Fields of Fortune: A Rustic Life of Farming in Ancient Times

Yun Yin was transported into the Great Zhao dynasty and became a refugee. To avoid being forcibly married off, she needed to secure a household registration as soon as possible and find a way to survive in this unfamiliar era. Fortunately, she had some cooking skills, so starting a small food stall wasn’t a problem. Seeing the official road nestled between mountains and water, she decided to set up her stall there. From selling simple noodles to making dishes like pickled fish, Yun Yin relied on local ingredients—living off the land and water—and her business steadily grew. Many scholars came from afar, drawn by her reputation, just to taste a single dish she made. Yun Yin bought nearby wasteland and began cultivating straw mushrooms and watermelons, searching for ingredients, and even raising crabs and shrimp. From mushroom sauce to stuffed oranges with crab, salt-and-pepper shrimp, and squirrel-shaped fish, her fresh and flavorful dishes left customers craving more. As the number of diners increased, Yun Yin built an inn to accommodate traveling merchants. Watching her inn grow livelier by the day, she sighed, “It’s a pity I still haven’t found so many ingredients. I really want to eat stir-fried pork with chili, tomato scrambled eggs, and hot-and-sour shredded potatoes.” Passing by the inn, Fu Wang overheard her muttering and asked, “Lady Yun, what are you looking for? You can ask me.” Yun Yin looked up at the tall and dignified man before her, her eyes lighting up. How could she forget—he ran an escort agency, traveling far and wide, even to the Western Regions and the coast. The seeds that had yet to appear in this time could be entrusted to him to find. As more unheard-of foods began to appear, Yun Yin’s inn became famous far and wide, and these ingredients gradually spread throughout Great Zhao. After being discharged from the army due to injury, Fu Wang returned to his hometown. Together with his former comrades, he worked as an escort guard, traveling north and south all year round. Until one day, while passing along a once desolate official road, he discovered that a tea stall had appeared—and the young woman there was an excellent cook. As Fu Wang enjoyed the delicious food and watched the cheerful young woman at the stove, his expression softened. Perhaps… it was finally time to settle down.