As dawn broke, Lin Yao slowly awoke, her head still somewhat groggy and her wounds throbbing faintly.
Lying in bed, she gazed up at the small thatched hut that seemed as if a gust of wind could blow it away.
The earthen walls around her were mottled and patchy, exposing dry, hardened yellow mud. The only table in the room was missing a leg, propped up precariously with a few rocks, teetering on the verge of collapse. A few broken stools lay askew nearby, some with half their seats snapped off.
Looking at her own body now, she was emaciated to the bone, her patched coarse-cloth garment hanging loosely like a sack draped over a bamboo pole. Her hair was dry, frizzy, and dull, tied carelessly at the back of her head with a string. Her cheeks were deeply sunken, making her eyes appear unusually large.
Lin Yao instantly lost any desire to linger in bed.
Stepping out of the room, she saw Lin Cheng had already prepared breakfast and was tidying up the firewood. She observed the fifteen-year-old boy, who should have been at an age of budding growth but appeared exceptionally frail due to long hours of heavy labor and inadequate nourishment.
Lin Cheng turned and noticed his younger sister standing there, lost in thought. "A Yao, your injuries haven’t fully healed yet. Why not rest a bit longer?"
Lin Yao snapped out of her reverie. "It’s fine. The wounds are much better now. Lying down for too long makes my bones stiff."
Entering the kitchen, her eyes fell on the large iron pot in the center. Inside, coarse rice porridge bubbled thinly, more water than grain, bland and tasteless. Suddenly, she felt the pot of porridge mirrored the fate of the Lin family’s second branch—seemingly boiling and struggling, yet making no real progress, full of heat but unable to fill their stomachs or change their destitute circumstances.
Although she had already learned about the poverty of the Lin family’s second branch through the original host’s memories, standing in the kitchen herself and facing this pitiful pot of coarse rice porridge made her truly grasp the embarrassment and helplessness brought by such poverty.
But deep down, Lin Yao had an unyielding spirit. That moment of despondency vanished as quickly as it came. Now, only one resolute thought echoed fiercely in her mind: Make money! She must find a way to earn money! She, Lin Yao, would live a life of luxury and abundance!
But first, she had to fill her stomach. She ladled out three bowls of porridge, placed them on the table, and went to call her brothers for breakfast.
Hearing his sister’s voice, Lin Song immediately rushed into the kitchen. He picked up his bowl and began sipping the porridge in small mouthfuls.
Due to long-term malnutrition, Lin Song was much shorter than other children his age. His clothes were layered with patches, resembling a collage of tattered rags. His sparse hair clung to his scalp, making his head appear even smaller.
She lifted her bowl and took a sip. The bitterness of wild vegetables mixed with the coarse texture of the rice instantly spread across her tongue. Lin Yao couldn’t help but wrinkle her nose, but hunger left little room for pickiness, and she continued eating slowly.
After breakfast, with money-making on her mind, Lin Yao decided to go out and scout the situation. She said, "Elder Brother, I’m going out later to wash the clothes."
Lin Cheng paused his work. "Stay home and rest. I’ll go wash them in a bit."
Lin Yao shook her head. "My injuries are fine. There aren’t many clothes today, so it won’t take long. Elder Brother, why don’t you go hunt some wild pheasants for me and Little Brother to eat?"
The little girl's eyes sparkled, and she swallowed greedily before adding, "It's been so long since I last tasted wild pheasant." Lin Cheng was both amused and exasperated. His sister was usually well-behaved and sensible, but after all, she was still young and at that age where she craved tasty food.
"Alright then, hurry home after washing the clothes. Don't wander off," Lin Cheng agreed. He carefully slung the quiver over his shoulder, tightened his grip on the hunting bow, and turned to walk toward the back hill.
Lin Yao watched her brother's retreating figure until it disappeared at the end of the path. Then she deftly packed up the washing basin, gathered the worn clothes, and headed out.
Food and drink were the top priorities in life. Having traveled back to ancient times, she was forcibly separated from Fried Chicken, Shǔ tiáo, burgers, roast duck, barbecue, fried skewers…
These once readily available delicacies had been her sustenance for both mind and body in her previous life. Sometimes, just watching videos of them had been enough to make her happy.
But that wasn't a problem! As a modern slashie who had run a food account with millions of followers, Lin Yao knew that the essential skill for any food blogger was making do with local ingredients. She would recreate these delicacies bit by bit, though her immediate priority was escaping poverty.
Stepping out of the house, the morning wind carried the scent of grass and trees toward her. This was air filled with negative ions! So fresh! So invigorating!
Lin Yao couldn't help taking several deep breaths, greedily inhaling the pure air.
She arrived at the riverbank, soaked the tattered clothes in water, added wood ash, and vigorously scrubbed the stains. After finishing, instead of returning home immediately, she turned and entered the mountains.
Lin Yao had once created a series of videos on mountain forest cuisine. During that period, she had researched daily and became familiar with the growth habits of common ingredients. Little did she know this skill would prove useful now.
She slowly followed the mountain path villagers used for gathering firewood into the hills.
The trees along the path weren't overly dense, mostly miscellaneous woods as thick as bowls – their branches likely long chopped by villagers for firewood, leaving only slender trunks lining both sides.
Within just a few steps, Lin Yao discovered a patch of wild chives. Chives could be used in so many dishes! Her thoughts instantly drifted, conjuring images of familiar modern foods: chive boxes, chive dumplings, chive omelets…
Just thinking about them made her mouth water. However, given the current rudimentary conditions and scarce ingredients, the simplest option would be chive pancakes.
But as soon as the idea formed, she grew worried again.
In ancient times, eggs weren't readily available ingredients. Their family only had one laying hen, which Lin Cheng had caught as a wild pheasant during a mountain trip.
Normally, Lin Cheng saved all the eggs to sell for copper coins at the market. If she wanted to use them for cooking, she wasn't sure if he would agree.
While Lin Yao was pondering this, sudden rustling sounds emerged from a nearby bush. Her heartbeat quickened abruptly, and cold sweat instantly dampened her back. Not daring to linger, she tucked the chives into her clothes and hurried home.
Entering the yard, she saw Lin Cheng repairing the worn table while Lin Song crouched nearby, his little bottom sticking up as he curiously played with pebbles on the ground.
"Brother, I'd like to eat eggs today." Lin Yao hesitated for a moment before speaking up.
Lin Cheng paused what he was doing and looked up at his younger sister. She had always been sensible since childhood and rarely made requests from the family. Normally, the family's eggs were saved to sell at the market for money—each egg was worth two copper coins.
But when his gaze fell upon the unhealed wound on Lin Yao's head, a wave of guilt washed over him. "Alright, I'll make them for you. You got injured yesterday and need to regain your strength."
"I'll do it. I gathered some fresh leeks today and will make something new for you and Song'er!" Lin Yao said.
"You went up the mountain?" Lin Cheng asked.
"Yes, just picked them from the foothills," Lin Yao replied.
Lin Cheng suddenly straightened his face and said sternly, "The mountains are dangerous—don’t go deep into them. A few days ago, Uncle Zhang from the east end of the village thought he’d try his luck in the deep mountains, hoping to hunt more rare game to sell for money. But he never returned. His wife and children cried and searched for days, only to find one of his torn straw shoes, all bloody and terrifying to look at."
Lin Yao nodded obediently and replied, "Brother, I know. I only wandered around the foothills and didn’t dare go further."
With that, Lin Yao immediately slipped into the kitchen—her comfort zone.
She first spread the freshly picked leeks on the cutting board, carefully sorting them and removing any wilted leaves. Then she washed them in a basin of water, drained them, and deftly chopped them into fine pieces. The rich aroma of leeks instantly filled the small kitchen.
Lin Yao brought over a small stool, stepped onto it, and reached for a bamboo basket hanging high up. From it, she retrieved a few wild eggs. In the countryside, eggs were stored in baskets hung high to keep them safe from rats and other animals.
She gently cracked the eggs, letting the bright, golden yolks and whites slide into a bowl. Picking up a pair of chopsticks, she whisked them quickly, the crisp tapping sound echoing as the mixture became smooth and fluffy.
Next, she added the chopped leeks, flour, and a pinch of salt to the egg mixture, stirring everything together. The resulting batter was vibrant, with yellow and green hues that made one’s mouth water.
After adding more firewood to the stove, Lin Yao scooped a large piece of lard into the heated wok. The lard instantly melted into a clear pool of oil, sizzling as it spread across the bottom.
As the oil heated up, she lifted the bowl and slowly poured the egg and leek batter along the edge of the wok. With a sizzle, the mixture instantly puffed up and solidified in the hot oil, the edges turning a tempting golden brown and bubbling finely.
The earthen stove burned fiercely, so Lin Yao didn’t delay. She quickly grabbed a spatula, flipped the egg cake over, and pressed it down to ensure even cooking. Her movements were fluid and seamless, and soon the other side became crispy and fragrant.
Lin Song, who had been squatting in the yard engrossed in playing with stones, suddenly caught a whiff of the enticing aroma.
He looked up toward the kitchen, sniffing the air eagerly, then dropped the stones in his hand and dashed toward the kitchen.
Stopping abruptly at the doorway, the little boy tilted his head back, his eyes fixed intently on the stove. Since he wasn’t tall enough to see over it, he stood on his tiptoes, stretching his neck as he inhaled the delicious scent and called out, "It smells so good, Second Sister!"
Lin Yao watched him looking like a greedy kitten, his eyes filled with eagerness and longing, so she first tore off a small piece of leek and egg pancake for him. The little one carefully took it, sniffed it at the tip of his nose first, and his treasuring demeanor was somewhat heartbreaking.
Lin Song gently took a small bite of the leek and egg pancake in his hand. The fluffy texture and the aroma of eggs rushed through his mouth, making his eyes instantly light up. His cheeks puffed out slightly as he chewed slowly, his face full of satisfaction. Softly, he said, "Second Sister, it's so delicious." After saying this, he didn't ask for more but stood obediently to the side, though his eyes still occasionally glanced toward the plate of pancakes.
Lin Yao then handed a piece to her brother, who had just stepped into the kitchen.
Lin Cheng took it and, looking at the enticing food, took a bite without hesitation. The moment he bit into it, his taste buds were instantly ignited, and a wonderful flavor he had never experienced before spread in his mouth. His eyes lit up, and he looked at his sister with surprise and admiration: "A Yao, this pancake is truly delicious! Where did you learn such new ways of cooking? It's incredibly fragrant."
Finally, he asked!
Since she planned to rely on her culinary skills to make a living, she had to find a plausible explanation for her suddenly acquired cooking abilities.
After all, in this ancient era, the transmission of culinary skills was extremely strict. A cook's expertise was either passed down carefully through generations or learned from a master through rituals like formal apprenticeship, kowtowing, and incense offerings.
The original owner was just a young girl who had never left the county—how could she inexplicably master so many dishes?
Lin Yao lowered her voice, a mysterious expression on her face, and slowly said, "Elder Brother, when I was injured and unconscious, I had a particularly miraculous dream. It was foggy in the dream, and I couldn't tell east from west. Just as I was feeling scared, a soft light suddenly broke through, and an immortal-like elder appeared before me."
As she spoke, she gestured with her hands, her eyes wide open. "The immortal had snow-white hair, a beard that nearly reached the ground, and his clothes shimmered with tiny specks of starlight. He looked so majestic. He smiled at me without saying a word and took me to a magical place. There was a large stone table there, covered with delicacies I had never seen before."
Lin Yao grew more animated as she spoke, her hands casually sketching the scenes from her dream in the air. "The immortal told me about many foods, and when I woke up, the cooking methods were etched clearly in my mind, as if they had been carved there."
Listening to his sister's description, Lin Cheng, holding half a pancake in his hand, seemed frozen in place. He was silent for a long while, then slightly raised his head, his gaze seemingly piercing through the dilapidated roof and drifting toward the distant, ethereal sky. His eyes gradually reddened.
After a long pause, he finally spoke, his voice tinged with a sob, "It must be Mother, unable to rest easy about us. She loved you the most when she was alive and couldn't bear to see you suffering with me…"
Though young, Lin Song understood some of it. He tightly clutched the hem of Lin Yao's clothes, tilting his head up, his big eyes misty as he murmured softly, "Second Sister, was it Mother? I miss Mother so much."
Lin Yao reached out and patted Lin Song's head, then looked at Lin Cheng. "Elder Brother, it must be Mother watching over us. With these skills, we can earn plenty of coins and live a good life."
Lin Cheng took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the sour, bitter emotions. He knew now was not the time for sorrow—his younger sister was right, there would be plenty of days ahead.
He wiped his face and looked at Lin Yao, asking, "A Yao, what are your plans?"
Lin Yao knew things were falling into place. She hurriedly poured out the plan she had been mulling over for a long time: "Brother, I'm thinking of setting up a small food stall at the dock, starting by selling these chive and egg pancakes. They don't require much capital, taste great, and I'm sure people will buy them. Once we've saved up a bit, we can add other snacks."
Lin Cheng nodded, then turned and went back into the inner room, bringing out a worn wooden box. From it, he took out a cloth bundle. He placed it on the table and carefully unwrapped it layer by layer, revealing a pile of copper coins—money he had earned from selling game.
Lin Cheng counted the coins meticulously, arranging them one by one as he murmured softly, "One, two, three…" After finishing, he looked up at Lin Yao and said, "A Yao, there are 120 wen in total. Take it to buy what you need for the stall."
Seeing how unreservedly he shared what he had, Lin Yao was deeply moved. "Brother, don't worry, I'll definitely earn back even more copper coins." Her culinary skills were finally out in the open, and she now had the capital to start the stall. Lin Yao could almost see the copper coins waving at her in her mind's eye.