Li Ziqing suddenly felt the scroll grow heavier in her hands, as though it bore the weight of centuries. Her breath caught. Was it truly possible that the essence of China's most legendary culinary heritage was sealed within this single artifact?
She inhaled deeply, eyes fixed on the silk-bound scroll glowing faintly under the light. "System," she asked cautiously, "how do I open it? And… how long would it take me to master all that knowledge?"
[Ding... Host, there is no need to manually open or read the scroll. It is a skill-enhancement artifact—its physical form is symbolic only. To acquire its contents, simply place the scroll on your head and concentrate on absorbing its knowledge. It will be imprinted directly into your consciousness.]
Li Ziqing blinked in disbelief. "That's it?" she whispered. "Wouldn't that make me… one of the greatest chefs in history?"
The realization sent a jolt through her. These weren't just any names—Yi Yin, Peng Zu, Su Dongpo, Zhang Zhongjing, and the royal chefs of the Qing Dynasty. Each a culinary titan whose techniques had shaped entire eras. Many of their famed dishes had been lost to time; those that remained had never been faithfully replicated.
If she could inherit even a fraction of their wisdom... would she not become untouchable in the culinary world?
Her mind wandered to rumours from her previous life—rumors of mysterious, high-end restaurants in Beijing run by descendants of royal Qing chefs. The elite few who dined there guarded its existence like a secret society. Even its address remained hidden from the public. That level of exclusivity could never be breached by someone of her humble background.
[Ding... Your intuition is correct, Host. Once you assimilate this scroll, your culinary mastery will surpass even modern chefs. Not only in Chinese cuisine—many of these sages traveled across regions, learning and adapting global flavors. Their accumulated wisdom is far richer than what most scholars find in ancient records.]
Li Ziqing swallowed hard, her throat suddenly dry. A sense of pride welled up within her. Chinese culinary culture… was truly boundless.
With reverent hands, she lifted the scroll and slowly pressed it against the crown of her head, just as the System instructed.
Almost instantly, a strange heat radiated from the scroll. Not scalding, but intensely warm—like the flicker of an ancient fire relighting. She instinctively closed her eyes. The next second, the scroll vanished—disintegrating into a stream of golden particles that melted into her skin.
And then the pain began.
Her eyes flew open as an excruciating pressure exploded within her skull. Sweat broke out across her forehead. Her limbs trembled as she clutched at her head, her voice trembling, "A-Ahh... S-System… what's… g-going on?"
[Ding... Please remain calm, Host. This is a natural reaction. The scroll contains centuries of profound knowledge; your brain requires a moment to fully adapt.]
Before she could respond, her vision blurred.
The pain reached its peak, and her knees gave out. With a faint whimper, Li Ziqing collapsed onto the bed, unconscious—her body still, but her mind racing through the vortex of knowledge from generations past.
____
By the time Li Ziqing stirred from her unconscious state, two full hours had passed. The afternoon sun was already peeking through the curtains—it was nearly 2 p.m. She slowly opened her eyes, a dull ache pulsing in her head. For a moment, everything felt disoriented. Then she steadied her breath and attempted to gather her thoughts.
As soon as she focused, a surge of unfamiliar knowledge came crashing into her mind like a relentless tide. Her temples throbbed. Countless techniques, recipes, philosophies, and ancient culinary wisdom flooded her consciousness—each detail vivid, precise, and instinctive.
It was overwhelming.
Especially for someone like her, who had never cooked a proper meal in her life.
Cooking was never a priority for Li Ziqing. In fact, she had never even tried it. Her mother had always emphasized one thing: study hard and secure a spot at the prestigious No. 1 High School in Wuhan. That was her mission. While she wasn't as gifted as her twin brother, Li Zian—who had skipped two entire grades and was already preparing for high school entrance exams during first year of middle school and finished it—she was still ranked in the top 20 of her class.
But growing up with a scholarly genius in the household came with its own pressures. Although her mother never compared the two, Ziqing admired her brother immensely. That admiration inevitably morphed into quiet competition—a drive to prove herself, not to others, but to him.
As a result, her entire life had revolved around academics. She had never helped at the food stall, nor taken part in daily chores, especially anything related to cooking. Yet now, as she concentrated again, the knowledge inside her responded seamlessly. Whenever she thought of a dish—no matter how obscure or ancient—its recipe, preparation techniques, and flavor profiles would emerge clearly in her mind. Even dishes she had never heard of before revealed themselves as though she'd cooked them hundreds of times.
[Ding... Congratulations, Host. You have successfully integrated the complete knowledge of the Culinary Sage Scroll of Yi Yin. Now initiating today's mission...]
A translucent system screen reappeared before her, shimmering faintly in the air. Below the Main Mission tab, a new Daily Mission had appeared.
[Main Mission:Enter the Hospitality Industry – Build Your Own Hotel Chain
Objective: Accumulate your first fortune—10 million yuan—through food and hospitality ventures.]
[Ding... Host, your mother has been running her food stall for over twelve years. While her cooking is good, it remains home-style and average—far from the quality needed for a scalable business model. Additionally, the way she operates is highly traditional and lacks modern strategic insight. That's why customer flow remains moderate. In truth, many frequent the stall not just for the food, but for her exceptional beauty. Her elegant presence and noble aura are what draw in regulars. Based on this analysis, the system is now initiating its first Daily Mission...]
Li Ziqing flushed in embarrassment. She had long been aware of her mother's ethereal beauty—unearthly, dignified, and radiant. Most customers at the food stall came to see her, not for culinary delight. Her mother's cooking was warm and comforting, but it lacked the layered intensity or flair found in high-end restaurants.
[Daily Mission:Convince Li Jianfang to change her business model and aim for progress and excellence.
Reward: Locked until completion.]
[Ding... System has detected that Li Jianfang, your mother, is content with her current lifestyle. She holds no grand ambitions and is satisfied with average performance. Therefore, Host must awaken her latent potential. She must begin to dream bigger, strive higher. Because this mission—to establish a hotel chain—is hers to achieve.]
Li Ziqing's brows furrowed as the realization sank in. "System," she asked slowly, "what do you mean she has to build the hotel chain? Isn't that my goal?"
[Ding... Correct, Host. This system is named the Business Empire Building System for a reason. As stated in the initial contract, the system is designed not just to assist you, but to elevate your entire family. Through your actions, the people around you—especially your family—will rise as well. Together, you will build a unified business empire.]
It finally clicked.
The system didn't want her to shoulder everything alone. It envisioned something bigger—something powerful: a tightly bound family empire, where each member rose with the tide, growing stronger together. Just like the old aristocratic clans where every sibling, every branch of the family had their own enterprise, yet contributed to a singular legacy.
But now, the real question remained—how was she supposed to convince her mother?
Li Ziqing knew her mother all too well. Just as the system had stated, Li Jianfang was a woman devoid of ambition. For the past twelve years, she had lived each day with quiet contentment, finding comfort in routine and predictability.
Wuhan, in the early 2000s, was a city divided into five major districts: the Northern, Southern, Western, Eastern, and the Central District, with the mighty Yangtze River cutting through the heart of the city. Among these, the Central District stood as the crown jewel—economically thriving, culturally rich, and home to high-rise buildings, bustling marketplaces, and the city's elite. The Southern District, also adjacent to the river, closely followed in prosperity.
However, the Northern District, despite its proximity to the city center, remained underdeveloped and stagnant. A vast lake, merged with the Yangtze, served as a natural barrier, isolating it from the economic boom that had transformed other parts of the city. The region still retained a rural charm, dotted with aging courtyard homes and a scattering of modest three- to four-story apartment blocks.
And it was here, in the heart of this forgotten district, that Li Jianfang's small food stall stood—humble, timeworn, and quietly enduring.
She operated the stall six days a week, serving only breakfast and lunch. Her offerings were limited to the most traditional and commonplace Wuhan fare: You Tiao (fried dough sticks), Doupi (bean skin rice pancakes), Ji Dan Bing (egg pancakes), Baozi (steamed buns), Doujiang (soy milk). For lunch, she cooked: Ji Dan Chao Fan (egg fried rice), Xiao Long Bao (steamed soup dumplings), Su Cai Mian (plain vegetable noodles)
Her food, while warm and comforting, lacked innovation. There were no signature dishes, no branding, no modern presentation. Surrounded by a cluster of similar stalls, the competition was fierce, and the customer flow remained disappointingly average. She barely earned a net profit of 100 yuan per day, despite laboring tirelessly from dawn until afternoon.
And yet, she was content.
That, above all, was Li Ziqing's greatest challenge.
Changing her mother's mindset—awakening ambition in a woman who had built a life around simplicity and survival—was not something that could be achieved through mere words. It would require strategy, patience, and the ability to stir dreams long buried under years of hardship.
But if Li Ziqing had learned anything from her past life, it was this: complacency was the silent killer of potential.
And now, with a system determined to help her build a business empire—not alone, but with her family—it all had to begin here, with this tiny stall in the Northern District.
The seed of greatness had to be planted in the most unlikely soil.