After an accident, Ji He transmigrated to ancient times and woke up in the body of a young man who had just breathed his last after enduring endless hardship.
The poor fellow really had it rough. Above him were biased parents who didn't treat him like a person, below him a younger brother who bullied him for fun, and the only person who had ever been kind to him, his grandmother, had just passed away seven days earlier.
Ji He: “...”
The first thing Ji He heard when he opened his eyes was Old Man Ji saying he was going to sell him to an old widower in the village so his precious grandson could get married.
Ji He got revenge on them one by one, ran off with his money, and was lucky enough to find an abandoned mountain hut to stay in.
With his modern knowledge and his family's cooking skills, Ji He managed to earn his first bit of money.
He happily clutched his earnings as he headed home, only to find himself blocked at the door by Qin Shan, a tall, broad-shouldered hunter.
It turned out the house belonged to Qin Shan.
Fortunately, Qin Shan was a good man. Seeing how pitiful Ji He was, he not only let him stay, but even shared half of his hunted game with him.
With no way to repay him, Ji He could only... cook him all kinds of delicious food: fish and lamb soup, Dongpo pork, pork with garlic sauce, chicken with gastrodia and ham, and a soup of pine mushrooms and bamboo shoots. He even managed to feed the man into growing another head taller.
Meanwhile, Ji He's food stall was doing a roaring trade. Its delicious aromas filled the streets and alleys, and customers couldn't stop singing its praises.
Some jealous people tried to cause trouble, but when they saw the eight-foot-tall, fierce-looking man standing beside the stall, they didn't dare take another step.
Perhaps the mountain breeze was simply too gentle. Before long, feelings began to bloom between them.
Qin Shan solemnly hired a matchmaker, completed all the traditional betrothal rites, and married Ji He with his family's blessing.
Just as their life was getting better and better, the Ji family showed up, making a scene and trying to extort money.
Ji He showed them no mercy, and Qin Shan went straight to his fists, beating the precious grandson until he was wailing for his father and mother. The whole family fled in disgrace, clutching their heads.
From then on, Ji He was completely free of them. With his excellent cooking, he went from a street stall to a restaurant in town, bought farmland and property, and headed for the county seat.
From being alone to having each other, they would share their meals for the rest of their lives, with nothing to worry about through the changing seasons.
In spring, they gathered sweet mountain greens; in summer, they caught fish, shrimp, water chestnuts, and lotus roots; in autumn, they hunted wild birds and enjoyed fragrant fruit; in winter, they sat around the warm stove and chatted about everyday life. Year after year, they lived in peace and happiness.
Theme: Grow crops with care
