Shi State[1]A fictional state created for the novel. Its political and social institutions are inspired by historical China but should not be assumed to correspond exactly to any particular dynasty. jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_3713754_1_1').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_3713754_1_1', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top center', relative: true, offset: [-7, 0], });, Shangjing City, Prince Li’s Residence[2]The estate and household of a titled prince. In traditional Chinese aristocratic settings, such residences often contained multiple courtyards, servants’ quarters, kitchens, and a hierarchy of … Continue reading jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_3713754_1_2').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_3713754_1_2', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top center', relative: true, offset: [-7, 0], });.
Ziqiang Courtyard, servants’ quarters.
Song Shi had barely stepped out of her room when two people blocked her path: Biyu and her lackey—the culprits who had killed the original owner!
That’s right, Song Shi had transmigrated[3]Transmigration is a common Chinese web-novel convention in which a person’s consciousness or soul enters another world, time period, or body. The person who previously inhabited that body is … Continue reading jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_3713754_1_3').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_3713754_1_3', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top center', relative: true, offset: [-7, 0], }); into the body of a kitchen maid bound by a permanent servitude contract[4]In historical Chinese household settings, servants could be bound by contracts that restricted their freedom and placed them under a master’s authority. A permanent contract generally meant … Continue reading jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_3713754_1_4').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_3713754_1_4', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top center', relative: true, offset: [-7, 0], }); in Prince Li’s Residence. She would be worked like an ox for the rest of her life. Unless she found a way to leave, she would sooner or later meet the same fate as the original owner.
“Oh, Cook Shi, are you feeling better?” Biyu’s thoughts were in turmoil. When she’d come by yesterday, the girl had been on the verge of death and couldn’t possibly have lasted more than a few hours. She hadn’t expected her to wake up after just one night, let alone be well enough to get out of bed. She was remarkably hard to kill!
“It’s all thanks to the bowl of water Sister Biyu[5]In Chinese forms of address, “Sister” can be used respectfully or familiarly for an older or more senior young woman, even when the speakers are not related by blood. jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_3713754_1_5').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_3713754_1_5', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top center', relative: true, offset: [-7, 0], }); brought me every day. Otherwise, Xiaoshi[6]Xiao means “little” or “young” in Chinese. Xiaoshi is a familiar or modest form of Song Shi’s name, used here when referring to herself. jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_3713754_1_6').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_3713754_1_6', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top center', relative: true, offset: [-7, 0], }); would already be underground, reunited with her father.” Song Shi smiled faintly, though there was no warmth in her eyes.
The two girls before her were only seventeen or eighteen, yet their methods were vicious.
They had lured the original owner out late at night just to shove her into the water. Then, when she managed to swim to shore, they did everything they could to stop her from climbing out. They said she had to beg for mercy if she wanted to get out. In the freezing water of a late-autumn night, the original owner couldn’t hold out and had no choice but to beg. After she returned, she developed a persistent high fever. Biyu said she would send for a physician, but not only did no physician come—there was no food either. Every day, all the original owner got was a small bowl of cold water.
In the end, she died of severe dehydration brought on by hunger and the high fever.
The two had decided to kill her because Biyu was convinced the original owner had stolen her position as head cook of Ziqiang Courtyard.
As long as the original owner died, the position would be Biyu’s!
Unfortunately for her, the plan had failed.
“Cook Shi, you’ve only just recovered from a serious illness. You should go lie down and rest.”
Song Shi had a bad feeling about those words. She turned to run, but Biyu and her lackey reacted swiftly. One clamped a hand over her mouth while the other grabbed her and dragged her toward the room.
“Cook Shi fell into the water by accident, fell ill, and died. Does that story suit you?”
Biyu’s words sent a chill through Song Shi. She tried to shout for help, but could only make muffled sounds. She struggled desperately, but she was too weak after her illness to break free. Was she going to die again before she’d even had time to enjoy being alive?
“What are you doing?”
“G-Guanyue?!” The moment Biyu saw who had arrived, she hurriedly released Song Shi and said guiltily, “We were just fooling around.”
Guanyue?
She was one of Princess Consort Li’s[7]A Princess Consort was the wife of a titled prince, distinct from a princess who held her status through birth into the imperial family. Her position generally gave her considerable authority within … Continue reading jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_3713754_1_7').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_3713754_1_7', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top center', relative: true, offset: [-7, 0], }); personal maids. She was saved!
Song Shi scrambled over to Guanyue, still shaken. She truly hadn’t expected Biyu to be brazen enough to try to kill her in broad daylight.
She absolutely couldn’t stay in Ziqiang Courtyard any longer!
Guanyue naturally didn’t believe Biyu’s excuse, but this wasn’t the time to settle the matter.
“Cook Shi, come with me.”
Song Shi was overjoyed. Anywhere was fine, as long as she didn’t have to stay here. She hurried after Guanyue.
“Sister Guanyue, Cook Shi has only just recovered from a serious illness and needs proper rest. If the Princess Consort has any orders, Biyu can carry them out too.”
Biyu thought of Princess Consort Li’s sickly second legitimate son[8]In traditional Chinese elite households, a legitimate son was born to the principal wife, as distinguished from a son born to a concubine. Legitimate sons generally enjoyed higher family status and … Continue reading jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_3713754_1_8').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_3713754_1_8', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top center', relative: true, offset: [-7, 0], });, Qi Jinrui. Guanyue must have come for a cook because of him!
That thought made Biyu even more anxious. She absolutely couldn’t let Guanyue take Song Shi away. If Song Shi caught the Princess Consort’s attention… the consequences would be unthinkable!
“Move. If you delay the Princess Consort’s business, not only will you be dealt with—even your older sister, that concubine[9]In historical Chinese elite households, a concubine was a recognized secondary partner of the household’s male head, holding a lower social and domestic position than his principal wife. jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_3713754_1_9').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_3713754_1_9', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top center', relative: true, offset: [-7, 0], });, will be punished!”
Guanyue’s words turned Biyu’s face white with fear. She didn’t dare stop them again.
Song Shi understood then: if she wanted to survive in this man-eating inner household[10]The inner household refers to the domestic and residential sphere of an elite family, where wives, concubines, children, and servants lived within an established hierarchy. In household-intrigue … Continue reading jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_3713754_1_10').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_3713754_1_10', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top center', relative: true, offset: [-7, 0], });, excellent cooking skills weren’t enough. She also needed a powerful backer.
Guanyue really had come for her because of the Princess Consort’s second son.
Qi Jinrui was sixteen and had been frail and sickly since childhood. For the past two days, he had thrown up everything he ate.
So Princess Consort Li had ordered the cooks from all the courtyards to prepare food for her precious son. Whoever caught Qi Jinrui’s eye would become head cook of Qing’an Courtyard.
If Song Shi could secure the position and look after Qi Jinrui well, she would naturally win the Princess Consort’s favor. Then what would Biyu and her older sister, a concubine amount to?
Song Shi’s heart grew warm with hope. Perhaps one day she could even use this opportunity to escape her slave status and achieve her dream of leaving the residence to open her own restaurant!
Escaping her slave status was still a distant goal. For now, she had to win the head cook position and focus on surviving.
Song Shi followed Guanyue to the residence’s main kitchen.
Inside, cooks from the various courtyards bustled about. Some were washing vegetables; others were chopping vegetables and mincing fillings, or kneading dough. The air was rich with the aroma of chicken soup, savory fish broth, and the deep fragrance of duck. Delicious scents filled the entire room.
There were plenty of competitors, and every one of them seemed highly capable.
So what?
She had cooking skills and the spirit spring[11]A supernatural spring found in many Chinese fantasy and transmigration stories. Its water may possess extraordinary properties, such as spiritual nourishment or healing, although the exact effects … Continue reading jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_3713754_1_11').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_3713754_1_11', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top center', relative: true, offset: [-7, 0], });. Drinking the spring water on its own was no different from drinking ordinary water—it only quenched thirst. But if she mixed it with ingredients and used it to make food, it became spirit-spring cuisine that was both delicious and healing. Its only drawback was that the healing effects took some time to appear.
The slow healing wasn’t the issue. What mattered most right now was making something Qi Jinrui could swallow without throwing up.
After thinking it over, Song Shi decided to cook a pot of colorful lean-meat-and-vegetable congee[12]Congee is a traditional rice porridge prepared by simmering rice in water or broth until it becomes soft and creamy. It is widely eaten in Chinese cuisine and can be prepared plain or with meat, … Continue reading jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_3713754_1_12').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_3713754_1_12', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top center', relative: true, offset: [-7, 0], });. Everyone knew Princess Consort Li loved colorful things, so the dish might catch her attention. Congee was easy to swallow and digest, making it suitable for someone ill. If the Princess Consort encouraged Qi Jinrui, perhaps he would be willing to try some.
As long as he was willing to taste it, the head cook position was hers!
When no one was looking, Song Shi replaced the ordinary water with spirit-spring water, then began cooking.
White grains of rice, orange carrot cubes, tender pink bits of meat, and bright green leaves were nestled in the translucent broth, their colors gleaming as if coated with a sheen. As she stirred, a mild, delicate aroma wafted up, soothing and refreshing.
Song Shi filled a bowl and brought it to Guanyue, who was among the tasters. Only if the tasters approved a dish would it have a chance of being served to Qi Jinrui.
As soon as the congee entered Guanyue’s mouth, the fragrance of rice filled it. The texture was smooth and silky, and the flavor was unexpectedly delicious. No wonder Song Shi had become head cook of Ziqiang Courtyard at only fifteen; she really did have some talent.
Guanyue gave an inward nod. “Pack it up.”
“!!!”
She had passed the first round!
Biyu, watching from hiding, saw Song Shi come out with Guanyue, carrying the food box. Her heart sank. No—she absolutely couldn’t let Song Shi appear before the Princess Consort.
Biyu shot a look at the person beside her. Her lackey hesitated for a moment, then steeled herself. All she had to do was wreck the food box and deprive Song Shi of this opportunity.
Song Shi spotted someone rushing out from the roadside in the corner of her eye. She’d known they would cause trouble, so she was ready. She hugged the food box close and dodged aside, then kicked Biyu’s lackey hard.
“Someone, drag her away!” Guanyue pointed at the person sprawled on the ground, crying out in pain. Her voice was cold.
“Useless!” Biyu cursed under her breath and hurried away.
This plan had failed. All she could do now was hope Song Shi wouldn’t catch the Princess Consort’s eye. But when she thought of Song Shi’s superb cooking, unease churned in her heart. No—she had to go find her older sister.
Song Shi made it safely to the small garden at Qing’an Courtyard, where she saw Qi Jinrui sitting some distance away.
The young man had delicate, striking features and a sickly pallor. His beautiful, elongated peach-blossom eyes[13]A traditional Chinese literary description of eyes with an elongated, softly curved shape resembling peach blossoms. Such eyes are commonly associated with beauty, charm, or romantic allure. jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_3713754_1_13').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_3713754_1_13', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top center', relative: true, offset: [-7, 0], }); were dull and lifeless, as if nothing in the world could interest him. His nose was high-bridged, and his tightly pressed lips were bloodless. Even beneath the thin blanket covering him, his long, slender frame was apparent. Every so often, he coughed weakly, sounding completely drained.
Beside him was a great beauty with an elegant, classical air: Princess Consort Li, dressed in a dark purple gown, dignified and imposing.
The Princess Consort had been trying to persuade Qi Jinrui for quite some time. Only then was the first cook in line finally called forward. Including Song Shi, only six people had made it here.
The man raised his food box in both hands and knelt respectfully before announcing his dish: crucian carp and tofu soup.
The milky-white soup was brought out. The cubes of tofu trembled with the man’s movements. Just looking at it from a distance made Song Shi hungry, but the central figure, Qi Jinrui, covered his mouth with a handkerchief and retched. His face had already been pale; now it turned deathly white.
Song Shi: “……”
Princess Consort Li waved her hand helplessly.
The second dish was chicken soup noodles, with rich, fragrant broth and noodles as fine as hair.
Though even lifting his hand seemed difficult, Qi Jinrui still raised it with a tremble to cover his nose.
The third, the fourth… Each dish was fragrant enough to make the mouth water, and Qi Jinrui reacted to every one. He either retched, covered his nose with an expressionless face, or leaned weakly against his chair with his eyes closed, holding his breath. He was certainly generous with his reactions to every “contestant.”
Qi Jinrui’s reactions made Song Shi increasingly nervous.
The fifth cook had also been “eliminated.” Now it was her turn.
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