“A couple of days ago when I had that fever, I woke up knowing how to make these. Perhaps the Goddess was watching over me in some mysterious way.”
Three days earlier, Gu Yanxi had fallen into the river while washing clothes for others. She returned home with a high fever that lasted three full days and nights.
The physician had declared her beyond treatment and advised the Gu Family to prepare for funeral arrangements.
Unexpectedly, after three days, Gu Yanxi suddenly recovered.
Everyone said it was divine protection.
Gu Yanxi herself was utterly astonished – she had actually traveled through time to a dynasty that didn’t exist in history, and she had been here for three years already!
As fate would have it, when she first crossed over three years ago, she had hit her head against a tree and lost her memory.
The original host was the daughter of the Gu Family in Peach Blossom Village. The Gu Family had moved to Jingdu ten years ago.
There were four people in the household.
After Gu Guosheng’s leg was crippled from a fall, Zhao Shi found work doing laundry.
She single-handedly cared for her husband, washed over ten basins of clothes daily, and looked after her young children. Before long, her health broke down from exhaustion, and she had been relying on medication to get by ever since.
Before Gu Guosheng fully recovered, he found work collecting night soil and had been doing it until now.
Her younger brother Gu Yu had begun his education at five. He was naturally gifted for studying – the moment he entered school, the teacher praised his intelligence, and he could memorize an entire poem every day.
But after just one year of schooling, the family encountered sudden misfortune and could no longer afford his education, forcing him to withdraw.
After leaving school, with no one to guide him, he spent his days in idle pursuits. As he grew older, he started frequenting Caiyun Guan with a group of so-called brothers.
The original host was the only daughter in the family. After turning twelve, all household chores fell on her shoulders. In her spare time, she would take on laundry work to supplement the family income.
For three years after crossing over, Gu Yanxi had been playing the role of the original host.
This high fever, while unfortunate, turned out to be a blessing in disguise – it restored her memories!
“Everyone should try some. That our daughter has such skills is a blessing for our Gu Family.” Gu Guosheng, who doted most on his daughter, gestured for everyone to start eating.
“Sister, are you really my biological sister?”
Gu Yanxi was so startled she nearly spat out her mouthful of cold noodles. “Why wouldn’t I be your sister?”
“The food you make is just too delicious – even better than meat! You have to make delicious food for me every day from now on!”
Gu Yu alternated between bites of iron plate potatoes and cold noodles, his cheeks bulging like a chipmunk’s.
Even after three bowls, he showed no intention of stopping.
“These are made from potatoes, right? Let me taste how they differ from the potatoes we usually eat.”
Gu Guosheng took a bite of the iron plate potatoes, and his expression instantly lit up.
Their family was too poor to afford rice, so they bought potatoes instead. They’d always prepared them by steaming, boiling, or stir-frying, and had long grown tired of the taste. But this flavor…
Crisp yet tender on the palate, with numbing spiciness and rich aroma blending perfectly in each bite. The heat and numbness spread from the tip of the tongue.
Every mouthful brought the sensation of the spicy and numbing flavors dancing in the mouth, mingled with the sweet fragrance of onions – not just dry numbness or plain spiciness.
After two consecutive bites of potatoes, following the initial amazement of the first taste, it started feeling slightly heavy. Then taking a bite of the other vegetables in the iron plate potatoes…
The cucumber, eggplant, and lotus root slices each offered remarkably delightful flavors that perfectly cut through the richness of the potatoes. Alternating between potatoes and vegetables created a combination that felt like it could never grow tiresome.
After tasting the iron plate potatoes, he turned to the cold noodles.
The cold noodles presented even more appealingly, garnished with shredded carrots and cucumbers, sprinkled with chopped scallions – just the appearance alone whetted the appetite.
With the first bite, the flavors of sweet, sour, spicy, and numbing sensations burst forth, and the texture was unlike any noodles she had eaten before.
These noodles were more springy, smooth, and distinct, strand by strand. A mouthful of Liangmian mixed with shredded carrots and cucumbers felt incredibly refreshing, making the weather seem less sweltering.
Gu Guosheng ate bowl after bowl, unable to stop himself.
As for Zhao Shi, she ate in silence, clearly enjoying both dishes immensely.
Seeing Gu Guosheng unable to stop eating, Zhao Shi snatched his bowl away.
“No matter how delicious something is, you need to know your limits. Your stomach isn’t strong—if you overeat, how will you sleep tonight?”
“Just one more bite, just one last bite. A Qian, you’ve truly given our Gu Family a wonderful daughter. The food she makes is so incredibly delicious.”
Gu Guosheng gave his wife a thumbs-up, snatched the bowl back, and continued stuffing his mouth.
Zhao Shi felt a warmth in her heart from his praise and let him be. At worst, she could accompany him for a longer walk to aid digestion.
“A Yan, how did you manage to turn such an ordinary potato into something like this? Look at these beautiful patterns—I’ve never seen anyone cut potatoes this way before.”
“But we’re just an ordinary family, and life is already tight. Look at all the oil and seasonings you used—it must have cost a lot. In the future, we should only have such oil-and-seasoning-heavy dishes once a month at most.”
Seeing her mother worrying about the cost and only tasting the food without eating more, Gu Yanxi felt a pang of heartache. “Mother, I’ve thought of a way to earn money. From now on, our family will have plenty of these delicious foods!”
“Nonsense!” Realizing her tone was too harsh and afraid of frightening her daughter who had just recovered from a serious illness, Zhao Shi softened her voice. “Earning money is your father’s responsibility. You’re just a young girl—you can’t carry heavy loads or do manual labor. This is just foolishness.”
“Mother, I’m not being foolish. I plan to earn money with my skills, not by using brute strength. And even if strength is needed, isn’t there a ready-made laborer right there?”
Gu Yanxi tilted her chin toward Gu Yu, who was focused intently on eating.
Zhao Shi followed her daughter’s gaze to her son.
If this good-for-nothing could seriously work with A Yan, perhaps he could improve.
But still…
“A Yan, what kind of business do you want to start?”
“Selling Tieban Tudou and Liangmian.”
“A food business?” Zhao Shi’s heart skipped a beat as she asked.
“Exactly.” Gu Yanxi nodded.
Since she had this skill, she couldn’t let it go to waste. She even dreamed of expanding the business once it took off, growing bigger and stronger, eventually counting money effortlessly. Just thinking about such a life felt wonderful!
Zhao Shi, being honest and conventional, didn’t really support the idea of doing business, especially with food.
She advised, “But if we can’t sell it, all that food will go to waste. Our family of few won’t be able to finish it all.”
“You know our family’s situation—if we lose money, life will become even harder.”
Understanding her mother’s concerns, Gu Yanxi took her hand. “Mother, do you think these two dishes are delicious?”
“They are delicious, but…”
“Then that’s settled. Our family often eats potatoes, and we all think this tastes good. Other families won’t find it bad either. Mother, trust me, we can definitely make money.”
“A Yan, where do you plan to sell these?” Gu Guosheng asked.
Gu Yanxi reported the results of his market research over the past two days to his father. “I’ve inquired about it. Yunchang Academy has a back street lined with stalls on both sides, where many students buy their morning meals.”
Upon hearing this, Zhao Shi became even more opposed.
“Other vendors sell steamed buns, pancakes, or wontons for morning meals. But your… Tieban Tudou and Liangmian—will they even sell?”