Sweet and Delicious (Food)

When Wei Jinyun transmigrated, the original owner had only been gone for less than half an hour. White funeral silks hung everywhere, and only her elderly grandmother and a pair of young sisters remained in the house. Her uncles and aunts dramatically cried a few times, then began arguing heatedly over the distribution of her family's old tiled house.

Grandmother owned one tiled house from her dowry, standing by the river in the bustling and vibrant market area of Pingjiang Prefecture. Such an excellent location, how could they hand it over?

Wei Jinyun drove away the relatives, headed south to Pingjiang Prefecture, cleaned the house, and resumed her old profession. In the early morning, the continuous crackling of firecrackers filled the air. People in the Wu region discovered that the old tiled house, previously covered in cobwebs, had opened for business.

Young Lady Wei, elegant and graceful, rolled up her sleeves and hung a plaque, on which “Yunlai Fragrance” was written in bold, flowing calligraphy. Victory cakes, Spring Water Sheng, cloud slice cakes, dimples… The pastries were arranged on the counter, some embedded with dried fruits, some shaped like flowers, and others resembling snow-white, smooth jade beads.

People from the Wu region loved sweets. Whether for weddings, birthdays, visiting relatives, or enjoying tea and opera, pastries were indispensable. And the pastries in Young Lady Wei's shop were fragrant, sweet, soft, glutinous, and rich in aroma. Everyone who tasted them praised their deliciousness.

The people of the Wu region lived by weaving silk and fishing, eating fish and rice, and never experiencing hunger. This was partly due to the upright and honest prefectural governor, and partly to the efforts of Inspector Lu Lan, who apprehended thieves and caught murderers. Inspector Lu was impartial and incorruptible. It was said that watchmen passing the Inspectorate at night would hear screams and wails like ghosts.

While investigating a case, Lu Lan happened to pass a pastry shop, the sweet aroma overflowing. He loved sweets, so he stepped into the shop. Once inside, he unexpectedly found himself entangled. The common people craned their necks, whispering to those beside them. “I saw a ghost! This morning, I saw Lord Lu in Young Lady Wei’s shop, pounding dough with his fist!”

The Daoist Wuya came down the mountain to see his disciple, his beard bristling and eyes glaring. “Profligate disciple! I taught you this sword technique not for you to carve flowers on pastries!” The prisoners released from jail became extremely cautious thereafter. “It’s too terrifying! He would interrogate people while smiling and eating crispy cakes! Take my advice, always obey the law in the future!”

But the Lu Lan in their mouths was now holding half a pastry in his hand, speaking softly. “A-Yun, I’ve sieved powdered sugar for half a month and finished drawing the patterns for the Victory Cakes. Will you give me a title?”

Reading Guide: 1. The female protagonist runs a food business, and the male protagonist will encounter small cases. It’s a daily sweet story, featuring not only pastries but also other foods. 2. It’s a fictionalized Song dynasty setting, where the Wu region belongs to the Jiangzhe area, depicted as prosperous. All settings are private inventions. 4. This synopsis was written on 2024.9.20 and has been screenshotted.