Transmigration: Starting Out From Pancake Vendor to Wealthy Mistress

Lu Yan was a modern food blogger who died after a hiking accident and transmigrated into a novel as a nameless extra. The story she inhabited featured a heroine named Jian Hongling, who was kidnapped and sold to a poor farmer, Old Lu, before eventually saving the fugitive Crown Prince. Lu Yan woke up in a slave pen alongside the heroine, facing a grim fate as a concubine in a brothel. Recognizing the danger, she bit her cheek and coughed up blood to simulate tuberculosis, a fatal and contagious disease in this era. The madam of the local brothel refused to buy her, fearing infection. When Old Lu arrived to purchase the heroine, Lu Yan desperately begged to be bought for only one tael of silver, claiming she could work and repay him. Old Lu, needing to save money for his wife's medicine, agreed. Lu Yan revealed her act was a ruse and that she was healthy, impressing Old Lu with her cleverness.

Lu Yan joined the Lu family, which consisted of Old Lu, his bedridden wife Madam Xu, and their sickly thirteen-year-old son, Lu Sheng. The family was poor, surviving on meager carpenter wages and subsistence farming. Lu Yan quickly integrated into their lives, using her culinary skills to improve their diet. She caught fish in the nearby river, made steamed buns using old starter dough, and prepared nutritious meals that amazed her new family. She realized that Old Lu and Madam Xu were only in their thirties, contrary to her initial assumption that they would die early as the heroine's foster parents. This discovery gave her hope for a stable future in this household.

Observing the local market, Lu Yan identified a gap in the food industry. She decided to start a business selling lotus-leaf buns stuffed with various fillings. She experimented with recipes, creating menzi from meat broth and sweet potato starch, and braised pork with complex spices. Old Lu built her an insulated container to keep the food warm, and Lu Sheng helped with preparations, including grinding sweet potato starch. Lu Yan set up a stall in town, offering free samples to attract customers. Her unique and delicious food quickly gained popularity among laborers and scholars alike.

A significant turning point occurred when Song Bowen, the son of a wealthy bookstore owner, noticed Lu Sheng's beautiful calligraphy on Lu Yan's stall sign. Impressed by the handwriting and the food, Song Bowen became a regular customer. He purchased large quantities of braised pork and expressed interest in befriending Lu Sheng. Lu Yan facilitated a correspondence between the two boys, helping the shy Lu Sheng make his first friend. Song Bowen's family appreciated Lu Yan's cooking, and his father's appetite improved, strengthening the connection between the two families.

Lu Yan's business prospered, generating enough income to support the family and fund Lu Sheng's education. She expanded her menu, introducing shrimp dumplings and other dishes. Her modern culinary knowledge allowed her to create novel foods that were both affordable and delicious. The family's financial situation improved significantly, allowing them to buy better ingredients and reduce their hardships. Lu Yan continued to balance her business with her role in the family, ensuring that Madam Xu recovered and Lu Sheng remained focused on his studies. The story follows her efforts to build a stable life while navigating the social dynamics of the novel's world.

As her business grew, Lu Yan planned to introduce more varieties of food, including cabbage pancakes and other seasonal dishes. She maintained a good relationship with the local butcher, securing a steady supply of meat at reasonable prices. Her interactions with Song Bowen and his family opened new opportunities for the Lu family. Lu Yan's intelligence and resourcefulness allowed her to turn a precarious situation into a thriving enterprise. She continued to support Lu Sheng's education, viewing it as the key to the family's long-term prosperity. The narrative highlights her adaptation to ancient life and her determination to create a better future for herself and her adopted family.

The story concludes with Lu Yan establishing herself as a successful vendor in town. Her food stall, known as Lu's Shop, became a local favorite. She balanced her business ambitions with her familial duties, ensuring that the Lu family remained united and financially secure. Her journey from a nameless extra to a respected businesswoman demonstrated her resilience and adaptability. The novel explores themes of survival, family, and the power of culinary skills in a historical setting. Lu Yan's modern knowledge proved to be her greatest asset, allowing her to innovate and succeed in an unfamiliar world.