Quick Transmigration: Not My Story

Chapter 6 The Cook Mistress（part 5）

After leaving the capital, Lin Dan and Qi Shi settled temporarily in a small town nearby. During this time, the old Marquis repeatedly sent people to find them, but she politely refused each time.

One day, after sending off another group of people, Qi Shi could no longer hold back and said hesitantly, “Dan’er, actually, it wouldn't be so bad if we returned to the Marquis's residence. As an orphaned mother and daughter, we need someone to look after us. Your father's house and the tavern can't be left unattended. With the old Marquis supporting us, we can appeal to the authorities and have your second and third uncles return everything.”

Lin Dan shook her head, her tone serious. "Mother, you're over-simplifying things. What do we have now besides the 120 taels of silver? We don’t even have property deeds or land contracts—how can we take this to the authorities?

The old Marquis is kind and says we are guests of the Marquis's residence, but do you not

understand our true status? We're barely better than slaves who have signed contracts. The young lady is about to be crowned as a concubine, and you know how strictly the entire Yongding Marquis's residence is managed.

Your uncle is still in prison for injuring someone with a horse. The old Marquis hasn’t paid any attention to your mother’s constant pleas; how would he care about our lost case? He allowed us to return because of his kindness and old feelings, but we cannot overstep, exploiting that kindness and squandering the little goodwill left.”

Lin Dan sighed and continued, "Besides, as long as we remain within the same territory as the Yan family, they will surely find ways to tarnish my father's reputation to justify their actions. My second and third uncles, to prevent us from reclaiming the family property, will secretly take action. What do we have besides a bit of silver?

The Marquis may protect us for a time, but can he protect us for life? Staying in the capital means endless trouble; it’s better to leave and start anew. Mother, don't you think that makes sense?"

Qi Shi, though reluctant, was persuaded by her daughter’s reasoning and nodded tearfully.

Lin Dan rented a small courtyard to temporarily stay in, and when she had free time, she would go out for walks. Her young face often carried a serious expression. One day, she walked farther than usual and unknowingly reached the official road, coming across a post station. The station was filled with the noise of people and the sound of horses neighing, making it quite lively. Outside the station, there was a thatched shed, and an old woman was busy carrying plates.

The aroma from the plates wafted towards her from a distance, so strong that it was impossible to ignore. Lin

Dan, drawn by the fragrance, hurried over. Several merchants who had been resting inside the station also came out to check.

“Auntie, your tofu meatballs smell amazing! How much for a bowl?” a traveling merchant asked loudly.

“Two copper coins per bowl,” the old woman replied with a smile.

“Alright, I’ll have a bowl,” the merchant said as he sat down in the shed, eagerly eyeing the frying pot.

When Lin Dan walked up, the tofu meatballs were already fried and being placed aside to drain the oil. Once the oil had been drained, they were transferred into another pot where a ladle of rich bone broth was poured over them to continue simmering. The fresh, sweet broth mingled with the crispy fried scent, and when it boiled, a sprinkle of green onions was added. The dish was now ready. The golden, crispy tofu meatballs floated in the milky broth, decorated with vibrant green onions, making for a visually appealing dish. The mixed scents of soy, bone, and onion, with a hint of pepper, formed an intriguing flavor.

Lin Dan hurried over to order a bowl. After letting it cool slightly, she took a small taste. Her face immediately lit up with astonishment. The outer crispy shell of the meatball gave way to a soft and tender interior, mixed with some minced meat and yam paste. It practically melted in her mouth, delivering a delightful taste. Even more surprising was that the innermost part of the meatball had a hollow, filled with rich broth that seemed to have seeped in from the bone soup or been released from the meat paste and yam. The combination of bone marrow’s richness, meat paste’s saltiness, and yam’s sweetness was a perfect harmony, a taste that was irresistible.

Lin Dan ate carefully, finishing the entire bowl and drinking the broth. The traveling merchant had already devoured three large bowls and was calling for his fourth. His companions, drawn by the aroma, had crowded into the small shed.

After finishing her meal, Lin Dan stayed behind and, seeing more customers arrive, offered to help the old woman with gathering firewood, fetching water, and washing dishes. Though the old woman tried to decline, she couldn’t stop Lin Dan, so she let her help. When evening came, the old woman gave her twenty copper coins as payment for her work.

“Auntie, I don’t need your pay,” Lin Dan said, handing the coins back. “I can come help you every day, and all I ask is that you teach me how to make these tofu meatballs.”

“You want to learn to cook? There’s no harm in that…” The old woman started, but before she could finish, a young woman entered the shed and sneered, “Where did this wild girl come from, trying to take advantage of my family? If you teach her, will my mother’s business still be able to continue? Get out of here now, or I’ll hit you with a broom!” As she spoke, she opened a cabinet and stuffed the copper coins the old woman had earned into her own pouch, her eyes filled with greed.

“You’re also learning to cook, right? I never said I wouldn’t teach her,” the old woman frowned.

“I’m your daughter-in-law, your own flesh and blood. What’s she to you?” the young woman snapped, pointing angrily at Lin Dan.

Lin Dan quickly explained, “Auntie, don’t be angry. I’ll come here every day to work without pay. Once I’ve learned how to make this dish, I’ll leave and never open a shop around here. My family only has my mother and me, and we’re weak. If you see me trying to open a shop nearby one day, you can do whatever you want with me.”

The young woman heard Lin Dan’s foreign accent and realized she wasn’t from around here. Thinking she could get free labor, and knowing her own family was large and strong, she agreed, though her face still wore a look of disdain, as though she were doing Lin Dan a favor.

The old woman then pulled Lin Dan aside and, after sending her out of the shed, secretly slipped a pouch into her hand, whispering, “Good child, this is today’s pay. Take it quietly and don’t mention it to anyone.”

Lin Dan was about to return the pouch when the old woman hurried back into the shed. Soon, angry shouts could be heard from within, as the young woman scolded the old woman for earning fewer copper coins than the day before. Lin Dan shook her head, feeling a bitter taste in her mouth.

...

That night, Lin Dan once again practiced with the knife in the back courtyard. Her fingertips, scarred and sore, hurt whenever they touched the ingredients or the knife, causing her to furrow her brows. After cutting a cucumber, she picked up the uneven slices, sighed in frustration.

“Dan’er,” Qi Shi, who had been quietly watching from a corner, slowly walked out and gently said, “Cooking should be a joyful thing, don’t weigh yourself down with burdens. Let’s not cut anymore. How about we take a break for now? It’s not your fault you lost to Yan Langqing; everyone has moments when they don’t perform well.”

Lin Dan froze for a moment, then understood that her mother must have misunderstood, thinking she was traumatized by losing to Yan Langqing and couldn’t pick up the knife again. But Lin Dan knew that wasn’t the case. She could still practice her knife skills; it just needed time.

“Mother, I’m fine. Don’t worry,” she said firmly, without further explanation. “One day, I’ll get everything we’ve lost back. If the Yan family’s cooking isn’t for me, I’ll learn to cook other dishes. The world is vast, and there will always be a place for us.”

“Alright, alright, I’m glad you understand. Don’t cut anymore, go get some rest,” Qi Shi said, rubbing her daughter’s head with a smile of satisfaction. Lin Dan had become quieter and quieter lately, but also stronger and more determined, as if she wasn’t afraid of anything anymore.

“Alright, you should rest early too.” Lin Dan sent Qi Shi back to her room, but she stayed outside in the corridor for a long time, motionless. In this lonely night, she found herself lost in memories—but these weren’t her memories. They belonged to the “Lin Dan” who had disappeared.

The other Lin Dan had left behind a deep sense of regret and longing, along with a hidden feeling in her heart. She had once been a lively and playful young girl who loved to have fun but hated the smoke and fire of the kitchen. Lin Baotian had tried several times to get her to learn cooking, but each time she had cried and refused. But one day, she accidentally bumped into the young lady of the Marquis’s residence and nearly got beaten. It was the young Marquis who had saved her. From that moment on, the Marquis’s gentle smile became her obsession.

She asked the young Marquis what he liked, and he joked, “I love to eat.” So the next day, she took off her pretty clothes, put on a dusty apron, and entered the kitchen. She studied for seven years. She never loved cooking; she just wanted to catch the young Marquis’s eye.

Lin Dan could not agree with her approach. Entrusting one's life to another person was the saddest thing. If that person leaves or becomes indifferent, all that will be left for you is the endless abyss beneath your feet.

What Lin Dan needed to do now was to carve her own path. Whether she falls or gets hurt, as long as she climbs, she will eventually reach the end. The original owner was a cook, so she would continue being a cook. The world is full of delicious foods, and there is no shortage of places to learn, nor any shortage of masters to learn from.

...........

From that day on, Lin Dan began learning to make tofu balls from the old woman. The old woman had three sons.

Her eldest son was idle and useless, her second son had died young from illness, and her third son was a child born late in life, just seven years old, still in need of care. To support her two remaining sons, the old woman worked tirelessly selling tofu balls, living a hard life. Fortunately, her skills were superb, and she did not have to worry about making ends meet.

The eldest daughter-in-law claimed she wanted to learn cooking from the old woman, but she was always lazy and would often slack off. As a result, all the dirty and heavy tasks in the shop were left to Lin Dan. She had to get up early to cook the beans, peel the skins, and press the tofu, while also carrying over 100 pounds of water back and forth, which nearly bent her back. But she never complained. As long as she could learn something, no matter how hard or tiring it was, she didn’t mind.