It started out great, loving the whole bringing modern ideas to make money in ancient China thing. But I really don't like how certain plots were written out.

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Spoiler

A ger was humiliated by being paraded around town naked because he was the mistress to this thug that MC had beef with. The MC indirectly caused this ger to commit su*cide. The ger's only fault was to be dependent on the abusive thug and so the ger had to carry out some schemes that didn't even affected the MC much.

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I also got annoyed at the way the ger that the MC lived with was basically being portrayed as the weeping white lotus that's weak, naive and often bullied who mostly talks in whispers. He just rubs me the wrong way.

Anyway, love the getting rich plot but iffy about the characters. <<less

This was a pretty directionless novel. It basically like the other seme protag, transmigrated-into-an-ancient-world-as-an-<insert specialty here>, whether it be farmer, doctor, chef, what have you. Except this one is even less ambitious than the others.

What was MC's ultimate goal? Not sure. It's just a lot of chapters to pass a very short amount of time. Only 6 months pass over the course of the entire novel, and then the author just ended it because I think they got bored of the novel. I know I sure did.

The romance was extremely,... more>> extremely lacking and I really don't approve of it. There were major shota vibes coming from ML, and MC insisted that he was waiting for the 15 year old ML to grow up... only to knock him up 6 months later.

Big nopety nope. Sorry, MC is literally twice his age. Bleh. <<less

The idea felt novel in the beginning and it was executed well.

But as the story goes, it felt like a drag and repetitive.

The first chapter is really interesting for me. Usually the transimgrated person was not the real chef, they just knew how to cook. This novel bring different setting for me who likes to read any novel relate to transmigration and food. I'm expecting many dessert will appear in the further chapter. I really want to read the next chapters but not the MTL version, so translator please pick this novel if you find this interesting too.

I can't say I have any strong feelings for this novel. It's another basic transmigration novel and making money with cooking but shounen ai style. There's two main face slapping drama but having read enough of this trope, they're not anything spectacular. 31 year old MC transmigrated into the body of a town bully and proceeded to make money with his baking. 15 years old ML is the weepy and helpless ger ML's host body had bought to do housework. Despite having been abused by his family and the MC's... more>> host, ML was still super trusting of MC. With MC treating him nicely, ML was heads over heels for MC but MC tried to treat ML as a little bro, basically thinking ML was too young to know what love was. Later on MC struggled with his attraction to the ML, and I totally understand how ages are treated differently in earlier eras when life expectancy were shorter, but, MC, as a modern 31 year old man, I don't understand how he didn't struggle with his conscience when he slept with a 16 year old. ╮ (˘ ､ ˘) ╭ Anyways, though the food of choice was different in this novel, it couldn't save the novel from being ordinary. <<less

Romance: 0.5/5 — This would've been better if there was no romance, really, because the relationship between MC and ML feels like younger-sibling-looks-up-to-eldest-sibling. It felt incredibly weird and uncomfortable when marriage was brought up, even the 15-year-old ML wanted to sleep with MC. I understand this was normal in the past, but MC transmigrated from the present and thus, should know better not to mess with KIDS HALF HIS AGE. Quote from this novel: "Mianmian, grow up quickly, " because he was jealous of other people getting close to 15-year-old ML, and yes his age needs to be emphasized since he's a literal child who confused dependence for love. MC, as an adult, should've really know better. It's disgusting reading his attraction for ML who he just met for like 2 months and swore not to marry until he's a bit older. Weird how he'd wait for ML to grow up first (presumably 18 or so yrs old) but IT'S EVEN WEIRDER WHEN THEY GOT TOGETHER SOONER. GODDAMN THE ML BARELY EVEN GREW UP

Characters: 2/5 — ML is annoying and frustrating. He's this helpless, fragile doormat who doesn't know anything but to whine and cry. Even Sanjie seemed better than him, at least she knows how to stand up for herself. The ML is always a damsel in distress. There were so many times I just wanted to slap him really bad, grow a backbone for heaven's sake. Insert his signature line, "Brother Ji, am I useless?" yeah you are, you dramatic pos

MC is slightly tolerable; not good not bad just an average person.

I liked A Qiu and some other side characters. Just normal people living honest lives except for some antagonists but eventually I pitied them tbh. Especially the steamed bun seller mistress, why is her punishment so harsh. Author talks about equality in life etc etc but applied a misogynistic law in the story instead

Food: 5/5 — This was what made me stay and endure. It was really interesting having Ji Wei make food and set up a business in an ancient setting. And as other reviewers stated, it got repetitive and tiresome.

Plot: 3/5 — If not for the food, it would've gotten really boring. There are a lot of chapters too which seems really unnecessary since there wasn't much happening. Cut the total chapters in half and it would've been an okay short story.

It was a great time killer at first but the later parts totally ruined it for me, I WOULDN'T RECOMMEND AND WON'T REREAD ever again. This ain't something that'd be your favorite. Go find another novel to waste your time on.

I feel some of the chapters move way too fast and why is it that almost every transmigration book use family and close friends to be the enemy, I always feel so uncomfortable reading these books because I value family and friends very much. I only ever read 1 slice of life book that is not like that, and in the end it turned out to be a five-star read.
All in all I just DNF, I don't want to waste my time anymore reading books that will make me feel uncomfortable.