In ancient times, there was a major flood in Dongting Lake. The Xiangjiang River overflowed its banks, destroying the dykes on both sides of the river, and the area was flooded for a long time. The villages and farmhouses were destroyed, and the people were displaced and on the move. The Ling Mountain Daogong in Hengdong was full of refugees and the number was increasing day by day. The Taoist priest Lie Shan Shao Zhen ordered the palace cook Jiang Tong: “Increase the amount of food cooked to help the victims of the disaster.”

After a week of giving out food, Jiang Tong reported to Lie Shan Shao Zhen: ‘The kitchen has a little rice, and the next morning's meal will be a Taoist vegetarian meal, so it's hard to use it for both.’ Lie Shan Shao Zhen sighed and said, ”Alas! Food is the most important thing to the people, so we should put others before ourselves.”

It was late at night, and Jiang Tong rolled over and fell asleep, with a vague dream. He longed to emulate Jiang Shuizhi, the ancient farmer, who carried grains in his hands, floated south, stopped by the banks of Xiang River, and busily set up a kitchen: the cauldron was borrowed from Nuwa's white gold crucible, the stove was supported by the tripod peaks of Ling Mountain, the water was drawn from Taoyuan's rootless spring, and the firewood was taken from the sun-exposed wood of Hengshan Mountain. Just as he was pounding the rice, Xuanyuan Yunjia peeked in from above, surprised by the strong wind. “May I ask, kind farmer, why you are cooking in the sky here in Hunan?” The farmer looked grave and replied abruptly, “Since the water monster did its evil deeds, it has caused my millions of descendants to suffer from hunger, so I'm making cakes!” Xuanyuan bowed his head and flew away.

The young Jiang woke up from his dream and fell off the bed. He went to the kitchen and added water to the rice container in the corner. He did not expect that the lime powder on the wall would fall off and dissolve in the water, washing out the rice grains and making them as bright as emeralds. He added water again and rubbed them together, and the gruel became as shiny as milk. When it boiled and thickened, he had made the perfect cake. The people in need were then fed the rice cake, and everyone saw that it was as white as jade, with a delicious fragrance. It was not uncommon to see it, and they wondered if it was a recipe from the immortals. They asked what it was called. The young boy told them it was a dream come true, and that it was a wonderful creation. Suddenly they heard the old man shout, “Ling Shan rice cake!” The shout was answered by all the other voices, and everyone was happy and excited.

When the morning bell tolled, the disciples of the temple gathered in the main hall. Lie Shan Shaozhen gave a lecture on the Dao De Jing, which was followed by a strict diet. After the lesson, they hurried to the temple of the Emperor of Fire. There they saw the victims of the flood gathered on the steps. One of them held up a cake made from rice from Mount Ling and said sincerely, “We will go back to our hometowns and salvage the flooded crops. We will make cakes to help overcome the famine and rebuild our homes. Then we can live in poverty but be happy in the Dao!”

When Lie Shan Shaozhen heard what he had said and where he had come from, he led the people to worship the ancestor statue of the Yan Emperor. The sun rose outside as the clouds parted, and the fields were fertile, with paths crisscrossing the landscape like lines in a poem or a scroll.

旷古之年，洞庭水患。湘江洪峰迭起，两岸堤溃垸滥，久为泽国。垸乡田舍损毁，百姓流离转徙。衡东酃山道宫，忱纳荒民与日俱增。道长烈山少真吩咐宫厨火工姜童： “增其炊量，以济灾民”。

施赈经旬，姜童禀烈山少真曰：“厨缸积米少许，翌日早膳，民筵道斋，恐难两用。”烈山少真叹谓：“嗟夫!民以食为天，当先人而后己矣。”

既至夜阑，姜童碾转入睡，梦境依稀。遥慕姜水之翁，手捧五谷，飘然南下，驻足湘水之畔，忙然设厨：锅借女娲白金坩，灶以酃山鼎足峰，水注桃源无根泉，柴取衡山向阳木。正值捣擂谷米之际，轩辕云驾窥之，乘风而下，甚为异诧：“敢问炎农仁兄，在这湖湘之地，因何事以天炊?”其翁神情凝重，岔然答道：“自水怪作孽以来，害我千万子孙忍饥受饿，故制糕耳!”轩辕顿首，仙驾而去。

姜童梦醒，骨碌落榻。即人厨厅，加水于墙角米缸之中，不防墙面石灰粉沫纷纷剥落，入水消融，淘出米粒，已是灿若翠玉。复入水搓之，泔如亮乳，沸而凝之，居然尽得其糕也。遂施饥民，众睹糕色如玉，清香可口。历不鲜见，疑为仙家食谱，究问其名。姜童报之梦幻，道之巧成。忽闻长者得呼：“酃山米糕”!唤声起而诸声应，尽皆欣然雀跃。

待至晨钟司鸣，举宫道徒聚于经堂。烈山少真法旨节食，课以《道德经》。功毕，趋步炎帝殿。但见灾民集立阶前，有民首捧出酃山米糕，诚曰：“吾等当回乡自力，打捞水淹谷物，普效糕艺，以度灾荒，复兴家园，盖可安贫乐道哉!”

烈山少真闻其具言及所从来，领众生祀拜炎帝祖塑。户外云开日出，田园膏腴，阡陌纵横，若琼若糕，如诗如记。