The Gourmet Lady's Startup Story (Food)

This novel is complete. I've revised it many times, and it really is different from the pirated version. My upcoming novel, Marrying the Bookish Boy Next Door, will follow this one. It's a sweet newlywed romance about a couple who fall in love after marrying first.

Blurb:

After transmigrating, Du Shisheng finds herself in a body with no parents, no possessions, and no memories. It's a nightmare from the start.

With no choice but to make a living while searching for the truth about her past, she sets up a breakfast stall, sells qingtuan, writes stories, and opens a restaurant. In the little-known Great Ji dynasty, Du Shisheng makes a roaring success of her business.

"Pork, trotters, and hocks stewed to perfection; every dish a work of art." Thanks to its delicious pork dishes, Du Shisheng's Qinghuan Bistro soon takes the whole city by storm.

Even the staff at the Dali Temple refuse to work overtime, heading to Qinghuan Bistro on time for their meals. After eating there, her colleagues rave: "The cumin ribs are fragrant and crisp, the braised pork melts in your mouth, and the marinated trotters are tender and springy..."

Wei Xiuyan, Assistant Minister at the Dali Temple, raises an eyebrow when he hears this. "Can it really be that good?"

From then on, a handsome young gentleman with a refined bearing and impeccable table manners becomes a regular at Qinghuan Bistro, sitting there every day, gnawing on trotters and tucking into pork hocks.

Before he can finish his pork hock, Wei Xiuyan feels something strange at the back of his neck. Why do Lady Du's watery eyes keep wandering over his face and collarbones...?

One day, when the Dali Temple staff come to eat at Qinghuan Bistro again, they are surprised to find that the dignified Assistant Minister Wei is sitting at a table, obediently writing out the menu!

*

One day, while watching her dog play with her childhood friend in the woods, Du Shisheng suddenly frowns. She'd thrown herself into building her business and forgotten to search for the original owner's past! And where was the childhood friend from her dreams, the one called "Heqing"?

Wei Xiuyan, who is scrubbing pots, feeding the dog, and writing the menu nearby, whispers to Golden Leopard, "If Master He comes, bark. Bark, and I'll give you dog treats!"

Just then, the gentle and handsome He Qing, owner of a bookstore, comes to call on her. "Lady Du, do you still remember the promise you made me?"

But the moment He Qing steps inside, Golden Leopard starts barking wildly.

Du Shisheng is about to stop him when Wei Xiuyan's warm lips press tightly against hers. "My lady, when will you make good on the glass rabbit lantern you promised me all those years ago?"

Golden Leopard: What? This is what dog treats are?!

Reading guide: 1. [Clever and sly heroine x aloof hero, 1v1 HE, slow and steady, love grows over time, warm and healing] A slow-burn story, very slow, with a large ensemble cast. If you want to read about the leads interacting, you can start later on. The early chapters focus mainly on the heroine's business and everyday life, and the hero has little page time. The story is mostly about the simple pleasures and little joys of daily life.

2. The writing and plot are peaceful, warm, and healing, perfect for reading in your spare time. Wang Zengqi once wrote, "All the dishes of life fit in one bowl of earthly warmth." Loving and pursuing good food is also a way of cherishing and embracing life. In today's fast-paced world, we often forget that the point of working hard is to live well. This is the little utopia I've tried to depict: a place where you can forget the troubles and trivialities of everyday life.

3. The historical details are entirely made up, so please don't scrutinize them. That said, the story and author's notes will introduce some information about ancient food and customs.

Upcoming novel:

[Easygoing slacker x scheming scholar, marriage first and love later, 1v1, food, sweet romance]

Su He, transmigrated into the third daughter of the Su family in Jingshui Village, has two wishes in life: first, to fill a jar with money; second, to run away with her little jar of cash.

Su He: A 996 office worker who worked herself to death in her previous life. Having been given a second chance, why shouldn't I become a rich foodie? Do I really have to get married and raise children?

As it turns out, someone really does come looking for her to marry and raise children.

Word has it that the fiance her father arranged for her is none other than Pei Yanhuai, the eldest son of the Pei family next door, renowned for his exceptional scholarship and incomparable good looks.

Su He looks at the Pei family's little courtyard, which is barely any wealthier than her own, and at the cold, distant "Teacher Pei." She secretly weighs her still-empty money jar. She'll have to save a little longer.

Pei Yanhuai, who was showered with flowers by young ladies while studying for the imperial exams, during his glorious exam days, and even when he left the capital, thinks he can finally escape that nuisance now that he's back in his hometown.

Who knew that the moment he got home, he'd hear he was engaged to the chubby little foodie next door?

*

On their wedding night, the moon hangs low, insects chirp, and shadows sway.

Beneath the red gauze curtains and in the glow of the red candles, the miserable newlyweds look at each other.

"How about we just pretend?"

And so a fake couple, real bickering partners, begin a life together in the Pei family's courtyard, full of music and harmony (and chaos).

Little by little, Su He discovers that her convenient husband is actually a man with plenty of charm.

He has beautiful handwriting, paints wonderfully, and is a great cook. When it rains, the paper umbrella he holds covers only her...

And though he's a frail scholar, the firm chest and abs beneath his underclothes are quite tempting.

Pei Yanhuai sees Su He sneaking glances at him and narrows his handsome phoenix eyes.

This convenient wife of his is kind of cute.

She loves food, and she's always coming up with clever ideas. The exquisite dishes she makes are so delicious that even he can't stop eating. She loves money, but she earns it honestly, and her clever, sly business sense is enough to earn his praise.

But why does she always drool when she looks at him?

*

Just as Su He is fretting over her full money jar, a rumor sweeps through the village like a storm: Pei Yanhuai has a hidden ailment!

This...

Pei Yanhuai's phoenix eyes silently turn toward the woman clutching the money jar for dear life.

Su He: Is... is that true?

She steels herself, hands the money jar to Pei Yanhuai, and tells him to use it to get treated!

Pei Yanhuai smiles, his sparkling eyes drawing close to Su He as his hot breath brushes her fluttering lashes.

"How about you clear my name first?"

Theme: Though life may be small as a mustard seed, the heart can hold the whole universe. Always have a direction and keep moving forward with optimism, and in the end, you'll find the happy ending you seek