No Thoughts

Feels only right to start with the oldest and oddest child. Luo Binghe has some major descriptions of his cooking in the book. His washer woman mother taught him. Its god teir food that only a select number of wives got to eat in pidw. Its super special for Binghe to cook for someone. Thats hanmered over and over. I believe its mentioned that he used his cooking to seduce some of his wives. Which is kinda a wild thing to establish.

So I'm of the idea that Luo Binghe of PIDW, Bing-ge if you would, collected wives trying to fill the void of affection. I'm pretty sure this is widely accepted, if not straight canon from Mxtx's socials. I know in the extra where Bing-ge is swapped with Bing-mei it's at least heavily implied.

Also, Binghe learning cooking from his deceased mother. So one could easily connect cooking a thing that reminds him of his mother, the only person who ever loved him unconditionally. He also missed her death trying to get her food. Food/Cooking has a deep connection with his mother, with family. Bing-mei is very protective of who gets to eat his food. Like in the extra it's kinda major that Shang Qinghua gets to eat with them and recognized that Binghe actually respects Qinghua a lot.

In the context of this, of Binghe using his cooking as a show of affection, love, and (for Shen Qingqiu) devotion. In a way its him ASKING for that in return. The first time Binghe cooks for Shen Qingqiu, I think its after the demon attack when SQQ got poisoned. Either way it had been established that Shen Qingqiu was not like before. He hadn't hurt Bingboi, hadn't turned any of his acts of kindness into debt, and (possibly if if my memory isnt shit) took a fatal attack for him.

Binghe really starts cooking for Shen Qingqiu daily when he finds out Shen Qingqiu typically skips meals. He says he really isn't hungry or the food isn't to his taste, something like that. Now I can't help but imagine those words coming from a woman trying to make sure her son eats when there isn't enough. Like Binghe having a mom conplex about Shen Qingqiu really isn't shocking.

Now, thanks to another extra that I do vividly remember we know Binghe cooked for Shen Qingqiu every day for 5 years while Shen Qingqiu was dead. The one day he doesn't is the one where he has a little break down, not sure if he can keep going. He then gets up and goes to make food because boy is so so so sad but Shen Qingqiu is the only person in both universes that loves Binghe.

Its also intresting how Binghe is a wonderful cook, does it all the time for Shen Qingqiu, but as far as we know Shen Qingqiu doesn't know how to cook at all. So with the affection analog here it's a good 1 to 1. Binghe is always giving affection, showing it how ever he can, and Shen Qingqiu doesn't know how. He's learning though. He might now be able to cook for Bingbong, but he's learning his own way of showing he cares.

Last thought, I think as the person who Wrote Binghe as someone who uses food for affection it means a lot that Shang Qinghua wants Mobei Jun to make noodles for him. Like if that aint the icing on the cake.

Next! Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation.

Food comes up a lot. Not as much as the other two series, but it does play a part. There are at least two ways it has it's place in tbe story. Of course the couple, Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian, accepting each other as they are. The other big one is Jiang Yanli, what she means, what she represented, and who that made her.

I want to talk about Yanli first! From the get go she was the kind older sister who showed her love through food. Bringing melon slices to the diciples on a hot day, peeling lotus seeds during dinner for her brothers, and of course her famous short rib and lotus soup. Its shown time and time that this is how she shows she cares. Something you can consume and enjoy and know Yanli was thinking about you while she made it. Even during Sun Shot she made it for Jin Zixuan, even though he regected her, she still cared about him. Even when there couldn't be words. It showed how free she was with her love.

So I think of two scenes. When Yanli came out to Yiling to see Wei Wuxian before her wedding. She gave him soup. She also gave a bowl to Wen Ning, and Wen Ning unable to eat it carried ot so carefully back to the mound. That little bowl of familial love and warmth. Then he gave it to one of the Wen Refugees and they told him what it tasted like. Next I think of Wei Wuxian looking at Jin Ling, and thinking about this kid never being able to taste Yanli's short rib soup. Like, shit man. Then whenever Wei Wuxian is reminiscing on the old days he brings up that soup to Lan Wangji, amd Lan Wangji is just "Im sure it was delicious." Like he gets that Wei Wuxian doesn't miss the soup, he misses his sister.

Okay, the other thing. Compromising. So a big thing with Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji is bad communication with good intentions. Learning to read and understand each other, meet halfway, and such. So food. Big things here, Wei Wuxian loves Spice and Meat. Lan Wangji cannot handle spice and he's vegetarian. Both of them are competent cooks. They have some major differences, but a good grasp on the skill set needed.

Theres a few scenes I remember that go with this. So the first is in Yiling at the restaurant, Wei Wuxian orders a bunch of dishes without realizing Lan Wangji probably can't eat most of them. He's even unable to remember if Lan Wangji ate anything that day.

Then there was at the Cloud Recesses, Wei Wuxian was in the room and Lan Wangji brought food that Wei Wuxian loved. Wei Wuxian thought they were from a restaurant. We find out later that Wangji made that special for Wei Wuxian.

I think both these scenses did a great job in displaying how the two understood each other at those given times. There own ways of reaching out and missing the mark. Things are fine later, but god I've read to many fan fics to remember what's real and what isn't. Oops.

Finally, Heaven Official's Blessing, my favorite boys.

Honestly Xie Lian's cooking is its own character. His food is iconic. I love him. I love that Xie Lian is a bad cook on purpose.

The most important part of Xie Lian is a lie. He's a perfect person who is good and just all the time. This is what people say about him in the same breath as his downfall. What a terrible way to be thought of. So what can he do? Well he's pretty down on his luck, it's not like he has access to a lot of food, so why would he waste food?

Easy, because of his mom. Xie Lian cooks and names his dishes the same way his mom did. Cooking like this is a direct way to remembering his mom. It does serve a second purpose. Because he's called perfect all the time, the prince who can do no wrong, what better way of showing that's innocent than shoving a bowl of flaws into someone's face.

He does this with a lot of characters. Mostly just to see what they'll do. The only one who takes Xie Lian's food in stride it Hua Cheng. He eats it, compliments it, and enjoys it. He's the only one who accepts Xie Lian for all that he it. Which isn't shocking really.