Misty rain blurred the world, and fine droplets fell upon the ink orchids in the courtyard, bringing with them a distant, refreshing fragrance.
The ink orchids stood straight and proud, brazenly displaying their elegance, only to have their stems ruthlessly snapped by a pale yellow figure. They fell onto the bluestone slabs, where they were crushed into the mud.
“What are you so proud of? At the end of the day, aren’t you still just a woman? Wouldn’t it be better to just marry obediently? Do you still think you can compete with me for the restaurant?”
The disdainful man snapped open his folding fan. Looking down at his biological younger sister, who had struck her head and was bleeding on the ground, he couldn’t help but sneer.
“Stop pretending. It’s just a broken head… This rain won’t stop. Carry her to the main hall.”
He gestured casually to a servant before hurrying back to the hall to sit down. He took a sip of tea, but his brow immediately furrowed into a frown, and he spat out the tea leaves.
“Father, where did this tea come from? It’s both astringent and bitter.”
The old man beside him didn’t care in the slightest whether his own daughter lived or died. He was busy flipping through an account book.
“You know well enough that the family restaurant has run into problems.” The old man put down the ledger and looked at his useless daughter on the floor, his heart filled with irritation.
“As long as she marries into the Zhou Estate, the restaurant can survive. To think she’d refuse so stubbornly—I’ve raised an ungrateful wolf!”
The two of them grumbled and complained, no one paying any attention to whether the woman in the hall was alive or dead.
Jiang Ning opened her eyes and clutched her head. She felt as if the world were spinning; everything she looked at made her dizzy.
One moment she had been at home researching recipes, and the next she was so lightheaded it felt as if she’d accidentally eaten poisonous mushrooms and was seeing little people dancing.
“So dizzy…”
After she regained some strength, her vision finally focused, landing on the two men sitting nearby.
The moment she saw them, a flood of memories that didn’t belong to her surged into her mind, making her so dizzy she collapsed onto the floor again.
What was going on? She had actually transmigrated! Then who was going to eat the old hen she had been stewing all afternoon!
When the influx of memories finally ended, she looked at the two men before her, her eyes filled with contempt.
“Ugh, you guys actually use gutter oil?”
The two men before her were the original host Jiang Shiyu’s biological father, Jiang Cheng, and her older brother, Jiang Yuan.
The Jiang family had lived in the Imperial City for generations, owning the “Tianxiang Restaurant” that had been passed down through the ages. However, in recent years, due to a lack of ambition and reckless pricing, it had fallen into decline, though it was still somewhat functional.
By the time it reached Jiang Cheng’s generation, he felt there wasn’t enough profit. He not only used the cheapest ingredients but also reused the cooking oil over and over again. Eventually, he caused trouble.
The son of the Chancellor had eaten at Tianxiang Restaurant and suffered from diarrhea for three days afterward. Since then, their reputation had plummeted, and the restaurant had been blacklisted by the Chancellor’s Estate.
With the restaurant struggling and cash flow tightening, it was on the verge of collapse. The two men then thought of Jiang Shiyu.
The young master of the Zhou Estate was fond of her. Although he had several concubines, he claimed that the position of the primary wife would definitely be hers.
As long as they married her off, they would have enough funds to get through this crisis.
Jiang Shiyu’s life was truly tragic. Since she was young, she had wanted to revitalize the restaurant and had offered many suggestions to her brother. Yet, even though she never overstepped her bounds, her brother still suspected her of trying to steal the family inheritance.
The father and son guarded against her like she was a thief, never letting her see the accounts or manage affairs. They had always intended to marry her off to a wealthy family for a huge profit once she grew up.
Yet Jiang Shiyu had held onto hope, thinking that if she performed well enough, the two of them would soften their hearts.
It wasn’t until a few days ago, when they conspired to throw her into that fiery pit, that she finally woke up to the truth: a beast, no matter how much it grows, will never become human.
But it was too late. Not only did she fail to escape, but she also lost her life in the process.
“You rebellious child! If you had agreed to Young Master Zhou earlier, how could our family have ended up in such a frantic mess?”
Jiang Ning looked at them, finding the situation almost laughable.
“You’re certainly good at shifting the blame. It was clearly your own poor management, yet you pin the blame on me? It’s a good thing the Chancellor’s son didn’t have a major problem, otherwise, forget the restaurant—your very lives would be forfeit.”
“You little brat!”
Jiang Yuan spat out some tea leaves, picked up his folding fan, and stood up to strike her head.
He hadn’t expected his usually gentle sister to not only sidestep the blow but also deliver a ruthless kick without hesitation, aiming straight for his family jewels. His face turned a deep shade of red, and he collapsed onto the floor clutching his crotch, sobbing in pain.
Jiang Ning was someone who knew how to assess a situation. She knew when to retreat, but she was no pushover, let alone a fool. When it wasn’t time to back down, she would charge forward even if it meant breaking her own head.
Tomorrow was the agreed-upon wedding date; she absolutely could not let herself be trapped here today.
Jiang Cheng let out a cry and hurriedly went to check on his son. “My son, are you alright? Jiang Shiyu! Do you intend to end the Jiang family line?!”
While everyone was focused on Jiang Yuan, she threw her weight into a sprint toward the door.
With her clothes in tatters, her hair disheveled, and an expression of fierce excitement, even the servants in the Jiang Estate couldn’t help but move aside and let her pass.
A heart-wrenching scream echoed from the main courtyard: “Catch Jiang Shiyu! Don’t let her escape!”
At this moment, Jiang Ning felt as if she were possessed by Forrest Gump. She put her head down and charged, knocking aside a maidservant and bursting through the main gate.
The servants of the Jiang Estate all chased after her. Jiang Ning ducked into an alleyway and hid behind a basket, gasping for breath.
This was a major miscalculation. Jiang Shiyu’s constitution was too weak. After just a few steps, her breathing sounded like a wheezing bellows.
At this rate, her being caught was only a matter of time.
[Do you wish to break free from your toxic family and reach the peak of your career?]
Jiang Ning wheezed, looking around in astonishment.
[Do you wish to capture his stomach and make him your servant?]
Jiang Ning realized what was happening. The voice was echoing inside her head. Could this be the thing all transmigrators had—
[The Little Kitchen System is at your service, helping the host reach the peak. I am your essential companion for home and travel.]
The Golden Finger had arrived!
A series of icons appeared before her eyes: various vegetables, fruits, flour, butter, and other ingredients, along with all kinds of kitchen utensils.
[As long as you unlock them, the host can cook any food.]
Looking at these familiar tools and ingredients, Jiang Ning instinctively asked a soul-searching question.
“But I’m currently about to be caught and married off to a pig. Don’t you think your appearance is a bit poorly timed?”
She was currently fleeing for her life. What use was this kitchen system? Was she supposed to cook something to move their hearts?
[…]
[Binding successful. Standing by for the host’s next summons.]
The sound of footsteps near the alley became increasingly chaotic, with signs of them drawing closer. Jiang Ning had no time to worry about this strange system. She held her breath and listened to the footsteps.
“This area hasn’t been searched yet.”
As people drew near, Jiang Ning took a deep breath and darted out like a slippery fish.
She stopped ducking into small alleys and instead ran toward crowded areas. This way she wouldn’t hit a dead end, and she could disperse those chasing her.
A new sight appeared on the streets of the Imperial City: a girl in tattered clothes with blood on her forehead running in front, while a group of men chased her from behind.
Those who recognized her knew she was the young lady of the Jiang family; those who didn’t thought it was some kind of underworld pursuit.
Jiang Ning instinctively looked back. The number of servants had indeed decreased, but there were still seven or eight following her relentlessly, like blood-sucking leeches.
In her rapid sprint, every rise and fall of her lungs felt painful. Every breath of air felt like a knife’s edge. Jiang Ning furrowed her brows and tried to keep going, but her speed gradually slowed.
She saw Jiang Yuan emerge from an alley to the left. His face was flushed red, his teeth were gritted, and his eyes burned with a fire that seemed ready to incinerate her.
She gritted her teeth and changed direction, forced to take a long detour toward the city gates.
The wind whistled past. Hairpins and ornaments fell all along the way. A little girl curiously picked one up, only to have her head cuffed by an adult.
“Careful, or you might be reborn into her family in your next life. What a tragedy.”
Jiang Ning’s hair had completely come undone. Her run had slowed to a fast walk; she was completely spent.
In the vast Imperial City, the Jiang family was merely a slightly wealthy small household with little influence. But because their uncle-in-law was the Minister of the Imperial Board of Personnel, no one dared to lend her a hand. Even the city patrol guards she encountered on the street pretended not to see.
Jiang Ning stopped, leaning against a notice board to catch her breath. Her face was bloodless, her lips were pale, and her lungs throbbed with pain. Her body had reached its limit.
Not far away, Jiang Yuan saw that she seemed to have accepted her fate. He also stopped running and began to walk toward her slowly with a cold sneer.
Jiang Ning found him an eyesore and didn’t want to look at him. As she shifted her gaze, an imperial notice caught her eye.
“Seeking one with superior culinary skills. Ability to stimulate the appetite is sufficient. Monthly salary negotiable. Must reside within the palace.”
The few words were cold and indifferent.
Jiang Yuan stopped two meters away from her, his face full of mockery and disgust.
“Pah! What kind of thing are you? Do you really think you’re something special? Run all you like. I’ve already settled things with the city gate guards. If you manage to get out, I’ll twist my own head off and let you kick it like a ball.”
Jiang Ning looked at him, sneering in silence as a plan formed in her mind.
Jiang Yuan still felt a faint pain between his legs. Seeing her current expression made his blood boil. He made a gesture, and the servants around him began to slowly surround her.
“If you want to call for help, do it loudly. See if anyone around here cares!”
Jiang Ning leaned against the notice board, crossing her arms as she looked at him, a smile playing on her lips.
“Who said I was going to run out?”
She placed her hand on the imperial notice that had been posted for a long time and slowly tore it down.
“Not only am I not running out of the Imperial City, but I am also going deeper into it.”
The long-standing imperial notice had been torn down. The “blind” city patrol guards in the distance finally reacted, running over with their sabers drawn.
“Jiang Shiyu, how dare you! Do you know who issued that imperial notice?!”
The notice was completely torn off. Jiang Ning shook the paper in her hand and pointed to the bottom right corner for him to see.
“I’m not blind. Isn’t it written right here? Ji Ke.”
The uniformed city patrol arrived, looking strangely at Jiang Ning, who had already torn down the notice.
Jiang Yuan gave Jiang Ning a fierce glare before quickly forcing a smile and clapping the patrol captain on the shoulder like a brother.
“Brother Qin, give me a break here. Just pretend you didn’t see anything.”
The man immediately shook his head. “Anyone who takes down the notice must be brought to the Director’s Manor. Those are the orders. I cannot disobey them.”
“She is supposed to marry Young Master Zhou! If she runs away, how will you answer to him?!”
Jiang Yuan pointed at Jiang Ning, looking exactly like a common thug hiding behind someone else’s power.
the man sneered and brushed off Jiang Yuan’s hand.
“What does Zhou Xue count for? Can you read? The one who issued this notice wasn’t the Crown Prince, it was the Nine-Thousand-Year-Old. I am definitely taking her with me today.”
Seeing this, Jiang Ning laughed loudly. She reached out to brush off her skirt and looked down her nose at Jiang Yuan.
“Out of options, aren’t you? Go ahead and try to snatch me from the Director’s Manor. Do you dare?”
Seeing Jiang Yuan’s frustrated and stifled expression, Jiang Ning felt immensely satisfied.
Jiang Yuan was initially anxious, but seeing her like this, he couldn’t help but sneer as well.
“What are you acting so arrogant for? Who knows, in a few days, news might come that there’s not even a whole corpse left of you. Jiang Shiyu, don’t be too proud! Do you know who that person is? Don’t end up dead with no one to collect your body! I’m going home right now to strike your name from the family register!”
“I’m not afraid of being left off your family register.” Jiang Ning walked up to him, carefully folded the imperial notice, and raised her leg to give him another kick.
“But I imagine you and your father are quite afraid of having no descendants.”
Having suffered a heavy blow once again, Jiang Yuan struggled to keep from kneeling, but the veins on his forehead bulged and his face turned bright red. Anyone looking could tell how much it hurt. He stared deathly at the light-footed Jiang Ning.
“Go back and tell your father: the world is a small place, and we will meet again. I’ll be waiting for the day you come to beg me to buy Tianxiang Restaurant.”
Author’s Note:
Warning: This is not a “face-slapping” power fantasy story, it’s a sweet story!! (Loudly) Little angels who only like power fantasies can choose to exit now.