Chapter 1

　　The winter is white, with snow pressing down on the branches, and you can always hear the rustling sound of the melting snow.

　　Outside the small kitchen, there was a lot of noise, with everyone discussing what dish the Prime Minister had eaten today, who cooked it, and what dish the old lady had ordered when she woke up in the morning.

　　Wan Ling's ears are almost callused from hearing so much talk like this since she came here a few days ago.

　　It was freezing outside, but the maids and the old women were chatting animatedly, not feeling the cold. But Wan Ling was different. She was alone, huddled in front of the wood stove, with her head buried in the stove, almost crawling into it.

　　The maid at the door glanced at her and saw her disheveled hair, and her smile froze.

　　In an instant, she put on a pretentious attitude and raised her voice: "Imagine! Even a family as grand as ours, who is the night incense maker in the old lady's room, has received many favors and rewards. The food, clothing and daily expenses are all thousands of times better than those of ordinary people."

　　"Some people, however, spend their money on shameful things. They look so poor and shabby, which is really embarrassing the prime minister's mansion."

　　Wan Ling naturally heard it as well. She just scratched the back of her hand lazily and added a few more firewood to the stove.

　　From the first day she came here, Wan Ling had figured out her situation.

　　The number one punching bag in the workplace.

　　The person who took the lead in arranging it just now was the colleague who always disliked her, the most sarcastic person, Yue Ming.

　　When Wan Ling was born into this body, the original owner's actions had mostly wiped out her desire to live.

　　She was clearly just a little maid in the kitchen of the prime minister's mansion, but she relied on her beauty to flirt with people everywhere and was also domineering and arrogant, angering all her colleagues who could be angered.

　　As the saying goes, if you walk by the river often, you will get your feet wet, let alone throwing your shoes directly into the river like the original owner did.

　　As a result, she was ambushed and pushed into the pool. She was sick for more than a month but still couldn't survive. Now it was Wan Ling, the unfortunate one, who inherited her evil consequences.

　　Yue Ming felt even more proud when she saw Wan Ling didn't say anything.

　　"Do you think she has finally realized her own worth? Her flirtatious skills have not improved at all!"

　　Wan Ling glanced at Yue Ming silently, and her eyes were almost blinded by the light.

　　Orange, yellow, red, green, big red flowers and small white flowers, she wished she could stick all the weeds on the roadside into her hair.

　　Wan Ling pursed her lips and almost couldn't hold it back.

　　Yue Ming did not miss the glance she gave her and was unwilling to let it go: "Why are you looking at me? Is there something wrong with what I said?"

　　Wan Ling was not willing to be the stubborn little white flower heroine of old times. She had been severely ravaged by the society, and her sharp edges had been worn down into a fat little bun.

　　"Sister Yue Ming, you look much better today. It makes me feel so inferior. When I talk to Sister Yue Ming, I feel... you are so dazzling."

　　Yue Ming's expression froze and she fell silent.

　　The maid beside her also found it strange and tugged at her sleeve secretly: "Do you think this girl has really changed? She has become much more obedient since she recovered from her illness."

　　In the days after Wan Ling recovered from her illness, she was extremely well-behaved. She stayed in front of the firewood pile all day and never ran to the masters' yard again.

　　Yue Ming glared at Wan Ling awkwardly and snorted, "Who knows? However, what she just said seemed to be the truth..."

　　Thinking that it was the serious illness that finally taught Wan Ling a lesson, others stopped bothering her. When they heard that the palace had rewarded everyone with a set of winter clothes, they all hurried to get them.

　　Wan Ling was the only one left in the kitchen. She was like a whining pig, constantly warming her palms with the firewood.

　　Although she unfortunately traveled to this place, Wan Ling still felt that she was very lucky.

　　Thanks to the male owner, the Prime Minister's Mansion is extremely wealthy and luxurious.

　　In addition, the masters treat their servants well. Not only their monthly salary is the most generous among the noble families, but they are also rewarded with various treasures during holidays, which is almost what ordinary people would seek in their entire lives.

　　Her dream is to save enough money and then find a safe and stable place to live out her life.

　　Wan Ling was a chef in her previous life, and was particularly good at Chinese food. She had in-depth knowledge of the culinary characteristics of each region, and the national chain of restaurants she opened was a household name.

　　She heard that servants who were valued by their masters received much higher monthly wages. Although Wan Ling wanted to move up, she was powerless.

　　Firstly, she was often squeezed out in the kitchen and had no chance to cook. Secondly, the three maids who were over 40 years old were the ones who were respected in the kitchen. How could anyone believe in her cooking skills when she was just a junior?

　　Thinking of this, she could only start slowly from being a fire-making maid.

　　"It's almost noon, where are the people in this small kitchen? Are they all going to heaven?"

　　Just as the warm fire was making her drowsy, Wan Ling was startled by the sound.

　　She stood up quickly.

　　"Where are the people? Are they all dead? The old lady just got better yesterday, and she has to faint from the anger of these despicable people again!"

　　Wan Ling scratched the palm of her hand. The newcomer had made a great advance, and it was obvious without even looking at her that she was a powerful character.

　　Not long after, a nanny came in wearing a thick cotton skirt. She inspected the kitchen and her sharp eyes fell on Wan Ling, who was sitting by the stove.

　　"Why are you alone?"

　　When Wan Ling saw the nanny, she recognized her identity: Nanny Wang, who served the old lady.

　　"Nanny Wang, they have all gone to get their winter clothes."

　　When Nanny Wang heard this, her face instantly became even more gloomy.

　　"You guys in the kitchen don't take your master seriously, one by one. You all rushed there in droves at noon just to get some winter clothes. I think the old lady is too indulgent to all of you!"

　　Wan Ling wanted to nod madly.

　　Nanny Wang was so angry that she was breathing heavily, but she did not forget to look at the maid in front of her.

　　She had red lips, white teeth, rosy cheeks, and a naive look, but she looked unfamiliar and had never shown her face in front of the old lady. She guessed she was just a maid who did odd jobs.

　　Nanny Wang sighed heavily, put her hands on her hips, and said angrily, "Last night the old lady recovered from her illness, but this morning she vomited all the porridge she drank. Her stomach was empty, but she ran into this bunch of lazy people."

　　Wan Ling blinked and rolled her eyes.

　　Who says there is no way to get promoted? Isn't now just the right time?

　　She smiled shyly and carefully put on a smiling face: "If you don't mind, maybe you can let me give it a try?"

　　Nanny Wang curled the corners of her mouth and sneered.

　　"You? You, a little girl, can rival the skills of Granny Li and her friends? Don't try to be nice."

　　Wan Ling was not discouraged and continued to smile happily: "Madam, please don't underestimate me. My ancestors have been famous for their excellent cooking skills. If my parents hadn't died early, maybe now the Prime Minister's Mansion would have to come all the way to buy the snacks made by my family."

　　Her voice was soft and sweet, with a hint of cleverness and playfulness, which immediately calmed people down. Looking at this smiling face, Nanny Wang felt inexplicably relieved and was willing to listen to her.

　　"So, you have some skills, girl?"

　　Wan Ling chuckled: "Madam, why don't you take a look at my cooking skills? When you taste it yourself and find it good, it won't be too late to give it to the old lady. If it's not good, you can scold me!"

　　She still had this confidence.

　　Nanny Wang was persuaded by her words. Her eyebrows softened, and she waved her hand: "Okay, okay. You are the only one in the small kitchen right now, and I can't rely on those useless people."

　　Wan Ling agreed readily, rolled up her sleeves, and finally took the main seat in the kitchen as she wished.

　　She looked at the white porridge sent to the old lady this morning. The old lady had stomach problems, so the servants thought it would be a good idea to eat something light. However, they didn't know that people with stomach problems are even less suitable for drinking porridge. What's more, they put shredded chicken in it, which made reflux more likely. No wonder the old lady vomited.

　　There were all kinds of dishes on the stove, including a lot of fatty meat, but Wan Ling just glanced at them and then turned her attention to the plain noodles.

　　After washing her hands, Wan Ling grabbed a handful of noodles and put them into the water that had already been boiled.

　　While the dough was being cooked, Wan Ling picked a few freshly picked green onions this morning, washed the dirt off the white parts of the green onions, and deftly placed them on the chopping board. She cut the green onions into sections, aligned the ends, and quickly cut a pile of crystal green onion chopped pieces.

　　The noodles were almost soft, so Wan Ling took them out and temporarily placed them in a bowl of fresh water to prevent them from sticking.

　　"I don't think it's anything..."

　　Nanny Wang watched from the side, feeling very suspicious.

　　This girl doesn't look very old. I'm afraid that she is lying?

　　The iron pan was heated to the perfect temperature, without leaving any trace of water. Wan Ling scooped out some lard with a spatula and melted it in the pan.

　　She knocked an egg with one hand, from high to low, like a beautiful arc. After falling into the pot, it collided with the lard, and several large bubbles immediately appeared, and the egg liquid quickly took shape.

　　Wan Ling flipped the eggs a few times, and when they were completely fried into round shapes, she opened the other pan.

　　Inside was the bone soup that is stewed in the kitchen every day. It is usually used to make one dish directly and is not added to other dishes for no reason.

　　Wan Ling picked up two large spoonfuls and poured them directly into the pot. The mellow and light bone soup combined with the eggs fried in lard blended very harmoniously. When the soup was boiling, she put in the noodles and finally sprinkled a handful of green onions.

　　When Nanny Wang was overwhelmed by the fragrance, she took a few steps forward in disbelief and stared at the noodles in the pot.

　　The soup was fresh and mellow, emitting bursts of heat. Just thinking about taking a sip of it would surely warm up her internal organs.

　　Wan Ling put the prepared noodle soup into a bowl. When Nanny Wang smelled the aroma, she found it more and more magical. Although there was no spice or chili in the food, it was much more fragrant than the fatty meat, and it was light in taste. If the old lady ate more, it would not be a big problem.

　　"Oh, by the way, please make a cup of black tea for the old lady. It will be better for her health if she drinks it with these noodles."

　　Things get cold quickly in winter, and Nanny Wang felt like she had found a treasure. She greedily inhaled a few breaths of the aroma and quickly put it into the food box.

　　"Okay, okay, I'll remember that."

　　Nanny Wang paused, and the look in her eyes when she looked at Wan Ling was no longer full of doubt. She smiled and said, "What's your name, girl? If the old lady asks, I can find someone to ask for the reward."

　　When Wan Ling heard this, she knew that she was satisfied, and smiled sweetly: "This servant's name is Wan Ling."

　　Nanny Wang nodded with a smile, then hurried back to the courtyard carrying the food box.

　　Coincidentally, she met a few people who were coming back to get winter clothes.

　　Wan Ling could only hear Nanny Wang's cold sarcasm outside -

　　"Oh, these young ladies are so used to being carefree that they don't have to worry about the affairs of the mansion at all. I think they are all beggars, deaf and blind, and their hands and feet can't do anything!"

Certainly! Here's the text with the names changed and the indentation preserved:

---

　　Several maids and servants, each with a paler face than the other, rushed into the small kitchen with red necks.

　　"Oh no! Is it because we are not here that Nanny Wang comes to ask about the old lady's lunch?"

　　"I told you to go one by one, now you are too happy and end up in tragedy."

　　Yue Ming saw Wan Ling standing blankly in the kitchen and immediately raised her eyebrows at her: "When we went out just now, what did Nanny Wang do?"

　　Wan Ling told the truth: "Nothing else, just asked me to make lunch for the old lady..."

　　Before she could finish her words, she saw the people in front of her seemed to explode.

　　"You were asked to cook for the old lady?!"

　　Now the maids in charge of cooking are not happy with this.

　　"Do you know how important a place the kitchen is? With your poor cooking skills, you'll just create problems for the old lady. If she blames you, we won't be punished with you!"

　　"What the hell! You little idiot, you wanted to take the lead while we were away. I thought you had finally behaved yourself, but you're still a dog that can't change its nature!"

　　Wan Ling looked at how angry they were, smelled the lingering aroma of noodles wafting in the kitchen, and couldn't help swallowing.

　　She was greedy.

　　She wanted to eat.

　　"Madame Li."

　　The woman who was about to start a quarrel with her stopped talking and yelled fiercely, "What are you doing!"

　　Wan Ling scratched the back of her hand: "I'm hungry, when is the dinner?"

　　Aunt Li: ...

　　Yue Ming really admired her. Ever since she recovered from her illness, she had become thicker-skinned than before.

　　*****

　　At lunch time, a group of people surrounded the table leaving no space, for fear that Wan Ling would get in.

　　"Let her take the lead, and we'll eat all the food, leaving nothing behind."

　　"She still wants to eat. If the old lady eats something wrong, she will have to finish it with her then."

　　Wan Ling stood at the door, sweating anxiously, watching the food almost being eaten up.

　　The ingredients in the kitchen were under the eyes of the maids, and she couldn't touch them. If she had known that she would be maliciously retaliated against, she would have cooked a few more noodles for herself when she cooked noodles for the old lady.

　　As she was huddled at the door, filled with resentment, she heard a very intimate voice in the yard:

　　"Miss Wan Ling, Miss Wan Ling, I am here to give you a reward on behalf of the old lady!"