A Duck and a Gilded Invitation

Late that night, only a low flame remained beneath the pot. The old cookbook opened itself, but no new dish appeared at first. One drop of ink surfaced. Then words formed as if another hand wrote from the far side of the page. [Gu Tingchuan. The resource he will desire most in three years: a meal he cannot price.] Shen felt no triumph. Another line appeared. [Warning: give food to the hungry; give boundaries to the greedy.] The flame jumped. The gilded invitation reflected its light like a bill sent far in advance.