Transmigrated into an Ancient ABO Fantasy World: A Culinary Comeback - Chapter 1

Wang Xiaojin was jolted awake by loud banging and shouting outside her door. Her head throbbed and her eyes stung. She rubbed her face roughly, pulled on a thin jacket, and went to open the door. Before she could reach the courtyard, the old wooden gate was kicked open with a heavy crash. It slammed into the dirt walls on both sides, startling her so much that she sobered up instantly. She looked up and saw several large men standing at the entrance. As soon as they saw her, they marched in with forceful energy. The man in front shouted loudly, “Wang Xiao, since you’re awake, why haven’t you paid back the ten taels of silver you owe me?”

The moment she heard that the original owner of this body had such a large debt, her head began to ache again. She quickly cupped her hands in a polite gesture while trying to recall the man’s face. “Oh, Master Qin, please forgive me. I’ve just recovered from a serious illness. Would you kindly allow me a few more days to repay you?”

But halfway through her sentence, she frowned and looked confused. “Wait, something doesn’t add up. I remember borrowing money from you, yes, but we signed an agreement and I never received the silver. I ended up borrowing from Uncle Zhang instead. So how exactly do I owe you anything?”

Qin Yin, the man in question, had a broad chest, a thick waist, a high nose, and narrow, fierce-looking eyes. His expression was cold and merciless. “You still dare to deny it? Because of that agreement, my ten taels sat unused for two months. Do you know how many loans I missed? How much profit I lost? Asking you for ten taels is already being generous. Give me the money.”

He spoke with arrogance and contempt, treating her like she was nothing more than a useless failure.

Wang Xiaojin had only been in this strange world for a few days. Everything felt unfamiliar and shaky. She had been uneasy and unable to sleep well. Now, after being treated like this, a fire was lit inside her. Her energy returned, and she stood up straight.

She thought to herself, “This man dares to act so boldly. He must have connections in the local government.” Testing her suspicion, she replied carefully, “Master Qin, you’ve been promoted recently. How could I dare not repay you? Please allow me just a little more time.”

“Hmph, at least you know your place,” Qin Yin sneered. But before he could say more, a scrawny man beside him, who looked like a local thug, jumped in. “Master Qin is a head constable at the yamen and a relative of the magistrate. Compared to him, you’re nothing but a limping beggar from the gutter.”

The thug waved his arms and mocked her with exaggerated expressions. He flattered Qin Yin one moment and insulted her the next. His face changed so quickly it looked like a comedy performance. Wang Xiaojin almost laughed out loud, but managed to hold it in. Inside, however, she felt a rush of frustration. It was probably the lingering emotions of the body’s original owner. Ever since she collapsed a few days ago, many people had come to laugh at her. She had gotten used to it. She was still adjusting to this body and life.

Seeing that she acted like soft dough, Qin Yin lost interest. He gave her a one-month deadline, then he and his group left the house noisily. On the road, an older man following him asked, “What if Wang Xiaojin gets lucky and passes the provincial exam? She may not be a threat to you, but wouldn’t it still cause trouble for your business?”

Qin Yin let out a cold laugh. “You don’t know what you’re talking about. After she recovered, she told the villagers she was giving up on the exams. Even if she tried, she would never pass.”

Everyone burst out laughing and left without worry.

In truth, passing the exam was out of the question. Once the men were gone, Wang Xiaojin repaired the broken door, comforted her trembling elderly mother, and sat down to think. First of all, she had no interest in becoming an official. Second, she had no desire to study those rigid and restrictive classical essays. She decided to return to what she knew best.

In her past life, she had been a university canteen chef, and her dishes were very popular among students. She still did not know how she ended up in this frail and unlucky body. The original woman knew nothing about cooking or farming. She had spent her days studying outdated texts, failing the exam over and over again. A few days ago, when the exam results were announced, she collapsed from stress and never woke up again. When she opened her eyes, Wang Xiaojin, the chef, had taken her place.

As someone from the modern world, Wang Xiaojin did not think it was entirely the original woman’s fault. Every personal tragedy was shaped by the shadow of the feudal system. Even though she was a cook, she understood that much.

Working for others would take too long to repay the debt. She figured that setting up a street food stall would be faster. She owed twenty taels altogether, ten to Qin Yin and ten to Uncle Zhang. But she still had one concern. She was afraid that Qin Yin would refuse to return the written contract and keep finding excuses to extort her. Official matters were for officials to handle, and for now, all she could do was take things one step at a time.

Once faced with a real problem, Wang Xiaojin found her sense of direction. The hopelessness she had felt earlier disappeared. She quickly washed up, then ran to the vegetable garden behind the house. Red, purple, and yellow vegetables grew in neat rows, all carefully tended by her mother. She pulled out a few carrots, washed them clean, lit a fire, and set a pot of water to boil. She scooped some hot water into a bowl of flour and started preparing millet porridge on the side.

She mixed the flour with salt and some cool water until it became rough clumps. This would give the pancake base some flavor. She wanted to add sugar to give the pancake a better color, but the household was too poor for such luxuries. Luckily, there was a bit of lard left in the clay pot. She scooped it into the flour mixture and kneaded it until it became a smooth dough. Then she let it rest.

While the dough was resting, she lit another small stove. She heated oil in a pan, added chopped green onions and garlic, and stir-fried them until fragrant. Then she tossed in the marinated shredded carrots. She added soy sauce, vinegar, and a little of her homemade sauce. The delicious aroma immediately filled the air. The carrots softened quickly under the high heat. Their juices mixed with the oil to create a shimmering red layer at the bottom of the pan. Wang Xiaojin turned the heat down and let it simmer gently.

She rolled out the rested dough and brushed it with seasoned oil. Then she divided it into small portions and cooked five or six thin pancakes one by one. Each pancake was evenly thick, crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, with a rich, toasty aroma. She placed a generous spoonful of stir-fried shredded carrots on each one. The juices from the carrots soaked into the pancake, and with every bite, the savory flavor of the sauce was perfectly balanced by the natural sweetness of the carrots. One had to be careful not to let the vibrant red oil drip down the fingers.

It would have been even better with a fried sausage rolled inside, but unfortunately such things did not exist in this ancient time.

Wang Xiaojin finished one pancake in just a few bites to test the flavor. Satisfied, she rolled up the remaining ones, plated them neatly, and poured out the millet porridge. Then she called her mother to come eat.

Drawn by the irresistible smell, her mother eagerly sat down. After sipping some porridge, she picked up a pancake and took a bite. It was neither dry nor greasy, perfectly moist and soft, very gentle on her aging teeth. She alternated between a bite of pancake and a sip of porridge. The combination was simple yet delicious. She could not stop praising her daughter as she ate, her face full of surprise and joy.

As they ate, tears suddenly welled up in the old woman’s eyes.

“My child, you really do seem to be better now. But with that heartless brute Qin Yin bullying us again, how are we supposed to make a living going forward?”

Wang Xiaojin set down her bowl and sighed. Her mother had been under too much stress for too many years.

“Mother, please don’t worry. Later today, I’ll go into the county town and look around. If I can find a good spot, I’ll try setting up a food stall. You just tasted my cooking. It’s still decent, isn’t it?”

“Yes, yes, it’s truly delicious. That could really work,” her mother said, nodding quickly. A bit of relief and hope appeared on her face as she finally settled down to finish her breakfast.