, to everyone's amazement.

Whenever mealtime came, his yamen runners would disappear, leaving him alone before mountains of paperwork, eating the cold, tough food served at the yamen.

One day, following a lead about his subordinates slacking off, Magistrate Mei found his way to the bustling little eatery in Wutong Alley.

The yamen runners patted their round bellies and chuckled sheepishly under the somber gaze of their superior, who had grown noticeably thinner since arriving in Lin'an. "Sir, the food here is delicious. Why don't you try some?"

Mei Jin'an glanced at the lovely, fair-skinned woman bustling by the stove and thought: How could someone so delicate possibly belong in a kitchen?

He swept his robe aside and sat down, then scoffed to himself: What good food could a shabby little eatery in a poor alley possibly serve?

A serving of glutinous rice cakes, red-pepper fish, pepper-salt duck, green-leaf pears... and a pot of osmanthus wine all disappeared into his stomach.

Lin Sheng smiled brightly as she brought him a cup of tea. "Sir, how does it taste?"

Mei Jin'an took the cup. His fingertips brushed the proprietress's hand by chance, and he paused almost imperceptibly, maintaining his composure. "...It's acceptable."

The yamen runners at the next table nearly popped their eyes out. Good heavens! The usually picky, stone-faced magistrate had polished off enough food for three people?!

*

Even more astonishing, before long, Magistrate Mei, who had been distant and aloof ever since his demotion, began coming to the eatery with them!

Then one day, in full view of everyone, the magistrate, whose official robes were usually spotless, casually took the heavy sack of rice from Shopkeeper Lin and set it firmly in the corner. He even... brushed a little snow-white flour from her temple with his sleeve.

At last, he smiled and spoke softly to the proprietress. "Be careful."

(The yamen runners: !!! Sir!! Have... have you been possessed?!)

Theme: Stay positive, stand on your own two feet, and keep striving