Gourmet: The Master Chef Just Wants to Leisurely Set Up a Stall - Chapter 1

In the height of summer, in the small single room of a rented apartment in Yangcheng.

The old fan struggled to operate, and Zhao Xiaojing’s third aunt’s constant nagging grew increasingly blurry. Sitting quietly, Zhao Xiaojing closed her eyes gently, tears streaming down.

“What are you crying for! I’m doing this for your own good. You’re a girl; stop being picky. In a few years, you’ll be left with no choice but to settle! I think Zhang Guodong is great, marry him quickly. Stop being selfish and only thinking about yourself. Think about your deceased mother; how anxious she would be seeing you unmarried!”

Zhao Xiaojing suddenly stood up, looking complexly at her most feared third aunt, Dong Mei, and finally asked the question she couldn’t voice in her previous life, “Third Aunt, do you regret marrying Uncle?”

Dong Mei paused, then continued her loud lecturing, “Not everyone is like your uncle! There are good ones out there! Zhang Guodong is excellent; he meets all the criteria. You should hurry…”

Zhao Xiaojing understood. Her third aunt probably knew deep down that her own life wasn’t as good as she pretended.

Her uncle, Zhou Jianye, was a low-level leader at a construction site. He sent money home monthly but was away on business trips most of the year. The entire family relied on her aunt alone for everything from the children’s school to their weddings and her parents’ health issues.

Moreover, the income from the construction site was not transparent. Although her uncle sent money every month, it wasn’t much, and her aunt had long suspected his actual salary was higher but never got a straight answer. Rumors persisted that her uncle had an illegitimate child in the city where he worked; her aunt tried investigating but found nothing.

Despite all this, her aunt never stopped pressuring Zhao Xiaojing to marry.

“Third Aunt!” Zhao Xiaojing interrupted Dong Mei’s tirade, turned stiffly, and said, “I’ll work hard to repay the 80,000 yuan I owe your family, but don’t mention marriage again.”

“What do you mean by that?! Am I pushing you to marry for the money? You must be out of your mind! It’s already a blessing someone likes you. What are you unwilling to do? And you’re using this to block me! How will you repay me? With your lost job or the fried dough and sweet potatoes in your pot? Tsk~”

“I’m telling you, don’t be ungrateful. You’ll regret it! Women always need to rely on men. Think carefully and marry Zhang Guodong obediently!” With that, Dong Mei slammed the door and left.

Zhao Xiaojing let out a long sigh, taking a complicated look around the shabby rental room.

In her previous life, on this very day and in this very place, after her mother’s death, she was successfully brainwashed by Dong Mei into marrying Zhang Guodong.

She eventually managed to repay the 80,000 yuan borrowed during her mother’s illness and became a full-time housekeeper for Zhang Guodong’s family. Later, he cheated on her, and she forgave him foolishly, even giving birth to a child. During her pregnancy, Zhang Guodong reconnected with his mistress, who also became pregnant and demanded her position. Zhang Guodong couldn’t handle it and pressured her to divorce shortly after childbirth.

Soon after the divorce, she remarried, again pushed by Dong Mei’s domineering influence.

Her second husband was a drunkard and gambler, yet she bore two children for him. A year or two later, her alcoholic husband died outside due to his drinking habits. After a long custody battle with her in-laws, she compromised and lived with them and her three children. She thought enduring some grievances would be worth it if she could raise her children properly. But the children inherited their father’s bad traits, were encouraged by their grandparents, and disrespected her.

On the last day of her previous life, she cried because of her children and wandered the streets in a daze. She reflected on how her life had turned into such chaos, why she never seemed to make any decisions for herself. Just as she decided to abandon everything—custody of her children, moral obligations imposed by relatives—and start anew alone, a speeding truck hit her hard…

When she awoke, she returned to this timid afternoon where she couldn’t say no.

Grateful for the rebirth at this point, Zhao Xiaojing felt thankful. Though she’d just lost her job and hadn’t found a new one, and life seemed bleak, the real hardships hadn’t begun.

This time, she vowed to rely on herself, no matter how poor or difficult life got. She wouldn’t endure a life dictated by others again!

Mentioning the 80,000 yuan wasn’t just to silence Dong Mei; it was a genuine desire to repay the debt and escape its psychological shackles.

Zhao Xiaojing glanced at the induction cooker propped up by a stool in the corner of the rental room and suddenly had a flash of inspiration. What did Dong Mei just say? Repay the debt with fried dough and sweet potatoes? Maybe it’s not impossible.

In her previous life, she spent over ten years as a housewife, excelling at chores and cooking various dishes. Every New Year, she’d prepare a feast for relatives alone.

Though her cooking initially faced criticism from her in-laws, after a few years, Zhao Xiaojing’s skills improved so much they couldn’t fault it anymore.

Of course, her skills weren’t on par with professional chefs, but she could manage a small stall alongside her job. If she lived frugally, she could slowly save money.

Once business picked up, she’d expand the stall, repay the debt first, and then consider what else to do…

As Zhao Xiaojing dreamed big for herself repeatedly, a faint white light flashed in her mind.

[Ding~ Congratulations on activating the Master Chef Development System. A luxurious novice gift pack has been sent to your account. Please check the backpack page later to claim it.]

[Based on system evaluation, current chef level: 8 (low-level, incompetent rookie, with a maximum level of 100)]

[Task mode activated. Completing tasks will earn system rewards. Do you wish to accept?]

[Yes/No]