The Little Chef of Lingnan

Everyone, take a look at my upcoming novel, A Record of Chang'an Cuisine. Its synopsis is below this one.

A bright, sunny heroine x a sweet-talking, black-hearted puppy of a hero

Lin Shuwan had just won the Golden Chef Award of China when she opened her eyes and discovered she had transmigrated into the body of an official's daughter with the exact same name.

Who could have guessed that her body's original father's death in the line of duty would be followed by the mother and daughter being dispossessed and driven out of their home, then her fiance breaking off their engagement?

Her fiance, the second son of the current Minister of Revenue Qian, had been secretly carrying on with his elder half-sister. When the original owner discovered the affair, they argued, and he pushed her from an attic.

With nowhere to go, her mother could only take her back to Lingnan to seek help from her family.

The good news was that the family still owned a teahouse near a bustling street.

The bad news was that her uncle's family had offended powerful people and lost their lives, leaving behind only a six-year-old cousin burning with fever.

Looking at the Jiang family's little courtyard, smashed into a mess, and the few people there, all sickly and weak, Lin Shuwan's vision went dark. How had things gotten so intense the moment she transmigrated?

The people of Lianzhou City all said that the new restaurant that had recently opened in town served delicious food.

The restaurant's meatballs were fresh and flavorful, its lychee wine fragrant and mellow, and its prices low. They were exactly the sort of treats ordinary families loved.

Lin Shuwan: "They're just ordinary fish balls."

Her roast goose and roast duck were even more exceptional, drawing officials and nobles from a thousand li away to taste them. She also offered an assortment of sweet soups, all refreshing and light, the favorites of noblewomen from prestigious families.

Lin Shuwan: "They're just fruit tea, something very common in later generations."

The fruit wine and preserved fruit she made herself were shipped beyond Lingnan all the way to the capital, where officials and nobles competed to get their hands on them.

Her former fiance regretted breaking off their engagement and wanted to turn over a new leaf. The heir of Lingnan, rumored to be ruthless and cruel, shoved him aside with his shoulder, then looked at Lin Shuwan with a wounded expression. "Sister, I've finished unloading all the goods outside. When are we going home?"

Jiang Yufeng, a trusted aide of the Crown Prince, was notorious for his ruthless methods.

Until the day they saw the heir, who usually smiled while hiding a dagger, clinging to the disgraced daughter of the Lin family. He kicked aside the second son of the Qian family, who had come to make peace, and wrapped his arms around her with a wounded look, shouting, "Sister is mine."

Upcoming novel synopsis:

Clever, independent heroine x black-hearted hero

Yun Ran, a private chef, opened her eyes and found herself in Luoyang during the reign of the Tang dynasty's empress, in the body of a wealthy merchant's daughter.

Who could have known that the original owner's father, whose business was thriving, would incur someone's jealousy? The Chief of Luoyang tried to force the original owner into marriage. Her father refused, and the family was ultimately destroyed. Confined to the rear courtyard, the original owner learned what had happened and chose suicide rather than suffer the indignity.

Touching the wound on her forehead, Yun Ran knew she couldn't just sit around and wait for her fate. While the Chief was hosting a banquet, she gathered up the money and fled in the middle of the night, making her way to Chang'an.

The good news was that the original owner had a fiance in the capital, betrothed to her when they were children.

The bad news was that her fiance now had someone else in his heart.

Yun Ran immediately returned the marriage contract. Looking at prosperous Chang'an, she thought that surely she could make a place for herself there.

At some point, a noodle soup shop opened on the streets of Chang'an, and its food was delicious.

It offered all kinds of novel treats the people of Chang'an had never seen before, such as smooth and chewy liangfen and tangy, spicy suanshui noodles. Delicious and affordable, they quickly won the hearts of Chang'an's people.

Yun Ran's grilled fish, roast duck, and pork stewed with vermicelli were all outstanding. Her whole roast lamb, in particular, was worth a fortune and still hard to come by.

Her exquisite cooking won her the favor of powerful patrons, but all she asked in return was for one of them to clear the Yun family's name.

Before long, the name of Yun's Restaurant rang throughout Chang'an.

Her former fiance regretted everything and waited outside the Yun residence every day, pouring out his feelings. The Assistant Minister of the Court of Judicial Review came rushing over, sword in hand.

"What are you doing to my wife, sir?"

One rainy night, the infamous Assistant Minister Pei met a woman who was truly fascinating.

Drenched to the skin, her eyes filled with suppressed hatred, she said to him, "Lord Pei, would you be willing to work with me? I'll make money for you, and you help me get revenge. How does that sound?"

The bored Assistant Minister Pei agreed at once. Gradually, a simple business arrangement was no longer enough for him.

Until the day he learned she had once been engaged to someone else. Jealousy overwhelmed him, and the usually composed Assistant Minister Pei cornered Yun Ran against a wall, eyes red.

"Yun, please comfort me."

Theme: No matter how difficult things get, always turn toward the sun.