zhou mei li

The 16-year-old daughter of Chouyu, originally a helper at the Yang Spring Restaurant. She fell in love with Mao after witnessing his passion for cooking and his care for others. Though her knowledge about cooking is limited, she's handy with small facts and often tries to assist Mao with various tasks. Heartbroken upon learning that Mao was leaving the restaurant to travel across China, she initially thought they could have a life together. She eventually decided to leave the restaurant too, aiming to accompany him on his journey (though, in the manga, she did not join Mao on his trip around China). Mei frequently argues with Shirou and tends to slap or hit him. Her jealousy flares up whenever another woman approaches Mao. For instance, when Mao's sister Karin visited to deliver their mother's cooking materials, Mei criticized Karin, believing she wouldn't be good for Mao until she discovered Karin was his sibling. Another time, when the female chef Anzu succeeded in mastering single cuisine and kissed Mao in gratitude, Mei became enraged and vented her anger by hitting Shirou. She acknowledges that her biggest rival for Mao's affection is his love for cooking. Mei bears a striking resemblance to her late mother, Meika.