At dawn, Chihu Rock was bustling with life.
For dockworkers, sailors, and traveling merchants who earned their keep through hard labor, the street vendors of Chihu Rock were the best choice for breakfast.
The food here was affordable and filling—starting the day with a steaming bowl of saozi noodles would give anyone the energy to work from morning to night.
But if you asked any of them where to find the best food, they’d all give the same answer: Wanmin Restaurant.
Unlike the high-end Xinyue Kiosk, which was too expensive for the average person to visit often, Wanmin Restaurant was exactly as its name implied—a place for the common people.
Here, both the wealthy elite and the working class could sit down at the same table. Even the pickiest food connoisseurs could find satisfaction in its dishes.
The owner, known as Master Mao, was considered one of the finest chefs in Liyue.
But what made him even prouder than his own skills was his daughter—Xiangling.
Despite her young age, she had inherited his talents, and her signature spicy stir-fry had become a customer favorite.
However, she had one… unique quirk.
She loved experimenting with bold, unconventional recipes—trying out all sorts of bizarre ingredients.
And because of this passion, quite a few of her friends had suffered the consequences.
Today, another brave soul had arrived at Wanmin Restaurant—risking becoming the next test subject for one of her culinary experiments.
…
“Eh? Hu Tao, what brings you here?”
Xiangling’s eyes lit up when she spotted the girl in the harmony hexagram hat standing at the entrance.
“Are you here to try my new dish?”
Dressed in an apron with her hair tied into two little buns, she carried a plate of food in one hand. After delivering it to a customer, she hurried over.
A small, round creature—who had been munching on food at the counter—immediately put down its meal and waddled after her.
It was a plush-looking panda-like creature, covered in orange fur with black-and-white markings. If it stayed still, one might mistake it for a stuffed toy.
“Can’t I just visit for fun?” Hu Tao asked, grinning.
“Of course you can—as long as you don’t scare me!” Xiangling pouted, clearly very unhappy about Hu Tao’s frequent attempts to startle her.
Hu Tao placed her hands on her hips and pretended to be offended. The bag of fermented plums she had brought peeked out from her sleeve.
“Unbelievable! And here I was, bringing you a gift—fermented plums, just like always!”
“Fine, fine! I forgive you!”
Xiangling eagerly accepted the bag, then looped her arm around Hu Tao’s. In mere moments, the two girls were laughing together.
Seeing the little creature behind Xiangling, Hu Tao greeted it with a wave.
“Guoba, you’re here too?”
“Lulu!”
The adorable creature waved back, its eyes curving into cheerful crescents.
“I actually came here for a reason,” Hu Tao finally said. “I need to meet your master—could you introduce me?”
To her surprise, Xiangling looked troubled.
“I have a lot of masters… which one do you want to meet?”
Hu Tao: Σ(д|||)
For once, she was speechless.
Xiangling started counting on her fingers. “First Master, Second Master, Third Master, Fourth Master—”
“Wait, why do you have so many?”
“First Master taught me spear techniques. Second Master specializes in roasting meats. Third Master is an expert at stews. Fourth Master makes the best porridge—”
“Okay, okay, I get it!” Hu Tao quickly interrupted before the list grew any longer. “I’m looking for Madame Ping—so that should be your First Master, right?”
Hu Tao wiped a bead of sweat from her forehead.
Aside from this Madame Ping, all of Xiangling’s other masters were cooking specialists.
Just how many kinds of dishes has she learned…?
“Master Ping? Why do you want to see her?” Xiangling asked curiously.
“I need her help making a magical artifact.”
Hu Tao explained her idea without hesitation—she wasn’t worried about anyone stealing her business idea.
After all, even if someone did learn about it, who else would compete with Wangsheng Funeral Parlor in the corpse retrieval business?
“I see… then wait here! I’ll tell my dad, and I’ll bring some food over for Master while we’re at it.”
“While you’re at it, get me a bowl of noodles too. I came here just to eat!”
“Got it!”
…
After finishing breakfast, Hu Tao, Xiangling, and Guoba set off toward Yujing Terrace, chatting as they walked.
“Hu Tao, I heard there’s a guy at Wangsheng Funeral Parlor who came back to life. Is that true?”
“Eh? You already heard about that?”
Hu Tao walked with her hands behind her head, chewing on a random grass stem she had picked up somewhere. With every word, the little sprig bobbed up and down in her mouth.
“I overheard customers talking about it at the restaurant.”
“His name’s Jiang Bai. I wouldn’t really call it ‘coming back to life’—he was in a suspended death state and eventually woke up. Nothing supernatural about it.”
“Suspended death? That’s a thing?”
“I dunno. All I know is that he remembers his name and nothing else. Maybe that’s just a side effect of being in that state for too long.”
“Ahhh… that’s so sad.”
Xiangling’s face filled with sympathy.
“If I forgot my dad, Guoba, my masters, or you guys… I’d be so heartbroken.”
For some reason, Jiang Bai’s story tugged at her heartstrings, and she couldn’t help but feel sorry for him.
“You’re exaggerating,” Hu Tao said with a shrug. “That guy doesn’t seem sad at all—he’s totally fine.”
“No way! He must be hiding his pain!” Xiangling argued.
“Don’t believe me? Once we’re done here, I’ll take you to meet him.”
“Deal! What kind of food does he like? I’ll cook something for him!”
A mischievous glint flashed in Hu Tao’s eyes.
“Make him your Sweet Sweet Flower & Silk Flower Stew!”
That particular dish had traumatized Hu Tao before—it was sugar on top of sugar, so sweet it had left her teeth aching for three whole days.
“Eh… that might not be a good idea,” Xiangling hesitated, suspicious of Hu Tao’s motives.
“He has weird tastes—he loves sweets. The sweeter, the better,” Hu Tao said with utmost confidence.
“Hmm… alright then…”
Still doubtful, Xiangling decided to make a few extra dishes—just in case Hu Tao was messing with her.
—
Meanwhile, back at Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, Jiang Bai had just woken up.
He sneezed.
Shivering slightly, he rubbed his arms, feeling a sudden chill.
“Did I catch a cold, or is someone talking about me?”
Deciding to be safe rather than sorry, he grabbed an extra layer of clothing before heading out.
—
Yujing Terrace—one of Liyue’s most prestigious districts—was home to nobles, merchants, and high-ranking officials.
Perched at a high altitude, it boasted tranquil landscapes and exorbitant real estate prices.
Hu Tao rarely came here—many of its residents carried an air of superiority, looking down on others. Even Ningguang, one of Liyue’s Seven Stars, never acted this high and mighty.
If Madame Ping lives here, she must be a big deal.
“Master! I’m here to see you!”
From a distance, Xiangling spotted an elderly woman tending to a flower bed filled with Glaze Lilies.
The woman, gentle-faced and wearing round reading glasses, looked up and smiled kindly.
“Xiangling, what a pleasant surprise. What brings you here today?”
She turned to Guoba and patted his head.
“And you too, Guoba.”
“Lulu!”
Guoba beamed happily at her.
—
This is a fan translation of 胡桃拿我冲业绩 by 余溯. All rights to the original work belong to the creator. Please support them by exploring their original work or sharing it with others if you can. Thank you for reading and supporting my efforts to bring this story to a wider audience!
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