Five Years After My Death, the Mad Emperor Still Summons My Spirit

The loud noise made Shi Mingyue look down.

Little Stone instinctively tried to cover his stomach to stop it from making any more noise.

But sometimes, the very thing you fear is what ends up happening.

The moment he pressed his hands to his stomach, an even louder GRUMBLE echoed out.

Little Stone’s face flushed red, and for a moment, he didn’t know what to say.

As a beggar, going hungry was a common occurrence, and he had never felt embarrassed by it. But now, standing inside the bright Ming’s Restaurant, he felt a little mortified.

"Haha, someone’s hungry! Wu Zhao Yu, are any of the flatbreads ready? Bring one out, and give a piece to this little one."

Just then, a cheerful and wonderfully friendly female voice called out.

Ming Lingyi had woken up bright and early today, just in time to have breakfast with everyone.

She had just walked in from the back courtyard when she spotted the little one by Shi Mingyue’s feet.

She had also heard the loud GRUMBLE from Little Stone’s stomach.

As soon as Ming Lingyi spoke, Wu Zhao Yu called back from the kitchen.

"They’re just about ready! We can start serving now."

Without a word, Shi Mingyue went inside and returned with a plate of mutton flatbreads.

Little Stone stood rooted to the spot, still a bit dazed. He recognized Ming Lingyi, of course, but he hadn’t quite processed what was happening. He fidgeted with his clothes nervously. "B-Boss Ming, I can wait. I won’t eat much..."

He was worried Ming Lingyi would think he had just come to beg for a meal. ’I can work first, then eat.’

Ming Lingyi let out a chuckle. She walked over, and just as she was about to tell Little Stone that it was okay to eat his fill, she saw Xiao Chun and the Wu Brothers approaching with two sets of clothes.

"Miss," Xiao Chun said, gesturing to the still-damp clothes Little Stone was wearing. "It’s just... these clothes probably won’t fit him very well." She had even made some quick alterations with a needle and thread.

"Don’t worry about it. Take him to get changed first," Ming Lingyi said. "Later, go out and buy him a couple of outfits that fit properly."

Before Little Stone could even react, Wu Zhao Yi was leading him away to get changed.

When he reappeared at the dining table, he was practically bubbling with happiness.

He’d been an orphan for as long as he could remember, begging alone in Shangjing City.

And yet, this ill-fitting outfit he was wearing now was already the best he had ever owned.

"Alright, now that everyone’s here, let’s eat!" Ming Lingyi announced.

Three flatbreads and a bowl of milk were placed in front of Little Stone.

He tentatively picked one up. Seeing that no one objected, he cautiously took a bite.

’It’s so good!’

The mutton inside the flatbread was a perfect mix of fat and lean. Even the leanest part was tender and juicy. The taste of freshly grilled mutton instantly captivated his senses, and he found himself completely immersed in the flavor, unable to escape.

The flatbread was also baked to perfection, with a light golden-brown crisp on the outside. Its distinct fragrance mingled with the mutton, and everything was perfectly balanced.

After taking one bite, Little Stone was already desperate for a second.

In the blink of an eye, he had finished an entire flatbread.

"Slow down, don’t choke," came Xiao Chun’s voice from beside him.

It was the first time Xiao Chun had ever seen someone eat faster than she did, and such a little person at that. She was flabbergasted.

As she spoke, she pushed the bowl of milk intended for Little Stone closer to him. "Have a sip of milk with each bite of flatbread. It won’t feel so dry."

This was a new recipe their Miss had recently developed: milk infused with mint leaves. A sip of it first thing in the morning was enough to make a person feel much more awake and refreshed.

Little Stone nodded, his face red. He wanted to eat more slowly, but years of experience had taught him that if you didn’t eat fast, you’d never get your fill before someone snatched your food away. 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝒆𝒘𝙚𝓫𝙣𝙤𝒗𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

Half a flatbread was enough for Ming Lingyi in the morning. She watched Little Stone eat with a smile. It had to be said, watching someone eat with such relish was enough to put anyone in a good mood and stir up their appetite.

"What’s your name?" Ming Lingyi asked once Little Stone had finally finished eating.

"Little Stone," he said, rubbing his head. "That’s what everyone calls me. I don’t know my family name..." For as long as he could remember, he had been alone. His earlier memories were too blurry, and he couldn’t be bothered to think about them. After all, just getting a full meal each day was a pipe dream; memories couldn’t fill a hungry stomach.

"Well, if you’re going to stay here at the restaurant, it would be better for you to have a proper name," Ming Lingyi said.

Although Little Stone was only five years old—an age when other children were still being spoiled by their parents—he was already far too sensible.

"Please grant me a name, Miss."

Ming Lingyi thought for a moment. "A gentleman’s word is his bond, more precious than gold. Why don’t we call you Ming Yanshu? The name means ’a given word, a promise.’ From now on, Ming’s Restaurant will be your home. How does that sound?"

Upon hearing this, Little Stone’s eyes reddened. He immediately kowtowed three times to Ming Lingyi, his forehead hitting the floor with loud THUDS. The action was so fast that he had finished before Ming Lingyi could even react.

Not knowing whether to laugh or cry, Ming Lingyi quickly pulled him up from the floor.

"Alright, alright, we don’t do kneeling here. Just settle in for now," Ming Lingyi said. "Wu Zhao Yi, take Ming Yanshu to see his room."

Once everything was settled, Ming Lingyi stood up, took out a stack of paper from behind the counter, and began to write and sketch.

A thick stack quickly accumulated beside her. Before long, Shi Mingyue took the stack of papers and left.

Before noon, Mr. Du from the shop diagonally across the street came hurrying over to Ming’s Restaurant, holding a piece of paper.

"Boss Ming!" Du Xuan’s voice rang out before he even stepped through the door.

"Did your restaurant send this out?" Du Xuan asked loudly, holding up the paper in his hand. Seeing Ming Lingyi emerge from the back kitchen, he strode forward. "It says on here that if you compose a poem, and it’s chosen as the winner in a contest ten days from now, you can eat for free at Ming’s Restaurant for ten days? Everything is free?"

The moment Du Xuan received the event flyer, he had rushed right over to find Ming Lingyi.

For a die-hard fan of Ming’s Restaurant like him, the grand prize was simply too enticing.

Ever since Ming’s Restaurant opened, Du Xuan had eaten here almost every day. He didn’t have many hobbies; he just loved to eat.

Since he wasn’t married, he only had himself to feed. Over the past two months, more than half of the Silver Taels his shop had earned ended up at Ming’s Restaurant.

Ming Lingyi nodded. "That’s right. It’s real, and we’re the ones who sent them out."

’In fact, I bought the Xuan paper for the flyers from Mr. Du’s shop.’