Description
Lin Dan is bound to an auxiliary system. She does tasks to maintain the plot of countless small worlds. Simply put, she is just a supporting role or cannon fodder, a stepping stone for others to achieve greatness.
Confusion, desperation, madness, loving who she can't love, wanting what she can't have: Lin Dan experienced too much loss and misery. When she finally achieved enlightenment and decided to unbind from the system and return to her original world, something interrupted her return journey and she was sent back into the three thousand worlds to continue struggling.
Although she lost her memory, Lin Dan was no longer confused. She decided to take her own path and finally discovered that she had to love herself before others could love her. As long as you live your life well, no matter how insignificant it seems, you will become a protagonist one day. If you bloom, the butterflies will naturally come.
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Associated Names
Nv Pei Bu Chan Huo
The Cannon Fodder Won't Meddle
Amidst thousands of roaring and chaotic purple flashes, a long-haired female cultivator pierced into the abdomen of a man with a sword. The male cultivator had blood in his mouth and his eyes were wide open. He was in disbelief at what had happened. But she lowered her eyes and looked at him indifferently before slowly pulling out the sword.
Flashes of lightning illuminated the night sky like daytime and made the man's face look even paler. He said, "Lin Dan, it's me…"
The female cultivator's unwavering eyes quivered. She whispered softly, "Are you… not an illusion of mine?"
Indeed, the female cultivator was undergoing a heavenly tribulation. She had thought that the man was just an illusion born from her inner demon, but he was real. Lin Dan, the female cultivator, finally raised her head and gazed at the thunderous sky. She looked at the other cultivators who were either hovering in the air or wielding a sword somewhere not too far away. It was only then she remembered that it was the day of her wedding ceremony. The man before her was the companion she had pursued for and had been with her for thousands of years.
But did it matter? The endless wait, the fervent chasing, and the prolonged companionship could turn into nothing when a lady demon unintentionally glanced at the man. Even if a covenant was about to be made, as soon as the demon appeared and uttered a syllable from her thin red lips that sounded like a sob and a chuckle at the same time, it could immediately make the man lose his mind.
Two hours ago:
She understood completely when she saw that her companion was reluctant to make a cut on his fingertips and make the covenant. At that moment, when Lin Dan looked deeply into his eyes which was filled with hesitation and regret, she suddenly came to accept the harsh reality. She tore off her red gown, removed her gorgeous and heavy headdress, and left immediately.
There was no time for the attending guests or the families of both parties to react, as the starry sky was suddenly engulfed by the billowing clouds and flashes of lightning. With the wrath of heaven, the strong wind howled which made all cultivators shiver as though sharp knives were slashing their skins. This was the tribulation cloud and thunder. Is someone going through a heavenly tribulation at this moment, on this special occasion?
It was none other than Lin Dan who was undergoing the heavenly tribulation. She was cultivating the Infinite Tao of the Celestial Way. As the saying goes, there is mystery in all the three thousand ways of attaining Tao. The Infinite Tao was one of the most difficult ways of cultivation that focused on "the infinite ways of Taoism, the unsullied heart of Taoism, and the desireless body of Taoism." Cultivators could only attain true Tao when they achieved these three aspects.
But for Lin Dan who always had someone whom she could not let go and forget, how was it possible for her to achieve the desireless state? Even though she was known as the prodigy of the cultivation world because she possessed the Body of Nine Yin and single-line celestial touch, she had been stuck in this tribulation for more than six hundred years.
Nevertheless, she was not in a hurry. The ladder of ascension in this world had somehow been destroyed. Even if she could overcome the tribulation, her soul would eventually dissipate in the realm between the heavens and the earth. Ascension would mean death for her. She was not afraid of death but was worried that she could no longer be with him.
She clearly knew that someone else was deeply etched in his heart, but it did not matter. She would never leave him whenever he was in trouble. She was always there for him whenever he was down. If his heart was the thousand-year frozen ice, she would be that fiery fire of the nine suns, vowing to melt his heart one day.
She had always believed that she would eventually win his heart and love, until this moment…
Everything had changed and nothing mattered anymore.
She realized that when something that was once impossible to let go of was surrendered, she had only lost the obsessions and inner demons, but gained freedom and liberation. Lin Dan returned her companion to the demon lady who hurried over. Step by step, she walked out of the hall and into the dark tribulation clouds. The romance that she could not get over for hundreds of years was shattered in an instant and she would overcome the tribulation and ascend.
Her inner demon was still struggling. Many sweet memories came to Lin Dan's mind wrapped in poison and tried to hinder her footsteps, but they were all cut off by her sword. Since the ladder of ascension had been destroyed, death was the only outcome regardless of whether she had overcome the tribulation or not. But nothing mattered and she did not want to be involved with these people anymore. The world was filled with evil and the heavenly Tao was limitless. She must glide through the skies even if it meant that she would turn into a gust of air.
But she did not understand what her companion was thinking. Why did he rush into tribulation thunder and sent himself to the tip of her sword after entering her illusion? He was also a great cultivator who was undergoing a tribulation and the top swordsman of the Southern land, after all, there was no reason he could not avoid her attack.
"Lin Dan," the male cultivator could not care much about his bloody abdomen. He clasped Lin Dan's sword tightly and begged, "Don't go."
"If I don't…" Lin Dan slowly pulled out the sword from his palms and replied in a quavering voice, "…where else can I go?" Indeed, where else could she go if she had stayed? Continue to follow and chase after him persistently? She had been with him for thousands of years but finally realized that they had to take our own paths.
At the thought of this, Lin Dan did not even want her sword anymore. She tossed it aside and it flew towards the broken ascension ladder. The man chased after it hurriedly but was one step too late because of his serious injuries. The sword cut open a big hole in the sky which swallowed Lin Dan and the tribulation thunder. When he arrived at the horizon, there was nothing left. The tribulation clouds, tribulation thunder, lightning, and his loved one had all disappeared like a bubble.
"Lin Dan!" He shouted at the top of his lungs. His voice echoed for a long time in the dark and vast night…
····
"Welcome back." Lin Dan opened her eyes and heard a lifeless voice. "You have entered the S-class world and successfully obtained the special item [Infinite Heart of Tao]. Do you want to redeem the points?"
"Yes, and open my personal space." Lin Dan said slowly.
In the blink of an eye, she entered a white space surrounded by smooth metal walls. There was only a bed placed in the center and nothing else.
"You have earned a total of 9,990,000 points for this mission. I am pleased to inform you that your points have reached the maximum limit. You have two options: Unbind and return to the original world, or unbind and immigrate to a higher realm. What is your choice?" The cold mechanical sound rang in Lin Dan's mind.
After her death, Lin Dan was bound to this auxiliary system for some reason and was forced to travel between countless small worlds to complete missions. She could only unbind herself after obtaining a certain number of points before she could freely choose her next destination. Lin Dan had a plan earlier, but she hesitated. She frowned and thought for a moment before muttering, "If I immigrate…"
"My apologies," the system interrupted. "Your referee revoked the recommendation in the previous world. If you want to immigrate, please select another referee as soon as possible."
I was right… Lin Dan shook her head and gave herself a self-deprecatory smile.
The approval of the system was insufficient and she would need a referrer from a higher realm to immigrate there. Lin Dan's referee was none other than the man whom she thrust the sword into his abdomen. Lin Dan did not know his surname, name, or background, but she knew that he came from the higher realm and had more authority than the system, and even the main system.
It might be a great blessing for those who constantly travel between the various small worlds to be immortal, but Lin Dan knew how painful and miserable this journey was. The experiences and countless memories were like a pair of large hands that lived in her brain, dragging her deeper into the abyss. There was too much love, hate, and separation, too much helplessness, anger, pain, and despair… It filled her heart and she gradually lost herself.
For a long time, she had no idea who she was and where she came from. When she was on the verge of breaking down, she met that man in one of the mission worlds. He rescued her from the prison of complete darkness and taught her how to get out of trouble, how to defeat the enemy, and how to earn points. With his help, Lin Dan gradually found herself and willingly became his vassal, chasing after his footsteps in the various small worlds.
Lin Dan originally thought that meeting him would be her salvation, but she eventually realized that it was a futile pursuit. Fortunately, what he taught her was not all useless. She learned to be strong and independent, she gained self-esteem and self-love, and she also learned to let go.
It is said that if you fall in love with an outstanding person, you would become a better person even if you cannot win his heart. This is true for Lin Dan and she did not regret her dedication and patience. Without the thousands of years of pursuit, she would never learn about letting go and blossom into someone like herself today.
[Infinite Heart of Tao] Although the points were redeemed, the feelings had remained in her heart. She smiled relievedly and shook her head, "I guess he wants to be a referee for that woman instead?"
That woman was a charismatic lady who did not have to complete missions. He met her in one of the mission worlds and lost his mind, following her to multiple worlds just as Lin Dan did. The lady demon in the cultivation realm was one of the reincarnations of that woman. This is why he could never forget her and was so mesmerized with her that he would willingly become an enemy of the entire cultivation world.
No matter which world the woman reincarnated in, he would always find her using his great magical powers and protect her from any danger. After all, he was merely a lowly follower like Lin Dan. Even if that woman did not remember anything from her previous lives, he was willing to give her everything and bring her to the world where he lived.
Lin Dan very much envied the woman and was even a little jealous, but she did not feel much anymore.
The system spoke in a slightly deeper voice which somehow sounded melancholic. "I can check that for you if you're curious, but the other party has a higher authority than me and I may not be able to find what you want. My apologies, I'm just an auxiliary system that is programmed to issue auxiliary missions. I'm sorry you have to suffer all these years."
The auxiliary system is only responsible for facilitating the development of the small worlds and fixing bugs. The hosts that were chosen by the system were merely a tool that can be sacrificed at crucial moments. To give a crude analogy, it was the same as filling the hole of a pot using a piece of scrap metal. Lin Dan was that piece of scrap metal that had no use other than throwing herself into the fire.
Many of the missions she received were to help others at her own expense and some missions were even unreasonable, but did it matter? If she failed the mission, she would be obliterated by the system. This is why most of the hosts that were bound to the auxiliary system could not make it to the end. They either committed suicide halfway into the mission or fell into madness. Lin Dan was a rare host who could successfully complete every mission and earn a large number of points. This was all thanks to the man's help, but it was also due to Lin Dan's strong and tenacious character.
Everything did not matter to Lin Dan anymore. She had no wants and desires and she did not care where she would be in her next destination. She opened the task panel and said decisively, "Never mind, cancel the immigration application and send me back to the original world."
"Sure. I also have good news. Since you are the first auxiliary host to earn the highest points, the main system has decided to reward you with 100 million points which can be exchanged into your original world currency at a rate of 1:1. Do you want to exchange them?"
"Yes." Lin Dan nodded without hesitation, before giving herself another self-deprecatory smile. Was she an "auxiliary host" or just a dispensable supporting role? Anyhow, she had decided to be herself and live a wonderful life from now on.
"Sure, the system will exchange it for you. Please wait for a moment."
It took about a minute to process all her points and deposits. After she was unbound to the system, the portal was activated and ready to send Lin Dan back to the original world. Lin Dan thought that she could retire in peace this time around, but a huge wave of energy unexpectedly hit the portal and disrupted the flow of time…
Translator:NovelMultiverse Editor:NovelMultiverse
Lin Dan was now in a daze. She instinctively called the system in her head before being surprised by her own action – what is the system? She was holding a spoon in her hand which had a thin layer of milky white soup on it. While it smelled delicious, there also was a slight aftertaste in her mouth. Apparently, she had already taken a sip of the soup just now. But the bigger question was that Lin Dan had no idea who she was, what she was doing, and why did she appear here.
She stared at her thin, calloused hands. She felt that this pair of hands belonged to her, but it did not seem to be hers at the same time. She stood there but clearly did not belong to the place. She felt like a stranger who appeared suddenly and stuck out like a sore thumb. She could not even figure out what was the current situation.
Nevertheless, the people around her did not seem to notice that Lin Dan was different from before. One of them pointed to the dish placed in front of her and said, "It is still lacking in flavor." Although he could not explain what exactly was missing since he was not a professional chef, his sense of taste was better than average.
Lin Dan came back to reality after hearing what he said. She looked up and saw a man who dressed exquisitely. He was thin, fair-skinned, and handsome, but also looked like a young lady when he was not speaking. Like Lin Dan, he was tasting the dishes with a spoon in his hand, his brows were slightly frowned, and he wore a serious expression.
"Indeed, the heat control could have been better." Another person said slowly.
Lin Dan turned around and saw that the person who spoke was an old man with a gray beard. He was smacking his lips, seemingly trying to savor the aftertaste of the soup.
Lin Dan quickly looked away and glanced around. Even though she could not make sense of anything, she did not show any signs of panic on her face. She seemed to adapt well when it came to dealing with unexpected events.
"What do you mean by better heat control? I think they're almost the same, there is not much difference." The person who spoke this time around was a stoic middle-aged man who was wearing a robe embroidered with auspicious clouds and blue qilins. He seemed to be someone of higher status because people nodded in agreement with fawning smiles as soon as he had finished his piece.
Lin Dan paid no attention to him and looked to her side. She saw a young girl who stood seven or eight meters away from her and seemed to be only thirteen or fourteen years old. She also had a square table placed in front of her with a plate of food on it. If one were to judge based on the appearance, color, aroma, and taste of the dish, it seemed to have no difference from the dish placed in front of Lin Dan.
Based on the circumstances, characters, and dialogues, Lin Dan quickly understood that she was in the middle of a cooking competition.
The young girl smiled a little after hearing what the young man and the old man with a gray beard said. But she frowned knowing that the middle-aged man did not like what she made. She persisted, "Please give it another try, my lord."
Lord? Lin Dan, who was trying her best to gather information, gave the middle-aged man a quick glance.
As the middle-aged man was about to speak, the handsome young man interrupted impatiently, "Can't you tell whether the food is good or bad? Are you even qualified to be a chef?" This was obviously addressed to Lin Dan, as his clear eyes were staring straight at her. The young girl was happy to hear that, she lowered her head with her lips pursed and smiled shyly.
Since Lin Dan had already tasted the dish she made, she refused to concede defeat. But "refusal to concede defeat" did not sound right either because she did not find her dish bad or lacking in any way. She thought the young man was dissatisfied with her finding her dish faultless and considered her a worse chef.
As Lin Dan had figured out the situation, she had learned to adapt to the circumstances. She planned to put up an act according to how an ordinary person would and tasted the soup in her spoon without saying a word. Then, she walked to the displeased young girl and scooped a spoonful of soup from her plate.
Both of them whipped up the same dish, it was crab roe and minced chicken with choy sum. Although it looked as though the chef only needed to cook a few stalks of vegetables, it was actually a difficult dish to master. This was a true test of a chef's culinary skills, as the simplest dish is always the hardest to master.
Initially, Lin Dan only wanted to take a few sips and surrender, so that she could get away from this difficult situation and find a place to quietly digest what was going on as soon as possible. But when she tried both dishes, her taste buds and brain were quick to make a judgment. She was surprised that her sense of taste seemed to be more sensitive than average, and even the slightest difference in taste could be magnified several times on the tip of her tongue. This was exactly what Lin Dan had lacked the most in the past.
"I've lost." She put down the spoon and said sincerely, "My choy sum had a bit of a bitter taste." Most people could not taste this slight bitterness, but it would never pass the test of a true food lover.
The gray-bearded old man stared at her and remarked, "That's right, you didn't wait for the choy sum to be fully cooked before thickening the sauce. This has prolonged the heating time of the starch and made the vegetables burn and turn bitter, resulting in the loss of its crunchiness and moisture. There are two aspects that form the essence of this dish – freshness and sweetness; smoothness and crunchiness. Your dish looks decent, but it's lacking in flavor."
Lin Dan nodded and repeated, "I've lost."
Seeing that Lin Dan seemed to have accepted the outcome with no resentment after being defeated, the gray-bearded old man nodded slightly. The middle-aged man sighed with a look of disappointment. A woman who was standing at the back of the crowd suddenly collapsed while holding her chest, astonishing everyone.
"Oh no, Lady Qi fainted! Lin Dan, come and take a look at your mother!" Two women immediately held up the collapsed woman and gestured to Lin Dan to come over.
Lin Dan, who quickly gathered information about her identity from their words, rushed over without hesitation and shouted, "Please get her a physician, I will send my mother home first!" She took over one of the women to hold the lady who collapsed and the woman who suddenly had her hands free did not notice anything unusual. She hurriedly led the way and soon brought Lin Dan back to her own home.
The physician finally came after all the hustle and said that the lady was not seriously ill. She fainted due to anxiety and would be fine after taking some medicine to calm her nerves.
Lin Dan took the prescription and paid the consultation fee with the silver hairpin on her hair. She had no idea where the lady had kept her money and even if she knew, the money drawer would definitely be locked. As the woman was still unconscious, she would not be able to ask her for the key and that was all she could come up with.
The physician gave her a pitying look and said kindly, "The Marquis has paid for the consultation fee and you can keep the hairpin. I'll take this prescription and have the servant of the Marquis Residence to fill the prescription. Your mother is still unconscious and you must stay by her side. Sigh…"
Lin Dan looked at the doctor as he slowly walked away while sighing and shaking his head. She realized that the cooking competition seemed to be a very important event for her. Otherwise, people around her would not have shown so much sympathy for her, and her mother would not collapse after she conceded defeat. But the outcome of the competition was an undeniable fact and Lin Dan has no remorse for what she had done.
The woman's face covered in cold sweat. Lin Dan picked up the copper basin and wanted to fetch some water outside, but a sixteen or seventeen-year-old youth entered and whispered, "Lin Dan, I have already filled the prescription for you. There's one pack of medicine and three bowls of water which can make one bowl of medicine. Boil it before simmering it under a low fire and don't throw the residue away. The residue can be used to make two more bowls of medicine and that makes three doses a day. She will recover after taking the medicine for seven days."
Lin Dan thanked him and saw him off before going to the kitchen to prepare the medicine. She realized that her body could effortlessly finish the tasks, whether it was chopping wood to burn it in the stove or carrying a bucket to fetch water. The medicine was boiled and bubbling. Lin Dan removed some of the dry wood and simmered it over a low fire. She then took a small stool and sat beside the stove while sorting out her thoughts and memories.
She seemed to be used to doing this and quickly understood her situation. Her father was Lin Baotian, the head chef in the Marquis Residence of Yongding. The Marquis was very particular about food as he was a food lover. This is why Lin Baotian, the chef who possessed extraordinary cooking skills, was highly valued by the Marquis and had even followed him to battles. Lin Dan and Lady Qi lived a life of comfort in the Marquis Residence thanks to Lin Baotian's skills. They were given a private house to live in and were served by servants and maids.
However, Lin Baotian suddenly died of illness two months ago. While he was still alive, he passed on his cooking skills and kitchen knives to Lin Dan, his only daughter. Lin Dan had taken a liking to the young Marquis since she was a child, and like old Marquis, he was also a food lover. Therefore, she practiced cooking every day so that the young Marquis could give her some attention.
After the death of her father, she took over the role as a chef in the Marquis' residence. Despite being only twelve or thirteen years old then, she was already very skilled in cooking. There was once she made black ginseng with green onions, a signature dish that she prepared for a long time, but the young Marquis commented that it was far inferior to what his maid can prepare.
Lin Dan had always been prideful and arrogant. She immediately asked to have a competition with that maid but didn't expect her to reveal a shocking secret. It turned out that Lin Baotian's cooking skills and kitchen knives were all stolen from the maid's grandfather. Lin Baotian was never a descendant of the Golden Knife Imperial Chef, but someone who had deceived his master and brought shame to his ancestors.
The young maid's name was Yan Langqing. Her grandfather was the former Golden Knife Imperial Chef, Yan Bo, who was a notable figure of the culinary scene. After leaving the palace, he accepted a few disciples including Lin Dan's father, Lin Baotian. When Yan Bo was seriously ill and was about to die, Yan Langqing's father happened to be out of town and was unable to return in time to see his father for the last time. Lin Baotian buried Yan Bo and seized the opportunity to steal the Imperial Golden Knife and all the secret recipes of the Yan family. He disappeared since and nobody could find him.
Yan Langqing's father was upset about what had happened and brought his family to find Lin Baotian in the Marquis Residence of Yongding. To his surprise, Lin Baotian was already dead. He made his daughter sneak into the residence to learn more about the enemy's descendants and created an opportunity to challenge Lin Dan with a competition. The winning prize was the Golden Knife and the Yan family's secret recipes.
Lin Dan was very competitive and eager to win. She accepted the challenge because she did not want to embarrass herself in front of the Marquis and wanted to protect her father's reputation… But she had lost and became the current "Lin Dan". The handsome young man who served as the judge was the young Marquis, and the middle-aged man who defended her despite knowing that Lin Dan had lost was the Old Marquis.
Although they carry the same name, Lin Dan could clearly feel that her present self was completely different from before. The old Lin Dan fell head over heels with the Young Marquis. He was the reason behind her happiness, anxiety, and sadness. But the new Lin Dan felt nothing towards the Young Marquis anymore as he was just like any other stranger to her.
What she urgently needed to think about was not her identity and memory loss anymore, but her next step. After losing the competition and having a sickly mother who needs to be taken care of, what should she do next?
Translator: NovelMultiverse Editor: NovelMultiverse
It was already night time when Lady Qi woke up. She began to sob silently the moment she saw Lin Dan. She seemed a little unwilling to accept what had happened and started ranting, "You've learned cooking from your father at the age of seven. It's been five or six years since and it's right to say that you're a seasoned chef. How could you lose to that girl from the Yan family? I don't know how those people will see your father now. We failed to protect his reputation. How can I explain to him when I see him again? Baotian, I've failed you…"
Looking at the sobbing Lady Qi, Lin Dan could imagine that if the old Lin Dan was still here, she would probably blame herself for the defeat. But since she had taken over the identity, she would support this family for her.
The old Lin Dan was only twelve or thirteen years old. She was thin and delicate and looked two or three years younger than her actual age. It was not easy for her to take on such a heavy responsibility at a young age. If Lin Dan did not take over her identity, she wondered what would happen to her.
Lady Qi was probably worried about the future of the family. She gradually stopped crying, but the sighs came one after another. It was at this moment when the two maids came in. They relayed the Marquis' message and said that he granted Lady Qi and Lin Dan to continue living in the residence, as the residence would have no problems providing for another two ladies. Lin Baotian and the Old Marquis had a close relationship. He had served the Marquis for more than a decade and even followed him on the battlefield. Now that Lin had died, the Marquis would never want to put his descendants in a difficult situation.
The Marquis of Yongding was a connoisseur and even had a sense of taste that was better than most cooks. Surely, he could tell the difference between the two dishes that were prepared. But he insisted that the two dishes tasted similar because he favored Lin Dan and wanted to preserve Lin Baotian's reputation. However, his son was also a food lover and had a sense of taste that was even better than his. With his forthright character, he made Lin Dan had no choice but to concede defeat.
On the day of the competition, more than half of the connoisseurs in Beijing were there and there were also many onlookers. The reputation that Lin Baotian had built for many years was tarnished. News had spread and everyone was calling him an ungrateful villain who deceived his master and brought shame to his ancestors. If Lady Qi and Lin Dan were to leave the Marquis Residence, he reckoned they would be bullied to death.
On the other hand, Lady Qi was also afraid of facing the rumors. She was relieved to hear that the family could continue to stay in the residence.
Lin Dan was calm and rational and good at judging the situation. She knew that staying with Lady Qi in the Marquis' residence was the best arrangement. Neither she nor the old Lin Dan knew the outside world. If she had left the residence, she might not even be able to support herself, not to mention nursing the sick and weak Lady Qi. But she had a strong feeling that many bad things would happen if she continued to stay in the residence. She might not remember her true identity and past experiences, but she trusted her intuition.
After the maids left, she said firmly, "Mother, it's better that we leave. I know you're afraid of the rumors that are spreading outside, but it is the rumors that are circulated within this residence that is truly terrifying. After all, everyone has been jealous of our family for a long time. Now that we are in trouble, we will naturally be bullied and oppressed by them. In the past, father was valued by the Marquis and we were naturally respected in the house. Now that we're nothing but dirty mud, it's easy for anyone to step on us. It's true that I've lost to Yan Langqing and I'm not qualified to be a chef of the Marquis Residence. I'd have to be a slave if we were to stay and this is the same for you. Even if the Marquis doesn't mind having us here, do you think we can shamelessly live here as guests?"
The head chef of the Marquis Residence was different from the other servants. Chefs usually sign a work contract with the Marquis and not the slave deed. They could even enjoy a higher status than the chief steward of the residence. This was the reason why Lady Qi and Lin Dan could stay in the Marquis Residence as guests, as they were family members of the head chef. But things have changed. Without Lin Baotian, Lady Qi and Lin Dan would not be able to live in the residence as guests and be served by servants. They would have to take up some jobs in order to continue staying in the residence.
Lady Qi was an egotistical lady. She would begin packing her luggage if she knew that staying in the residence meant that she would have to be a maid. She would never want to stoop to the same level as those who had served her.
"Your father had bought a house outside and opened a restaurant with your second and third uncles. I heard that business has been good. We can venture out and support ourselves. Let's not stay in this place anymore." Lady Qi opened the chests and started packing. The sorrowful look on her face and in her eyes had faded. She reckoned there was no meaning in blaming her daughter since it was an undeniable fact that she had lost. She thought her daughter must have felt worse than she did.
Lin Dan heaved a sigh of relief. She dragged out a red sandalwood chest that was hidden under the bed and said, "I will return the Golden Knife and the recipes to Yan Langqing now, as well as drop by the old marquis' to bid farewell."
Lady Qi stared at the chest for a long time before finally accepting their fate. "Go now," she said.
Lin Dan did not open the box to admire the magnificent Golden Knife and the recipes written by the legendary chef. She sent it directly to the young marquis' manor. Yan Langqing was still a personal maid of the young marquis and was in charge of his small kitchen.
When Lin Dan arrived, Yan Langqing was begging the young marquis to retrieve the Golden Knife and the recipes for her. She was worried that Lin Dan would destroy the knife and the recipes out of spite. The Golden Knife cannot be repaired once it is destroyed, and if the recipes are gone too, all her efforts of getting into the Marquis' residence would turn to ashes. If Lady Qi had not collapsed and Lin Dan had not left in the blink of an eye, she would definitely ask them to hand over those things on the spot.
The young marquis knew a little about Lin Dan and agreed to help her. He thought Lin Dan was the kind of girl who could do something like this for revenge. The two were about to send someone when they saw a servant walking in with a chest and said that it was sent by Miss Lin. They opened it and saw the Golden Knife and the recipes. The items were carefully wrapped in red silk cloth and were very well preserved.
The young marquis glanced at Yan Langqing immediately and her cheeks were flushed with embarrassment. The things she said to prepare for the worst had now sounded as though she was judging a noble person with her own despicable mind.
When the two walked out of the door, they saw a thin figure slowly and unhurriedly walking away.
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Although Lin Baotian was highly valued by the Marquis and had received many gifts from him, he had sent it to support his two brothers or used to buy precious ingredients. Therefore, he did not leave his family with many assets. Lady Qi looked high and low in the house and was dumbfounded to only find one hundred and twenty taels of silver. It was fortunate that they owned a property and a restaurant, so they did not have to worry about their sustenance.
However, Lin Dan was not as optimistic as Lady Qi. In Lin Dan's memory, Lin Baotian's two younger brothers were not simple. They only depended on Lin Baotian whenever they were in trouble but were selfish enough to keep all the good things for themselves. They said they were running the restaurant for Lin Baotian, but he had never received any income from them. They would only appear and ask for help when the restaurant's business declined and needed new recipe ideas. Since Lin Baotian was no longer the "successor of the Golden Knife Imperial Chef", this would also affect the restaurant's business. It would be a surprise if they would be willing to offer help.
It was just as Lin Dan thought. When Lady Qi found the house that was purchased by her husband and wanted to settle down, she found that the house had been occupied by the families of the second and third brothers. They refused to let them in and took out the property deed which only had the name of Lin's second and third brother as proof. The mother and daughter were then chased out by the two women.
Lady Qi wanted to reason with them but the two women let her be, saying that she could bring even more shame to Lin Baotian's already bad reputation by making a scene. Lady Qi did not want to embarrass herself further in the public and stomped towards the restaurant with tears in her eyes. She knew that the restaurant would most probably be taken away by Lin's two younger brothers, but she had to see it with her own eyes.
Lin Dan held her without saying a word. It was Lin Baotian's fault for trusting his two younger brothers so much. He had never asked for any details or deeds when he purchased the property or opened the restaurant. This was why there was no chance they would win the case even if they brought the matter up to the officials. Besides, Lin Baotian's reputation after death was bad enough for everyone to deny everything about him. Nobody would stand up for his widow and orphan.
As Lin Dan walked along the streets, she had to accept the public's contempt and had already prepared for the worst. When they arrived at the restaurant, it was no surprise that they were stopped by the receptionist and were not allowed to enter. They threatened to report them to the officials if they were unable to produce any property deed or share certificate.
Lady Qi's eyes were red with anger, but there was nothing she could say in retaliation. Lin Dan comforted her by caressing her shaking body. She looked up and realized that the restaurant's sign had changed from "Lin's Restaurant" to "Yan's Restaurant". The signboard looked exquisite with the golden words engraved on the red background.
The second son of the Lin family appeared. He pointed to the signboard and said, "Sister-in-law, my brother has done ugly things and utterly embarrassed us! To atone for his sins, third brother and I have decided to give 50% of big brother's shares to the Yan family. It's useless for you to make a scene here because this is rightfully theirs. If we help big brother to atone for his sins, we could at least do some good deeds in his name and ensure that he could reincarnate to a good family in the next life. For the sake of Lin's family's reputation, please just stop." He heaved a sigh after finishing his piece.
The onlookers applauded and praised the second and third-son of the Lin family for being righteous and benevolent, unlike their eldest brother. They found their qualities admirable and promised to patronize the restaurant frequently in the future.
Lady Qi turned pale and was on the verge of collapsing. Yet, Lin Dan lowered her head and smiled to herself scornfully. The two brothers of the Lin family had got it all planned out. They made use of the widow and orphan of their eldest brother to get ahead in life. By doing so, not only did they manage to detach themselves from being implicated by their brother's bad reputation, but they were also able to save the restaurant. If only Lin Baotian was half as shrewd as them, his wife and child would not have to reduce to this.
Lin Baotian was dead nevertheless. There was nothing they could do but find a way to survive. Lin Dan wanted to take Lady Qi away, but Yan Langqing and her father arrived in a carriage with the young marquis following them on the horse. It seemed like a rather grand arrival.
The second and third son of the Lin family hurriedly greeted them, bowing their heads with fawning faces.
The young marquis kept a poker face as he got down from the horse and lifted the curtain of Yan Langqing's carriage. Yan Langqing was blushing and she was smiling shyly. She caught a glimpse of Lin Dan who was standing nearby and couldn't help being taken aback.
Lin Dan wanted to take her mother away without even looking at the two of them. But Lin Dan's ignorance might have provoked Yan Langqing, as she got angry in an instant and yelled, "Lin Dan, since you have lost, you have no right to address yourself as the successor of the Golden Knife Imperial Chef nor make dishes of the Yan family anymore."
Lin Dan was usually a calm lady, but it did not mean that she would not stand up for herself. She chose to stay quiet the last time because she knew that the situation was very unfavorable to her. Since it would not help the situation no matter how hard she fought for herself, she would rather save some energy and think about the next step. However, she would not stay quiet this time around since Yan Langqing had crossed the line.
Translator:NovelMultiverseEditor:NovelMultiverse
Lin Dan helped Lady Qi to the entrance and sat her down. She turned around and looked at Yan Langqing fiercely. "Miss Yan, have you ever looked at the book of recipes that I've returned to you?"
"Of course, I have." Yan Langqing stood on the stairs leading to the second floor and stared at Lin Dan condescendingly with a puzzled yet arrogant look.
"If so, you should have realized that the first 60 pages of that book are yellow and the writings have faded, while the next 388 pages are as good as new and the writings remain clean and clear. Why do you think this is so?"
Yan Langqing knew that things were starting to go south, but she was unable to stop Lin Dan from going on. Lin Dan stepped forward and proclaimed, "That's because the 388 pages are all new dishes developed by my father to make up for the inadequacies in Yan's recipes. My father has been in the culinary scene for decades. He has created hundreds of new dishes and dozens of innovative techniques which are all recorded in the Yan family's recipe book. The most popular signature dishes in the restaurant today are all invented by my father. Young Marquis, I'm sure you would never forget the roasted deer tendon that was invented by the old marquis and my father. It took several months for them to come up with this dish and they even had to kill dozens of wild deer for that."
The young marquis replied in a serious tone, "That is true."
Many connoisseurs were present at the time as the second son of the Lin family had invited them to come and celebrate the revamp of the restaurant's signboard. One of them had a close relationship with Lin Baotian and blurted, "Don't forget that braised shark's fin too! I was the one who invented that dish with your father. It took us more than half a year to come up with that dish. We even burned a few carts of shark's fin before we were able to get this famous dish included as part of the imperial cuisine. We can disregard Lin Baotian's character for the time being, but his culinary skills are truly outstanding. It's a superb skill that can't be stolen or taken and can only be mastered in the kitchen!"
Lin Dan bowed to the man respectfully and said gratefully, "Thank you, Uncle Liu, for speaking up for my father. As for my father's character, I'm sure everyone should have a fairly good idea based on what he has done over the years." Lin Dan then turned to Yan Langqing and continued, "Your father is the son of the grandmaster. Yet, your father failed to see him for the last time when the grandmaster fell gravely ill for several months, despite sending letters to your father multiple times. Let's not speculate the reasons behind that, but I just want to point out that my father was the one who held the funeral for the grandmaster, completed the rites by breaking the pot, and even erected a gravestone for him instead of his son. I'm sure you can't deny that, do you?"
Yan Langqing looked at her father. Before he could refute, Lin Dan added, "Many people attended the funeral and I am sure it won't be difficult to find witnesses to attest to that."
Yan's father dare not utter a word. The funeral was held respectfully indeed, and many people could still remember it.
Lin Dan glanced at him. "My father took care of him until his death and even held a funeral for him. He did what a son should do and how could you say that he has deceived his master and brought shame to his ancestors? Back then, the grandmaster had imparted his culinary skills to your father and mine. But your father has not made his name, while my father traveled around before coming back to the capital and laid a foundation for Yan's dishes. Tell me, was my father being despicable by stealing your family's Golden Knife and recipes, or was your father not competent enough to master the true essence of Yan's dishes? Just like we're unsure of the true reason behind the son who didn't arrive in time to hold a funeral for his father, how can we be so sure that your one-sided story is the only truth?"
Yan's father broke out in cold sweat. He wanted to raise his hand to wipe it away but hurriedly put his hand down, looking rather guilty and embarrassed. Even if he wanted to explain himself, it is indeed unfilial of him to not hold a funeral for his father. It was something serious enough for everyone to spit on him.
Lin Dan turned around to look at Yan Langqing again. "You wanted to hold a food competition with the Golden Knife and the recipes as the winning prize. I accepted it because I thought it was a reasonable condition. Now that you've won and I've already returned you the knife and the recipes, does that mean you agree that only the best chef is qualified to inherit the title of the 'Successor of the Golden Knife Imperial Chef'? If so, shouldn't your father and my father have a competition back then?"
This seemed to have rubbed Yan's father the wrong way. He yelled, "What's there to compete? I am my father's own son. My father's belongings are rightfully mine. What has this got to do with your father?"
An onlooker was unable to hold himself back anymore and retorted, "The culinary art is unlike other forms of art. The only way to find out whether a chef is genuinely good is through competing in the kitchen because there's no way anyone can cheat in a cooking competition! The title of being the successor of a legendary chef is not something you can pass on to anyone, you must be good enough to earn the title! All chefs value their own signature dishes and reputation and not even his own son can tarnish it! "
People nodded in agreement. Even chefs who were fairly prestigious have few dozens of disciples, but only one or two are carefully selected among them to inherit their title. This was because true craftsmanship could only be passed on to those who were truly talented.
Some things were better left unsaid. But suspicions would be raised once everything was made clear and plain. All of a sudden, everyone's eyes changed when they looked at the father and daughter of the Yan family.
Lin Dan said steadily, "You're right. You're the grandmaster's own son and maybe telling the truth. But since my father is dead, there's no way he can defend himself. Now, according to Yan Langqing's line of reasoning, shall we hold a competition between you and my father? I will compete in my father's place and finish that competition that was never held back then. We will prepare three dishes each using the kitchen of this restaurant and everyone here shall be our witness. The winner will inherit the Golden Knife and the book of recipes. How does that sound?"
His lips began to tremble in fear. Yan's father did not learn how to cook because he found cooking a chore that was too tough for him. This was why he begged his mother to send him away to his grandfather's town to study when he was a child. He did not have the culinary talent, but Yan Langqing had inherited it instead. Otherwise, he would not be confident enough to push his daughter to compete against Lin Dan.
Little did he expect Lin Dan to be so cunning by posing a challenge to him instead. He was unsure whether he should accept it. He would be embarrassing himself if he did and lost the competition, but it would make him look even more guilty if he rejected it.
Yan Langqing was only one or two years older than Lin Dan and was a little more shrewd than she was. She immediately stood up and yelled, "Lin Dan, compete against me if you want. You have no right to compete against my father!"
"Our competition has concluded and this is a match between our fathers. Although my culinary skills were taught by my father, I have only mastered slightly more than half of his skills. I'll accept it gracefully if I lose, but if I win, you'll have to retract all the words of malice and slander against my father. Are you up for the test or not?"
Yan's father did not even know how to toss food in the wok and wondered whether he stood any chance competing against Lin Dan. Cold sweat started trickling down his forehead.
The onlookers knew that he was not as good at cooking when they saw the reaction and started murmuring, "He can't even win a twelve or thirteen-year-old girl and is trying to compare himself with Lin Baotian? If I were Imperial Chef Yan, I would surely choose Lin Baotian as my successor instead of this incompetent son." The public opinion, which was originally unfavorable to Lin Baotian, had completely changed. Some people were even urging Yan's father to accept the challenge so that they could watch him embarrass himself.
Although Lin Dan had lost to Yan Langqing, she was doing this for her deceased father and protecting his reputation. In this way, nobody would fault her and would even praise her for being a filial and perfect daughter.
The grey-bearded man who was the judge of the cooking competition a few days ago looked at Lin Dan and nodded his head with admiration.
Yan's father panicked and took a few steps backward as he wiped his sweat away. Yan Langqing turned around and looked at the young marquis pitifully, seemingly asking for his help. Lin Dan's family had served the young marquis and she would definitely stop putting Yan's father in a spot as long as he commanded her to. But at this moment, the young marquis who had always been on her side kept a solemn face without saying a word.
Lin Dan glanced at the young marquis and said as if she had no choice, "Fine, for the sake of the grandmaster in heaven, I shall not make things difficult for you. But there's only one thing I have to clarify – my father is by no means an ungrateful man who deceived his master. Everything he had was achieved based on his true capabilities. There were at least dozens or hundreds of imperial chefs who retired from the palace, but how many of them were able to make their name after leaving the palace? I could even just with one hand – there's only five of them. If not for my father, would anyone know the Golden Knife Imperial Chef? Would people know Yan's dishes? The recipe book of the Yan family only had sixty pages, but now has more than four hundred pages because of my father, and those were the fruits of his hard work."
Lin Dan looked straight at Yan Langqing. "I have already given you the Golden Knife, including the new recipes my father wrote to repay the grandmaster's kindness for raising him for many years. I hope you will stop pushing us into a corner. You can stop me from making the dishes that were written in that recipe book, but please do not deny my father's culinary skills and character, let alone his dedication to Yan's dishes. Without him, there would be no such high praises for Yan's dishes from the public. He did not let the grandmaster down, nor did he let the Yan family down. He had done nothing shameless until the day of this death." Lin Dan helped Lady Qi up after saying her piece and walked away unhurriedly.
As soon as the two of them left, a commotion was made in the restaurant. Some said that it was indeed to Lin Baotian's credit that Yan's dishes had gained such a high reputation. Lin Baotian had always claimed himself to be a successor of Yan's dishes. He was actually being grateful by doing so on the contrary to what people had said. Some others said that the father and daughter of the Yan family were being too nasty to the Lin family. Without Lin Baotian, Yan's dishes would not gain today's achievements. It was the Yan family's fortune to have Lin Baotian add more recipes to Yan's recipe book. Yet, they disregarded what Lin Baotian had done and even disallowed Lin Dan to make those dishes!
The people initially sympathized with Yan Langqing and her father, but they soon realized that they were vicious and despicable villains who told lies to ruin someone's reputation and drove two ladies into a corner. This made Lin Dan and her father seemed generous and magnanimous in contrast.
"I'm leaving. Without Chef Lin, I reckon this restaurant will not produce any more delicious dishes." The patrons got up immediately and the lively hall suddenly became empty.
Lin Dan helped Lady Qi to get on the hired carriage and went to the suburbs of Beijing to find cheap accommodation. One hundred and twenty taels of silver may sound substantial, but it was easy to spend all of it within a short time. Without an income, they must live frugally to ensure their survival.
"Dan'er, why didn't you insist on competing with Yan Shouye? Back then, he couldn't even toss the food in the wok, he's no match for you." Qi Shi wondered.
"Mother, didn't you notice that the young marquis is very protective of Yan Langqing? With him around, it's better that we don't make things too difficult for the Yan family." Lin Dan straightened the thin bedding and put Lady Qi down to take a rest. Not wanting to provoke Yan Langqing was just one of the reasons. The truth was, she only had Lin Dan's memory, but not master her culinary skills. She said those things only to intimidate Yan's father and had no intention to hold a real competition with him. If they really competed, she would embarrass herself too. Otherwise, it would humiliate Yan's father further if his level of capability was left up to people's imagination. This was what she wanted to achieve.
"Did you mean that the young marquis and Yan Langqing are…" Lady Qi suddenly sighed when she thought of Yan Langqing's beautiful and radiant face, and remembered how the young marquis had been protecting her. Since they had nobody to depend on, Lin Dan was right that it was best to leave the Yan family some leeway and not upset the young marquis.
Little did they know that after Lin Dan and Lady Qi had left, the young marquis also left without saying a word, leaving Yan Langqing there to suffer in embarrassment.
Translator:NovelMultiverse
As soon as Lin Dan had settled Lady Qi down, a group of people came to the inn and yelled to see her. The shopkeeper stopped them from entering as he was afraid that these people would destroy the inn if he let them in. Those people started crying at the entrance and attracted passers-by to stop and watch.
Lin Dan pushed the window slightly and peeked at what was happening. She saw that the person who was leading the group was an old woman who looked desolate. She wore a set of garments that had turned pale from overwashing and she was not wearing any ornaments on her head. Yan Shouye kept yelling "mother" as he held her and looked extremely sad.
She seemed to be the wife of Lin Baotian's master, Yan Bo. This meant that Lin Dan should address her as Madam Grandmaster. But Lin Dan was likely unable to address her in that respectful manner because what this old woman did was enough to overturn all her previous efforts of cleaning up Lin Baotian's reputation.
The old woman beat her chest and cried, "Damn you, Lin Baotian! I don't care if you bullied me and my child, how can you make your daughter do the same thing to us too?! Your daughter said that you are a filial man who took care of the old man's funeral? That's nonsense! How could you lie without batting an eye! The old man was lying on the bed for several months, and Lin Baotian didn't even pour a glass of water for him, not to mention taking care of him! I was the one who arranged everything. I asked Lin Baotian to send a letter to my son, he agreed to do so on the surface, but he burned the letter as he was afraid that my son would appear and fight for the old man's inheritance! This was why my son could not make it back in time to see his father for the last time. Isn't he a vicious man? My son should be the one to inherit the family business, what gave him the right to stop my son from doing so? When the old man died and didn't have a son to complete the rites for him, Lin Baotian took the chance to threaten me into giving him all the family's assets, or he would not let the old man rest in peace. I had no one to turn to and there's nothing I could do! The old man's coffin was still at home, I only wanted him to rest in peace…"
The heartbroken look of the old woman drew the passers-by to tears. If this continued, Lin Dan reckoned that what she did to clear up Lin Baotian's reputation would have gone to waste.
Lady Qi, who finally could rest, woke up and said angrily, "She is talking nonsense! That was all lies! When your grandmaster was ill, your father had wanted to inform Yan Shouye immediately. It was her who stopped your father as she didn't want to distract Yan Shouye who was about to take the imperial examinations. Little did she know that your grandmaster's health deteriorated quickly and went into a coma just in two weeks. When your father wanted to contact Yan Shouye, he had already gone out to study and nobody knew where he went. Your father took care of all your grandmaster's needs, cleaning his piss and poop, prepared medicine for him, and even had to support the family. Your father was the one who did all the hard work, while your madam avoided taking care of him because she didn't want to dirty her hands and tire herself. When your grandmaster died, she said all the money was used to fund her son's studies, and she couldn't fork out any extra money for the funeral of your grandmaster. She cried and begged your father to find a way, and eventually, your father used all his savings to pay 50 taels of interest so that your grandmaster could be buried in peace. In order to repay the debt, your father had no rest and went out to work immediately one day after the burial. He came to the capital in the end and had been sending money back. It's unfortunate that there was no proof of what he did. We can't even prove our innocence!"
Lady Qi opened her bag and took out two memorial tablets. She cried, "Your father was a good person, but why is he not rewarded for being a good person!"
She also wanted to run out and argue with the old woman, but the old woman was the wife of Lin Baotian's master who had raised him since he was a child. It would be difficult for Lady Qi to argue with the old woman due to her seniority and the kindness they had shown Lin Baotian. If she had argued, it would make her seem as though she was unkind and disrespectful to the elders. This was how the world worked – it was acceptable for seniors to beat up and reprimand the juniors, but the juniors could never disobey the seniors. The word "filial piety" was enough to crush people alive. Besides, she was not an eloquent speaker, she could easily be deceived by others, let alone speaking up for her wronged, deceased husband.
Lin Dan naturally believed Lady Qi rather than the group of people outside. Besides, in her memory, Lim Baotian was indeed a good person and had never done anything wrong in his life. Since Lin Dan had taken up the identity of his daughter, she must find a way to protect his reputation. However, she knew that arguing and rebutting was obviously a bad idea. No matter how eloquent she was, she had already lost in terms of seniority. It was not honorable at all to win a quarrel against a senior.
"Mother, pack up your bags, let's leave the capital." Lin Dan made up her mind and said, "Give me the tablet. I will return it to them."
Lady Qi handed it over without hesitation. Before she knew it, her daughter had become the decision-maker for the family.
Lin Dan wrapped the tablet in a piece of white silk cloth. She carefully held it in her arms and walked downstairs.
"She's out, she's out! The mother and daughter of the Lin family are out!" Someone who recognized Lin Dan and Lady Qi screamed. Passers-by who were already very interested in this matter gathered closer to see what happened.
"Wow, you are finally willing to show yourselves!" The old woman wiped her tears and rushed forward. She wanted to grab the two ladies and argue with them, so as to tarnish their reputation. Since she was the wife of Lin Baotian's master and the madam of Lin Dan, she would always be in the right no matter what she said. She was not afraid that the mother and daughter would revolt against her.
Lin Dan raised the tablet to block the old woman's approach. When the old woman spread her five fingers and wanted to grab her collar, she took the chance to put the tablet into her hand. She then knelt down and kowtowed three times, before saying steadily, "Madam, my mother and I will leave the capital. Please take care of yourself. This is the grandmaster's tablet and you may have it back. My mother and I do not deserve to pay respects to him."
The old woman hated the Lin family to the bone and would not care to listen to Lin Dan carefully. She smashed the thing in her hands on the ground without thinking.
Lady Qi cried out in shock and quickly tried to save it, but she was one step too late. The memorial tablet fell to the ground and the loosely wrapped white silk cloth spread out, revealing the words carved on it. Everyone craned their necks and looked carefully. They realized that it was indeed Yan Bo's tablet. Although the base of the tablet was mostly blackened due to smoke, it did not seem dirty at all. In fact, it was radiating with a soft luster, which was produced when people often worshipped and cleaned the tablet with a silk cloth regularly.
The memorial tablet that was so well maintained had cracked under the hands of the old woman. "What a grave sin had she committed!" They thought.
Someone nearby immediately chided, "How dare you ruin a memorial tablet? Aren't you afraid of being punished by the heavens?!"
The old woman was dumbfounded when she saw the tablet and Yan Shouye was unable to react in time. It was Lady Qi who took the tablet and wiped it with the silk cloth. Her fingers trembled whenever she touched the crack on the tablet, she was badly shaken by what had happened.
Lin Dan, who had always worn an expressionless face, finally shed tears. She took the tablet lightly and wiped it with her sleeves cautiously before placing it respectfully on the platform. She pulled her mother and did three loud kowtows before hobbling away.
Both of them had kowtowed so hard that there was blood on their foreheads. It had left two bright red marks on the stairway which created a ghastly sight. Although the mother and daughter did not utter a word, their actions had meant more than what the old woman had said. The passers-by who were outraged before had turned silent. They stopped saying that they wanted to help the old woman teach Lin Dan and her mother a good lesson. They thought looking at what happened to the tablet, it was obvious who was right and who was wrong, who was good and who was bad.
"O-Old man!" The old woman slowly regained her senses and slumped on the ground after her legs turned jelly. Yan Shouye did not know whether he should keep standing or get down on his knees. It was unsure whether his face was red with embarrassment or pale in shock.
At that moment, no one had noticed that the old steward of the Marquis of Yongding was standing outside the crowd, while the young marquis was sitting in a teahouse nearby, observing what had happened. He stared at the direction where Lin Dan and her mother were walking towards before heaving a long sigh. He took out some silver notes and ordered his servant to catch up with them.
Lin Dan naturally declined the young marquis' help. Her instinct was telling her that she could only enjoy a peaceful life only if she kept a distance from the young marquis and Yan Langqing.
Seeing that his servant brought the silver notes back, the young marquis was having mixed feelings. He thought that he knew Lin Dan well, but he suddenly realized that she was more stubborn and resilient than he thought. The mother and daughter insisted on leaving while bringing nothing with them, even though they knew that it would be very challenging ahead.
When the young marquis returned home unhappily, the old steward was reporting the situation to the old marquis in detail. "When I arrived, Lady Zhou was making a scene at that place and had attracted many passers-by. Lady Zhou was spouting words of slander about Head Chef Lin and it has made Lin Dan and Lady Qi so scared that they dared not show up. But as Lady Zhou was speaking even more outrageously, before I was able to stop her, Lin Dan and Lady Qi appeared out of no choice. They did not say a word, except returning Imperial Chef Yan's memorial tablet to Lady Zhou before giving her and the tablet three loud kowtows. Lady Zhou knew that it was Imperial Chef Yan's memorial tablet, but she still smashed the tablet hard onto the ground, creating a big crack on the tablet…"
In fact, Lady Zhou had no idea that it was Yan Bo's tablet. She was so furious at that moment that she did not care what Lin Dan said, especially when Lin Dan had deliberately slowed down her speech and was speaking softly. It was unfortunate that the passers-by were paying special attention to Lin Dan's words. This was how they all knew that it was Yan Bo's tablet that was wrapped in the white silk cloth and they naturally thought Lady Zhou knew about it too.
Upon hearing this, the old marquis sighed, "She smashed her deceased husband's tablet?! This goes to show that what she said was all nonsense! Since she had no real affection for Imperial Chef Yan, how could she take care of him when he was gravely ill? I also expect nothing more from that unfilial son. Without Baotian, the Yan family would not enjoy what they are having today. In other words, money is the source of all these troubles. These people are filled with greed that they are willing to sell off their conscience."
The old steward agreed, "That's right! They wouldn't be able to take back the Golden Knife, the recipes, and the restaurant in a rightful manner without tarnishing Chef Lin's reputation. Chef Lin went through so much to make Yan's dishes popular, and now they just want to ride on his successes. Do they really think people are fools and don't know what is up their sleeves? They can accuse Chef Lin of being ungrateful, unfaithful, and unfilial for all they want, but the tablet that was worshipped and maintained regularly is enough to keep their mouths shut. If Chef Lin really deceived his master and brought shame to his ancestors, would he dare to pay respects to his master's tablet at home regularly? On the contrary, it was Lady Zhou and Yan Shouye whose legs turned jelly the moment they saw the tablet, it's obvious that they were guilty of their wrongdoings."
"I know Baotian's character the best. He is definitely not someone who is capable of doing bad things. Inheriting his master title is different from inheriting the family's wealth. It is not something you can spend freely when it's given to you, but a title that one must prove to be worthy of. It's not easy to be the successor of the imperial chef, as people would judge whether you're worthy of that title once you whip up a dish. Unless Imperial Chef Yan was old and muddleheaded, he would be tarnishing his own title if he had passed his title to Yan Shouye who knows nothing about cooking!" The old marquis got more furious as he spoke.
"Exactly! The Yan family seized the chance knowing that Chef Lin is dead so that he can't stand up and defend himself. Poor Lin Dan and Lady Qi had no choice but to leave." The old steward shook his head and sighed repeatedly.
"Send someone to get them back. It'll be tough for an orphan and widow to survive out there." The old marquis could not let things pass and shook his hand.
As the old steward went hurriedly, the old marquis found his son standing at the door. He frowned and said, "Send Yan Langqing away. We do not keep such evil people in the Marquis Residence. We can always hire good chefs and we don't lose anything by firing her."
The young marquis nodded. He took a bow and left without saying a word.
Yan Langqing, who intended to show off her culinary skills in the Marquis Residence, had never dreamed that the scene her grandmother and father created had not only failed to restore the Yan family's reputation, it had also ruined her plans.
Translator:NovelMultiverseEditor:NovelMultiverse
After leaving the capital, Lin Dan and Lady Qi settled themselves temporarily in a nearby small town. While they were there, the old marquis had sent several groups of people to look for them, but Lin Dan had politely declined their help.
It was another day where she sent away another group of people. Lady Qi finally couldn't hold back anymore and said pitifully, "Dan'er, it's actually okay to go back to the Marquis' residence. We have nobody to depend on, it's better to have someone taking care of us. We also cannot afford to leave your dad's house and the restaurant behind. With the support of the old marquis, we can bring the case to the officials and make your second and third uncles return everything."
Lin Dan waved her hand and said firmly, "Mother, you're making things seem too simple. What do we have besides 120 taels of silver? We have no property deed, how are we able to bring this to the officials? The old marquis is a kind man and said that we are the guests of the Marquis Residence, but do you understand what's our current identity? We're just slightly better off than the slave who has signed a deed. Now that the marquis' daughter is at the crucial moment of being chosen as the concubine, you know how strict the marquis' residence will be. The marquis' brother-in-law is still in jail for injuring others while riding a horse and no matter how badly his wife begs, the old marquis has never given in to her request. Do you think he would care about our losing lawsuit? He is trying to bring us back because he is kind-hearted and sentimental. But we should not take it for granted and squander his feelings for us away."
Lin Dan sighed and added, "Besides, as long as the Yan family and our family are living in the same place, they will definitely find all ways to tarnish father's reputation in order to restore theirs. The second uncle and the third uncle will also stop us from taking back our properties by secretly plotting against us. Apart from having some money, what else do we have? The old marquis can protect us for now, but can he protect us forever? Staying in the capital means that we will be facing never-ending troubles, I thought it is better for us to leave and start our lives anew. Don't you think so, mother?"
Although Lady Qi was unwilling, she was successfully persuaded by her daughter and could only nod in tears.
Lin Dan rented a small courtyard to live in temporarily and went out to explore the area. Her child-like face was wearing a solemn expression. On this day, she walked further than she always did and unknowingly took the official road to the relay station. There were loud sounds of clamor and the neighing of horses at the station, which made the place seemed very lively. There was also a straw shed outside the station, and an old woman was busy serving food.
She was unsure what food was served, but she could smell the nice aroma from afar. Lin Dan was attracted by the smell and walked quickly over. The merchants in the inn also came outside to take a look.
"Auntie, your tofu balls smell good, how much does a bowl of it cost?" A trader asked loudly.
"Two copper coins for one bowl." The old woman replied with a smile.
"Great, I'll have one please." The trader immediately sat down in the straw shed, staring straight at the oil pan.
When Lin Dan came, the tofu balls were done deep-frying and were being scooped up by the old woman to drain the oil. She then poured the tofu balls into another pot, and boiled them in the bone broth, causing the sweetness of the soup to be blended with the aroma of deep-fried balls. After boiling, the tofu balls were done after sprinkling it with a handful of chopped green onion. The golden and crispy tofu balls were tumbling in the milky and rich soup, beautifully decorated with the green onion. The fragrance of the tofu, broth, green onion, and some pepper was mixed together to create a mouth-watering flavor.
Lin Dan hurried into the straw shed and saw that the trader could wait no more. He picked up one piping hot tofu ball and put it into his mouth. He puffed as he chewed before giving the old woman a thumbs up. He said, "You're such a great cook! I've traveled the world and have never eaten tofu balls as good as this."
Lin Dan immediately ordered a bowl for herself. She took a bite after blowing it and her face was filled with awe. After biting through the crispy deep-fried skin on the outer layer, she was surprised to find the extremely soft and tender tofu on the inside that was made with minced meat and mashed yam. The tofu balls melted in her mouth and were extremely delicious. What made the tofu balls even better was the thick broth that was wrapped in the innermost layer of the ball. It seemed to be produced by bone broth seeping into the ball, but also seemed to be made from the juice produced by meat and yam after being heated. She tasted it with the tip of her tongue and found that the broth had the freshness of bone marrow, saltiness of minced meat, as well as the sweetness of the yam. All the flavors were blended perfectly, which made people wanting for more.
Lin Dan paid special attention as she ate it before finishing all the soup and sighed with contentment. The trader had already eaten three bowls and was already on his fourth. His companions were all attracted by the aroma, and the small shed was soon filled up with patrons.
Lin Dan did not leave after finishing the tofu balls. Seeing that there was an increasing number of patrons, she offered to help the old woman to burn firewood, fetch water, serve, and wash the dishes. The old woman initially refused her help but relented eventually. When work was over at night, she took out twenty copper coins and wanted to pay her.
"Auntie, money is not what I want," Lin Dan turned down the coins. She continued sincerely, "I'm willing to help you every day, but I only ask that you teach me how to make these tofu balls."
"You want me to teach you how to cook? What's so…" Before the old woman could finish speaking, a young woman walked into the shed and said angrily, "Where did this brat come from? How dare you try to take advantage of my family? If my mother teaches you, do you think she can still enjoy such a good business? Get out of here, or I'll chase you out with a broom!" As she was speaking, she opened the drawer and poured all the hard-earned money of the old woman into her purse. Her eyes were filled with greed.
"Didn't you want to learn how to cook as well? I can teach you." The old woman frowned.
"I'm your daughter-in-law, we are one family. But who the hell is she?" The woman pointed at Lin Dan with the other hand on her waist.
Lin Dan quickly explained, "Auntie, don't worry, I can work for you every day for free and will go somewhere far away after learning how to make this dish. I will never open a stall near you. I have a mother to feed and we are just two defenseless ladies. If you see me opening a stall near you someday, you can always beat me up or smash my stall."
The woman could tell that Lin Dan came from another region from her accent. She thought that having free labor was not a bad idea after all. Since the family was big enough, she was also not afraid of being fooled by a young girl who came elsewhere. She eventually agreed to Lin Dan's request, but she remained nasty and acted as if she was doing charity.
The old woman pulled Lin Dan aside and walked her out of the straw shed. She quietly gave her a pouch and whispered, "Good girl, this is your pay today. Take this and don't tell anyone about it."
Lin Dan was about to return the pouch, but the old woman had already walked back into the shed. She could soon hear that the old woman was scolded for earning lesser coins than yesterday. She did not seem to be here to learn cooking but seemed to be here to boss around.
Lin Dan shook her head, feeling a little upset.
—
That night, Lin Dan hid in the backyard to practice her cutting skills. When her scarred fingertips touched the food or the blade, it made her frown because of the pain. After cutting a gourd, she picked up the pieces of gourd that were cut unevenly and sighed helplessly.
"Dan'er," Lady Qi, who had been observing Lin Dan in the corner for a long time, appeared. She said softly, "Cooking should be a happy affair, you should not push yourself too hard. Let's stop here for the day and take a rest, alright? It's not your fault for losing to Yan Langqing, it's normal to perform badly at times."
Lin Dan was stupefied for a moment before realizing that Lady Qi had misunderstood. Lady Qi thought that her defeat against Yan Langqing had caused a psychological trauma which made her unable to use a kitchen knife normally. But Lin Dan knew that it was not the case. She could pick up the skill again, but it would take time.
"Mother, I'm fine. Don't worry." Lin Dan didn't explain, but she said firmly, "One day I will earn back everything we've lost. If we can't make Yan's dishes, I will learn new ones. The world is so big, we will definitely find a way out. "
"Sigh… Fine, as long as you are able to figure everything out. Now, stop what you're doing and go to bed." Lady Qi caressed her daughter's head with a look of relief. Her daughter had become more taciturn recently, but she had also become stronger and more courageous, as though she was unafraid of the challenges ahead.
"Okay, you should rest early too." Lin Dan sent Lady Qi back to the room and stood in the corridor for a long time without moving an inch. On this dreary night, she unknowingly saw a memory that did not belong to her. It was from the other "Lin Dan" who was nowhere to be found.
The other Lin Dan left a deep feeling of regret and reluctance but also left an emotion deep in her heart. She was a charming young girl, who loved having fun and never loved cooking. Lin Baotian asked her to learn cooking several times, but she cried and refused. One day, she accidentally upset the marquis' daughter and was almost beaten up. It was the young marquis who happened to pass by and saved her. The young marquis's gentle smile had since become her life's obsession.
There was once she asked the young marquis what he liked and he replied jokingly: "I love eating." The next day she took off her beautiful clothes, put on a dirty apron, and walked into the kitchen. It had been seven years since. She never liked cooking, but only wanted to gain the young marquis' attention.
Lin Dan did not agree that she should depend her life on another person. It is a sad life, if that person leaves or dislikes her, all that is left ahead is the abyss.
What Lin Dan had to do was to find her own way. It did not matter whether she had fallen or injured, she must do everything to reach her goal. Since the old Lin Dan was a chef, she would continue to be a chef. There was an infinite variety of delicious food in the world, and she did not have to worry about not having a place or a teacher to learn from.
—
From that day onwards, Lin Dan started learning how to make tofu balls from the old woman. The old woman had three sons, the eldest son had always idled around, the second son fell ill and died when he was young, and the third son was only seven years old and was still waiting to be fed. In order to feed her two sons, the old woman got up early and sold tofu balls until late at night, she had lived a tough life. Fortunately, she had excellent culinary skills and did not have to worry about making a living.
Her eldest daughter-in-law had always said that she wanted to learn cooking from the old woman, but she was lazy and cunning. She made Lin Dan do all the dirty work in the stall. Lin Dan had to get up early to cook the beans, peel the tofu, and take orders. She even had to carry more than a hundred catties of water back and forth, which almost injured her waist. But Lin Dan never complained, as long as she can learn something, she was not afraid of hardships, no matter how difficult it was.
Translator: NovelMultiverse Editor: NovelMultiverse
Lin Dan was a woman of few words, but she had always been serious in whatever she did. Regardless of how dirty or tiring the chores that were assigned by the old woman's daughter-in-law, she could complete them silently without cutting corners. As time passed, the daughter-in-law was relieved and stopped watching her all the time. When the daughter-in-law was idling and lazing around, the old woman seized the chance to teach Lin Dan how to make the most tender and refreshing tofu, and how to make the most delicious and fragrant tofu balls.
Lin Dan had mastered this dish after March and bade farewell to the old woman who was unwilling to part with her. Lin Dan left the town with Lady Qi. From then on, she went to various places to learn cooking from different chefs. If they were unwilling to impart their skills, she would work in their shop or home and persuade them with her sincerity. If the chef was still unwilling, she would not complain and leave silently.
She had tasted all the delicacies across the great country of Chu, met all sorts of people, and had different life experiences. Ten years had passed in the blink of an eye.
It was early spring, a line of a carriage came along the mountain trail, with muscular-looking guards keeping an eye at the front and back of the fleet. It was probably a prestigious family who was on the move. When the fleet slowly came to stop at a junction, a middle-aged man with a big belly hopped out of the most luxurious carriage of the fleet. He ran to the last carriage with small steps and whispered, "Manager Lin, are you feeling better now?"
"Cough, cough…" A hoarse voice came from the carriage, "I'm feeling much better. It's all thanks to you who took care of me along the way. I look forward to seeing each other in the future."
"Happy to hear that. I still have some medicine to speed up your recovery, you can have it." Boss Shen quickly asked a servant to present the gift box that he had prepared for a long time. He said, "Of course we will meet again. If you open a shop in the capital, I will definitely patronize no matter how far I am. Since you've fallen ill, everything I eat has since become tasteless."
The Manager Lin in the carriage sounded like a woman, and Boss Shen's last remark seemed as though he was making romantic advances. However, the people inside and outside the carriage did not notice his intention and even laughed in unison.
Upon seeing that, a brawny man guarding the fleet scorned and nudged his companion's waist with his elbow. He whispered, "Look, she can even hook up with someone on the way. Women really shouldn't show themselves in public."
His companion nodded with a scoffing face without saying a word. He looked at his leader again, only to find that he was still sitting on the horse and watching each junction with his long eyes with extreme vigilance. The two of them were astounded before deciding to knock it off.
Manager Lin was worried that she would spread the illness to others and only pulled open a small gap in the curtain. She stretched out her hands to pick up the gift and instructed, "Xiao-Zhu, present the gift I've prepared to Boss Shen. It's all thanks to Boss Shen's kindness that we are able to get to the capital."
A fifteen or sixteen-year-old boy immediately leaped down from a carriage in front, carrying a jar of wine in his arms. Seeing the wine jar, Boss Shen's ruddy face beamed. Although he spoke words of politeness, he stretched out his hands eagerly, smiling so much that his narrow eyes were disappearing. "Oh, you're being too polite. It was nothing!" He gave the wine jar a deep sniff as he spoke and enjoyed what he smelled.
"It may be nothing to you, but it's great kindness for us. It's getting late, Boss Shen. Let's bid our farewells here. I'll definitely invite you to dinner if we meet again in the capital." Manager Lin said sincerely.
A bigger smile appeared on Boss Shen's face. He added, "To prevent a busy woman like you from forgetting your promise, this meal will be noted in my account book. I will definitely visit Beijing to collect the 'debt' from you in the future."
"Don't worry, I won't forget this. Goodbye." Manager Lin chuckled.
After the two said their goodbyes, the long line of the carriage was also separated into two. The ten carriages in the front made a turn at the junction and left for Jiaozhou, while the five carriages at the back went straight ahead to the capital. The escorts protecting the fleets were also divided into two groups. One group followed Boss Shen while three other strong men followed Manager Lin's fleet on horses.
Manager Lin seemed to have noticed the three men through the carriage curtain and sent a servant to greet them.
The young servant was timid, but he plucked up the courage and asked, "Brothers, are you going to the capital too?"
One of them smiled nonchalantly, "Why does it matter?"
"If you are, our manager wants to hire the three of you as escorts and ensure our safety as we enter the capital. We will pay you ten taels of silver each, food and drinks will also be provided along the way. How does that sound?"
"Bad." The strong man laughed, but his speech was sharper than knives. His companion snorted softly and seemed to be uninterested in the ten taels.
The young servant blushed with anger, but he still insisted patiently, "Please reconsider our offer. We will be providing food and drinks, you won't lose anything."
"I don't even care for the ten taels of silver, do you think I care about your food? Get lost and stop delaying our journey!" The strong man became a little impatient and acted as if he wanted to pull out a whip around his waist.
The leading man was the tallest among them and had the most frightening aura. He had dark skin and a handsome appearance, with a scar that stretched across a corner of his forehead to his temple, which made him even more hostile. He seemed to be unhappy that his subordinates were drawing too much attention. He glanced coldly at the two brawny men and their faces immediately turned solemn. One of them said, "We are in a hurry. We will be taking a shortcut to the capital and won't be able to protect you."
As the shortcut stretched into the mountain and the mountain road was rugged and narrow, it can only be traveled by horses and not carriages. Upon hearing this, the servant bade farewell to them. He took a quick glance at the leading man before leaving and was astonished again. The man that was riding on a big horse had a pair of narrow and cold eyes and had a well-built figure that was covered in a dark suit. He was obviously a fighter.
"Could this hostile man be a bandit?" The servant thought and quickly ran away.
Manager Lin's carriage was not far from the group. She knew she should not persist after hearing their response. The group continued their journey quietly and rested by a lake when it was midday. Two young maids carried clay jugs to fetch water in the river, while three servants took out the stone stove and started cooking.
Both sides of the mountain road were full of pink wild roses, and the pleasant aroma of flowers filled up the place after being nourished by the rain. Manager Lin lifted the carriage curtain to admire the beautiful scenery. She drank another bowl of ginger water with orange peel before slowly getting out of the carriage. She said, "I feel restless after sitting in the carriage for a long time. Take out my kitchenware, I'll make lunch today."
"That's great! Can't wait to have your cooking today!" The two young maids cheered happily, while other servants were also overjoyed.
Although the three brawny men had been taking the same route as them, it was the first time they saw Manager Lin as she was ill throughout the whole journey. They could not help but take a good look at her. They saw a tall and beautiful lady in her early twenties, who was wearing a lady's bun. Different from the beauty standards of the time, her skin was lightly tanned. She also carried a fearless aura which made her look pleasant.
The two brawny men were disappointed to see Manager Lin, the woman who Boss Shen tried so hard to flatter yet was not a stunner or beauty of their dreams. However, unlike them, their leader stared at her for a long time.
Manager Lin, who was Lin Dan, immediately noticed the man's gaze and turned her head to look at him. When their eyes met, one of them was stunned while the other was puzzled.
"Excuse me, have we met before?" Lin Dan joined her hands together and greeted, looking natural, and at ease.
The man hesitated for a moment before replying in a deep voice, "Never."
Lin Dan looked at him carefully and made sure that she had never seen him, and stopped paying attention to him. He was a very good-looking man with a terrifying aura, she reckoned that she would definitely not forget this face if she had seen it once.
When Lin Dan walked away, one of the strong men whispered, "Boss, do you know her?"
The man did not answer but silently took out the ration and water sacs before swallowing down the food with difficulty. Another brawny man tore off a hard bun and stuffed it into his companion's mouth. He chided, "Eat up, and don't ask unnecessary questions."
The brawny man spit out the hard bun and yelled, "Darn it! How many days has this bun been left out for? It's even harder than a rock! My mouth is gonna turn into a beak by eating these foods every day!"
"Just put up with it for a while more. We will hurry to the capital after taking the shortcut at the next junction. When we are there, we can enjoy a big feast before going home and enjoying a good sleep." The companion gave a longing look.
"How far are we from the next junction?"
"Not far, we will probably reach there tomorrow morning."
"Tomorrow morning? Darn, that's far! I wish I could fly instead!"
The two men chatted while gnawing on the buns, but the leader never said a word. He raised his eyes to look at Manager Lin from time to time, seemingly interested in her.
Lin Dan was busy preparing lunch, unaware of the man's attention. She took out a few pieces of evenly cured meat and roasted it on the fire. When oil seeped out of the meat, the pig hair that had not been cleanly removed was eliminated under the flame and completely removed after being washed in the lake. She then scraped off the burnt parts with a knife.
The two maids received her instructions and ran into the woods to dig a few handfuls of wild onions and bamboo shoots for use later, while several other servants helped to set up the fire.
Lin Dan cut the cleaned meat into slices and stir-fried them in the wok. When enough fat was produced, she threw several pink dumplings that were made of unknown ingredients and gently stirred them with a spatula. An indescribable sourness mixed with the aroma of cured meat filled the air, attracting the three men to crane their necks and take a look at it.
"Dammit, what's this smell? It's sour and pungent." Although the brawny man was wearing a disgusted expression, his mouth was already watering.
"No idea, I've never seen it." His companion tiptoed and stared right at the large wok that Lin Dan was constantly stirring in.
The pink dumplings had been completely crushed by Lin Dan and turned into a fine powder before being mixed with the slices of meat. Although the color of the dish was not the most appetizing and it was giving out a strong and pungent aroma, it somehow made people's mouth water. This was probably the true combination of exotic fragrance and pungency.
The handsome man, who had not said a word, finally spoke, "This is pickled tofu dregs, a specialty of Anqing Fu. It is made by crushing the tofu dregs in good weather and storing them in a jar after adding some salt, pepper, and other ingredients. If the taste is not strong enough, thick bone soup can be sealed in lotus leaves and added to the bean dregs before letting it ferment slowly. After the fermentation is complete, it can be kneaded into a dough and dried so that it's easy to carry around. The pickled tofu dregs are sour, spicy, salty, and rich in flavor. The aroma of the meat is mixed with the aroma of beans, creating an incredibly unique taste."
Translator:NovelMultiverseEditor:NovelMultiverse
Pickled tofu dregs is a specialty of Zongzi. The Zongzi State was an ancient state established by the remnants of the Xia and Shang dynasties. It was contented governing their small sovereign state and wanted to restore it. However, it was later annihilated by the former famous general Zi Kong. Although it was still known as the Zongzi State, it had merely become a county of Da Chu.
Lin Dan did not expect anyone to know such a remote place and who could even describe the cooking process of the local specialties in detail. She could not help looking at the handsome man. The man glanced back at her before continuing to eat the dry food in his hand.
The meat slices in the wok had all been covered with a layer of pickled tofu dregs. The rich animal fat sizzled and gave out a crisp sound, exuding a strong aroma. Lin Dan retracted her gaze and said to the maid who was sitting next to her, "You may pour the water now."
The maid hurriedly poured the water from the clay jug into the wok. As water flowed into the wok, the dish that did not look attractive appeared even more turbid, but the pungency that stung the nose had greatly reduced. This had intensified the fragrance of the beans and the aroma of the meat, creating the original flavor of the dish.
The change in smell was immediately carried away by the spring breeze and spread the entire place. The three men who were sitting nearby could not help but took a whiff. Their mouths that were originally dry suddenly secreted a lot of salivae. They could already swallow the hard buns smoothly without drinking water. But when they looked at the hard buns in their hands, they seemed to have lost any appetite to consume it.
Lin Dan did not care about the feelings of those people at all. She seemed to feel that the food in the wok was not flavorful enough and added several kinds of seasonings before stirring it slowly with a spatula. The broth was already boiling and bubbling. The white water vapor carried the overbearing scent and spread the area, stimulating everyone's sense of smell and taste.
The maid asked while swallowing her saliva, "Master, why did you add the peppercorns after the broth has been boiling for a long time? Wouldn't it make the flavor difficult to absorb into the dish?"
Lin Dan replied slowly, "This is rattan pepper, not peppercorn. Peppercorns numb your tongue while the rattan pepper has an astringent flavor. I added it at the end because cooking it for an extended period of time will make the food bitter. The numbing sensation of the rattan pepper is actually better than peppercorns and tastes more authentic. There's no need to stir-fry it with oil, and it will give out a spicy flavor just by boiling in water for fifteen minutes."
The maid nodded as she had learned something new. Lin Dan added the cut bamboo shoots and boiled for a while before adding a couple of washed wild onions into the wok as well.
The little girl hurriedly pulled up her sleeves and wondered, "Master, you once said that it is of great importance to avoid turbidity in this dish. But why is your dish showing the opposite? This dish already has a strong taste, but you still added the wild onions that have a stinging smell. I'm afraid that it will ruin the dish! I think it already tastes very good, and no other condiments are needed."
Lin Dan smiled at her and explained tenderly, "Do you remember the seasoning technique I taught you? Dishes with strong taste need to be enhanced to highlight the richness of the flavor, while dishes with lighter taste need to have its flavor reduced to bring out its freshness. Besides these techniques, I've also taught you the mixing method, flavor changing method, and so on. For this dish, I have chosen to enhance its flavor with a strong taste by adding the sourness and spiciness of pickled tofu dregs to the smoked and salty cured meat, before adding rattan pepper which gives the numbing sensation. Since the sourness, spiciness, and numbness can make the dish turbid, I've added wild onions to give it a slightly sweet, astringent, and bitter taste to it. Adding the unique fragrance of wild onions to the unique pungency of the pickled tofu dregs, it creates a dish that contains different layers of flavors and creates an excellent dish. We avoid turbidity not by reducing the number of condiments, but by ensuring that each flavor is distinct. Turbidity is referring to the taste of the dish and not its appearance. Also, different tastes can affect each other differently, such as sourness can reduce saltiness while saltiness can increase sweetness and so on. This makes cooking very interesting. This is also why I did not boil the cured meat in water because the sourness of the pickled tofu dregs will reduce the saltiness of the meat. If it is blanched in water, it will make the meat bland and reduce its flavor. You should pay attention to this in the future."
As Lin Dan was speaking, she added the wild onions into the wok and stirred gently. The tofu dregs soup that was originally all mixed up suddenly appeared white, red, and green. The distinct colors were beautiful and an indescribable aroma filled the air.
As the maid's mouth watered, she exclaimed, "Master, you are really amazing! After adding the wild onions, the taste of this soup has changed indeed! A dish that has changed its flavors three times – I wouldn't even know how to make this if you've never taught me!"
Lin Dan chuckled, "Let me test you then. Why do you think I added the bamboo shoots?"
"When the bamboo shoots are added to the cured meat, it makes the dish taste better." The maid was an amateur in cooking and was still learning the ropes.
Lin Dan explained patiently, "Pickled tofu dregs and cured meat are both preserved food. Although they taste good, one of their biggest weaknesses is the lack of savoriness. These bamboo shoots are used to enhance the freshness of the dish and make up for the lack of savoriness. Try the dish, don't you think there a taste of freshness on the tip of your tongue after adding the bamboo shoots?"
Lin Dan scooped some soup and brought it near to the maid's mouth.
She took a sip and immediately gave a thumbs up. "It's delicious, Master! You've turned this dish alive!"
Lin Dan smiled and shook her head. She then called the other servants who were already drooling, "Everyone, lunch is ready!"
"It's lunchtime! Get the bowls and chopsticks ready!" The people who had already surrounded them got their rice ready as quickly as possible. They took the food and started feasting. With the clanging sound of chopsticks hitting the bowls, as well as the sound of the mouth chewing and swallowing the food, everyone had eaten quickly as if they had gone hungry for several days.
As the maid feasted, her cheeks were flushed and she was all sweaty. She could not help but remark, "Master, as you've been ill, we have not eaten well for a long time. We're so used to your cooking that other foods taste bland in comparison."
Lin Dan patted her head with tender-loving eyes. She took a few mouthfuls and got back into the carriage to take a rest. She was still ill after all and all the smoke she inhaled was making her throat hurt again.
When Lin Dan was cooking, the two strong men who were sitting nearby could not swallow the buns anymore. They craned their necks and looked into the wok. Even the cool leader could not help and look at it several times. His speed of eating the buns was getting slower and slower. When Lin Dan started to talk about the seasoning method of this dish, he could no longer eat the bun. He threw the water bag aside and listened to what Lin Dan was saying attentively.
Lin Dan spoke in a steady and soft manner and she was very vivid in her language. One can easily imagine the taste of the pot of pickled tofu dreg and stewed meat only by listening to her narration without looking at how tasty the food in the pot was. When the servants began rushing for food, the three men's imagination of the food turned real. Their stomachs were growling and they were experiencing hunger pangs.
"Darn it, I can't take it anymore!" The sloppy and brawny man wiped off saliva with his sleeve.
"It's such a big pot of food, do you think they can finish it?" Another brawny man asked with anticipation.
The handsome man did not answer, but his a pair of narrows eyes were staring at food in the wok. His throat shook slightly, seemingly swallowing the saliva that was forming in his mouth as well.
The three of them remained silent as they watched people on the other side pick up the cured meat, bamboo shoot, and wild onions in the wok using chopsticks. After the people were done, they even scooped out the tofu dreg soup and mixed it with their rice. Somehow, the three men could sit still no more.
"Old Zhao, can you go and ask if they have any leftovers? We will pay them for the food." The sloppy and brawny man nudged his companion.
Zhao Liu cursed in a low voice, "What the hell? Why don't you go instead?"
"Didn't I just scold the young servant? I'm not that thick-skinned!"
"What makes you think I'm not?" As soon as he said that, a gust of wind carried the rich aroma of the dish to their noses. They could smell the numbing flavor, spiciness, and sourness that were mixed with the salty cured meat. They could already imagine the heartiness of the dish even though they have not tried it. "It was truly alluring!" They thought.
"Whatever, I'm gonna disregard my embarrassment and approach them!" Zhao Liu got up immediately and ran over with a couple of silver taels.
The young man, who had been mercilessly rejected and mocked by the two before, took much energy to lift his face from the bowl. He rolled his eyes and said, "It's not much food for the six of us. How can we not finish it?"
"Can't we pay for it?" Zhao Liu took out two taels of silver and gave him a fawning smile. The soup kept boiling as the firewood burned and the fragrance of the food was driving him crazy. As soon as he approached the wok, he could move no more and his mouth watered uncontrollably.
"Nope." The servant walked around him to the work and took a few more slices of meat, some bamboo shoots, and wild onions. He shoved them into his mouth at once and did not bother to speak anymore.
Zhao Liu stared at his greasy mouth with a pitiful expression.
Seeing that his subordinate was an embarrassment, the handsome man ordered in a deep voice, "Come back."
Zhao Liu took another look at the servant's bowl of soup mixed with rice and at the boiling wok before returning reluctantly. The three men took the water sac unanimously and filled their stomachs with water, slowly losing their appetite. After resting for a while, they pissed, and the water they had immediately left their bodies. They became hungrier and stared at the food in the wok with eyes green with envy.
Chills ran down the servant's spine as the three men were glaring intently towards him. He thought to himself, "Although we will part ways tomorrow, we may still meet later in the afternoon and in the evening. Perhaps I should share some food with them." He started to scoop out the leftovers using the spatula and filled it up in a large bowl. He yelled, "There is still some food left, do you still want it?"
"Oh yes, yes! Thank you so much, young man!" Zhao Liu ran over as fast as he could. Although the other two tried their best to control themselves, their Adam's apples moved as they swallowed their saliva.
The leftovers always tasted the best as it had been stewed for a long time. The cured meat was soft and tender, and the tofu dregs were half-melted. The appearance of the dish may not be best, but the taste was excellent. The men tore the dried buns and soaked it in the bowl of soup before giving it a bite. With only one mouthful, the dryness of the bun was immediately replaced by a chewy texture that was combined with the sour, salty, spicy flavor. It made people wanting for more.
The three big men huddled together, each holding a piece of bun and dipped it in the soup. They also sandwiched the cured meat in between two pieces of buns and chomped down the food heartily. When there was only some soup left, the two men dare not move when the handsome man stared at them with his narrow eyes. With teary eyes, they watched their leader tore the steamed bun into pieces and threw them into the bowl before finishing all the food completely.
When Zhao Liu returned the bowl, his face was flushed with embarrassment. There was all because the bowl looked so clean that it seemed to have been cleaned with water.
Translator:NovelMultiverseEditor:NovelMultiverse
As everyone ate, drank, and took a short nap, they felt particularly energetic to continue their journey in the afternoon. The three brawny men had originally planned to overtake the five carriages ahead and return to the capital first. However, since they "were treated with kindness" and enjoyed a good meal, they did not mind protecting them all the way until the next junction and continued the following behind their fleet.
Manager Lin seemed to have not recovered from the illness yet and coughed occasionally. Whenever she coughed, the handsome man frequently took a look at the carriage but could see nothing because of the bamboo curtain. After walking for about two hours, his subordinate Luo Tietou hiccupped and leaned closer towards the man. He whispered, "Boss, when are we stopping? I'm hungry."
The man glanced at him but did not answer his question. Another subordinate Zhao Liu asked, "We just had lunch not too long ago and you're hungry again?"
"The hiccups I had smelled so good that it's making me hungry again. I feel like having more food." Luo Tietou had another hiccup as soon as he finished speaking, and his mouth was suddenly filled with the smell of cured meat. It was said that food that entered the stomach would stink within a quarter of an hour, which made hiccups smell bad, but the dish made by Manager Lin was completely opposite. It had been four hours but the rich aroma of that dish remained in his mouth and stomach. Things were made worse when his hair and clothes were also covered with the smell of that dish.
In fact, Zhao Liu was also hungry and couldn't help looking at the handsome man.
"Keep on going, and stop talking nonsense." The man said with an expressionless face.
The two looked at each other and sighed in unison. After another two hours, seeing that the sun was about to set, they ran to the front of the fleet and suggested loudly, "There is an empty mountain cove ahead that is good for camping and resting. Shall we settle there? There is a huge and dense forest if we continue any further, many wild animals may appear and it can be dangerous."
"Let's rest here for a night then." Xiao-zhu was a discerning servant after all and quickly asked the driver to stop.
"What are you eating tonight?" Luo Tietou hurriedly asked, even before the carriage had come to a full halt.
"That's none of your business." Xiao-zhu puffed his cheeks.
"No," Zhao Liu appeared from behind and jokingly said: "We could have left on our horses, but we have protected you all the way here. It's not too much to ask for dinner together, right?"
Xiao-zhu was about to take his revenge and mock them, but he heard a hoarse but gentle voice coming from the carriage, "Thank you for protecting us. Of course, we should treat you to a meal. That's not too much to ask at all. " When Manager Lin finished speaking, she jumped out of the carriage and carefully tied her hair with the headscarf to keep it from flying everywhere.
"Thank you so much, Manager Lin." Zhao Liu and Luo Tietou laughed heartily. Manager Lin was extremely polite and made people feel comfortable.
The hand man also cupped his hands and said earnestly, "Thank you, Manager Lin."
"You're welcome." Lin Dan smiled, "It's not good to have a heavy dinner or it may cause gut discomfort. Shall we have some wraps?"
"Of course, if that's not too much of a trouble for you." The handsome man had no objection, but his two subordinates were a little disappointed. They had been eating steamed buns for many days and had long been tired of eating it. As wraps and steamed buns were similar foods made of flour, they would rather eat more cured meat for dinner. They knew their guts were strong and would have no problems having another heavy meal. But seeing that their leader had accepted the menu, they naturally did not dare to raise any objection.
Lin Dan nodded at several people and took two maids with her to pick wild vegetables in the forest. The spring rain fell a few days ago, the soil was still wet, and various wild plants sprouted across the green fields, covering the mountains and plains. Three servants left to fetch water, chop wood, set up stoves, and start a fire. The two brawny men initially wanted to lie down and take a rest. But their leader stared at them and made them get up to give them a hand.
Sometime after, Lin Dan and the two maids came back with a basket on their backs. The basket was full of wild vegetables, including bamboo shoot tips, Chinese mustard, mushrooms, Chinese mahogany, and so on.
The three servants set up two stoves with two large woks on it. The water in the woks was already boiling and bubbling. Lin Dan asked the maids to wash the vegetables while she took out a bag of brown squares from the carriage.
"What is this?" Luo Tietou leaned over to take a look, his face full of curiosity.
"This is smoked bean curd, a specialty of Bashu. This is made by the same method of curing meat. It is salty and fragrant." Lin Dan explained slowly.
Luo Tietou picked up a small box and gave it a whiff. Indeed, it had a unique smell that was similar to cured meat but also had the smell of beans.
"Have you ever been to Bashu?" The handsome man who had always been taciturn took the initiative to speak, "The journey there is tough."
"It's said that 'the road to Shu is harder than ascending the sky'." Lin Dan chuckled lightly, "But after the daunting road, you will find that Bashu is a wonderful place. It has wonderful mountains, lakes, people, and its food is even more wonderful." For Lin Dan, heaven was where good food was found, and Bashu was indeed a food haven.
The handsome man nodded, and a smile seemed to have appeared in his cold eyes. "Food in Bashu is indeed delicious."
"Looks like you are a food connoisseur too." Lin Dan rolled up her sleeves to handle the ingredients. She diced the cooked bamboo shoot tips that were squeezed dry, blanched the Chinese mustard, mushrooms, and smoked bean curd, and set them aside for use later. The two maids were in charge of making the batter and asked Lin Dan whether it was wet enough.
"Add a little more water. If the batter is too thick, the wraps will not be thin enough and will affect the taste later." Lin Dan gave the two maids instructions to perfect the batter before taking out the lard that had been stored for winter. The lard was then used to stir fry the diced vegetables. The lard sizzled as it melted in the wok, producing a crisp sound. A rich and strong fragrance was given out and made everyone's mouth water.
"What the hell? Why does this lard so smell so good?" Luo Tietou sniffed as he asked.
Lin Dan stirred the melted lard slowly with a spatula and explained, "The lard will definitely smell good if it is made with the right technique. Water is added whenever I make lard to prevent the fat from getting burnt and tasting bitter and makes the lard whiter and thicker. When stored in a jar, adding a spoonful of sugar and a few peppercorns for every catty of oil can effectively prevent it from becoming rancid. This can safely be stored for four or five months."
As she explained, the oil had been heated up. Lin Dan added the bamboo shoots, diced smoked bean curd, diced mushrooms, diced mustard, and other ingredients one after another, stirring them with a spatula, and sprinkled some sesame seeds and salt.
"Since we had heavy lunch this afternoon, it's good to have something lighter for dinner." She continued, "The three treasures usually refer to the 'three treasures from the earth', 'three treasures from the sea', and 'three treasures from the plants'. This dish is the 'three treasures of Spring'. The bamboo shoot tips, Chinese mustard, and mushrooms are all excellent fresh food ingredients. You only need to briefly stir fry them with lard and some salt and it will already taste amazing. Do you know what is the best food to eat in the spring?" She turned around and looked at her two maids named Shaoyao and Dujuan.
They scratched their heads and smiled awkwardly. Their mouths had been watering that their minds were not present anymore.
Lin Dan stirred the diced vegetables and answered, "'Fresh' food is the best to eat in spring. This is the season when all living things come alive and everything is new and fresh. Smell this air that is filled with the fragrance of flowers, isn't it fresh?"
"Indeed!" The two maids nodded and beamed. One of them asked, "So, what is the best food to eat in summer?"
"'Invigorating' food is the best in summer. We must eat more refreshing food as the weather becomes warmer, so as to avoid gut discomfort. Having a bowl of sweet mung bean porridge with a few pieces of peppermint cake in the morning; a bowl of refreshing cold noodles made with chili oil and topped with shredded cucumber and green onion in the afternoon; a pot of rice wine with a few cold dishes in the evening; and a bowl of sour plum soup before ending the day, isn't life peaceful and invigorating that way?"
The two maids smacked their lips and asked, "Then, what's the best in autumn?"
Lin Dan put the fried three fresh diced vegetables into an earthen pot, and continued, "We eat 'Nourishing' food in autumn. Having a bowl of peanut and barley porridge In the morning to nourish our blood andqi; a pot of stewed old hen with dried chestnuts in the afternoon, where the sweetness of chestnuts seeps into the salty and fresh chicken, creating an aroma that stays for a long time; a bowl of cut old pumpkin steamed with fermented beans at night, it is a sweet dish that lingers in your dream. We eat sweet and nourishing food in autumn so that we can recover from all the energy we have lost from the work we have done in summer and enjoy a good winter."
"I guess this is what 'fleshing out in autumn' means, huh?" The maids had a sudden realization before asking again, "What about winter?"
"'Warm' food is the best in winter." Lin Dan put five palm-sized pans over the fire and spread the cut lard on the pan. She slowly poured the batter on the pan and swirled the pan lightly. Soon after, a piece of wrap was done. She turned the pan around on a clean earthen plate and the wrap fell on the plate. One after another, the tender and white wraps were made and stacked on top of each other.
Lin Dan continued swirling the pans, spreading lard on all five pans and continued adding the batter. Within just several minutes, dozens of wraps were made, all with an even size and thickness. While she was making the wraps, she continued talking, "Since it's freezing in winter, and the food we eat must be warm and comfortable for the stomach. During New Year, families huddle together, talking and laughing, while making dumplings. When the cooked dumplings are removed from the boiling water, take a bite while it is hot, and you can feel that not only your stomach is warm, your heart is warm too. Imagine having steamed and fragrant fried meatballs braised trotters, and steamed shads at the same time, aah……
Lin Dan could not help but smile when she imagined the scene.
The two maids had already run away with their mouths covered, as they did not want their drool to drip into the pans.
Somehow, the three brawny men had already gathered nearby, listening to Lin Dan while watching her cook. They realized that she was not only good at cooking but also very eloquent. She could talk about food literature all day and make the listeners feel as though they have enjoyed a feast, keeping their hearts satisfied but stomachs even hungrier.
The handsome man stared at Lin Dan for a long time with a pair of mysterious yet gleaming eyes. When Lin Dan looked at him, he lowered his head nonchalantly.
It was not long after when the "wrap stall" was ready. Lin Dan washed the wild onions and cut them into sections before taking out the sweet and spicy sauce, garlic sauce, and spicy sauce she had made, and put them on small plates. She called out to the rest, "Alright, dinner is ready."
Everyone cheered and gathered near the earthenware to get some food. The palm-sized wraps looked soft, but when it was wrapped in diced vegetables and eaten, it filled their mouth with a rich and strong aroma. The diced bamboo shoots were crisp and refreshing; the diced smoked bean curds were soft and chewy, and the juice of Chinese mustard and mushrooms was fused in the sweet wrap to create a rich texture. If one finds the flavor too light for their liking, they can also add some wild onion and sauce, and create a wrap that tasted salty, fresh, sweet, and spicy, before it all melted on the tip of their tongue, as though spring had come.
The three brawny men froze after only one bite before quickly stuffing the rest of the wrap into their mouths. They made one wrap after another… The spoon used to scoop the diced vegetables was always busy and the food was finished in a flash.
Translator:NovelMultiverseEditor:NovelMultiverse
Although Lin Dan deliberately made extra for dinner, nobody seemed to be full. It was mainly because the three brawny men had a big appetite and finished the wraps too quickly. They had annoyed the others by finishing three wraps when they had only finished one.
Lin Dan still ate very little and her cough would worsen as soon as night fell. She retreated in the carriage after taking medicine. Everyone consciously made light movements, for fear of disturbing her rest.
The three brawny men found a place with a good view to sit down and watch the night for the fleet. They seem to have long been accustomed to this kind of lifestyle, as they were still very energetic while the others were getting extremely sleepy.
"This explains why that Old Shen was so reluctant to part with Manager Lin, and even said that everything tastes bland when Manager Lin fell ill." Luo Tietou lay flat on the ground and patted his tummy. "That three treasure spring rolls were too damn good, but unfortunately it was not enough to fill me up."
"Don't tell me you're hungry again?" Zhao Liu fiddled with the bonfire with a wooden stick.
"Yeah, I'm hungry," Luo Tie turned over and murmured, "I wonder what we are having for breakfast tomorrow. I'm still craving for the wraps."
Zhao Liu quietly swallowed his saliva as he recalled the taste of the wraps. He also wanted to eat the wraps that tasted so fresh, he knew he will not get tired of it even if he was given the same dish every day for three months.
"Stop talking and sleep soon. I will watch the night." The handsome man said in a deep voice.
As their leader always stood by his word, Zhao Liu and Luo Tietou did not object to it and soon fell asleep. After a while, someone's stomach growled in the dark night, but fortunately, everyone was asleep, and no one heard that.
The next day, Lin Dan was already feeling better than yesterday and got up before dawn to make breakfast for everyone. Since the manager was up, nobody dared to continue sleeping and got up one after another to fetch water and start a fire.
"You stayed up all night?" Lin Dan was slightly surprised when he saw the handsome man sitting by the fire.
The man nodded and opened his mouth, but said nothing.
Lin Dan saw his hesitation and asked, "What's wrong?"
"Nothing." The man hesitated for a moment, and finally could not help asking, "What are we having for breakfast?"
Lin Dan smiled and replied, "I made a pot of white rice porridge, noodles, and a few side dishes. Feel free to eat porridge or noodles, whichever you like."
The man nodded and stopped talking. The two brawny men who were lying beside him woke up and muttered, "Manager Lin, why didn't you make wraps? Would white rice porridge taste better than wraps?"
Lin Dan smiled and shook her head. "No matter how delicious it is, you can't possibly eat the same food every day. We have to change up the menu for every meal."
Shaoyao came over and said with a grin, "Master, the noodles and the porridge are ready, you may stir fry the vegetables now." After finishing her speech, she looked at Zhao Liu and Luo Tietou and sneered, "You really don't know how fortunate you are! My master can cook without repeating her menu for hundreds of days. We can't even get enough of trying all of her dishes, and yet you're complaining?"
"Nonono, we're not complaining at all. We will eat whatever she makes." With a glare from their leader, the two brawny men dared not continue, but they were starting to miss the wraps they had last night even more. They thought, "How good can white rice porridge and noodles taste? It's impossible that it will beat that three treasure spring rolls!"
But soon, Manager Lin had proven herself with her superb culinary skills that simple dishes such as porridge and noodles could also become delicacies. She took out some lard that was sealed in the jar and chopped it up before putting it in the wok and stir-fried them. She then diced the blanched Chinese mahogany added them into the wok as well. When the juice of the Chinese mahogany and the grease of the lard combined, it produced a thick broth and filling the air with a unique fragrance with every boiling bubble. After the lard had turned soft and smooth and the aroma of the Chinese mahogany was stirred up, Lin Dan quickly added soy sauce, salt, pepper, and other seasonings, before frying it several times and removed it from the flame.
"It smells delicious!" Shaoyao and Dujuan took the earthenware that was filled with the dish and sniffed while holding it.
Zhao Liu and Luo Tietou, who initially did not have any intention to have noodles, were already having difficulties keeping their mouths from watering.
Lin Dan felt that the food was insufficient and went on to steam a large bowl of salted fish before making some cold kalimeris indica. She also took out some pickled vegetables from the jar and plate them one by one, before moving on to making the hand-made noodles. When the noodles were cooked, and the porridge was almost ready as well. Everyone got their utensils ready and was eagerly waiting for the meal.
"Alright, let's eat soon and be on our way." Lin Dan washed her hands and rolled down her sleeves slowly.
The three brawny men were fighters indeed. In the blink of an eye, they picked up three bowls of hot noodles and stirred it evenly in the stir-fried Chinese mahogany before slurping it clean. The Chinese mahogany and lard were food ingredients with a rich flavor, which could create an even strong aroma after combining the two ingredients. When the freshness and tenderness of the Chinese mahogany were combined with the burnt and chewy lard, an exquisite taste was created. The noodles are also made with a springy texture with the broth of the stir-fried Chinese mahogany fully absorbed into each strand of noodle. With only one bite, the soft, springy, and salty taste of the noodles had instantly won over the hearts of the three men.
"It's delicious, so delicious!" The eyes of the three men brightened, and their speed of eating noodles kept increasing. Since they were eating fast, the others naturally could not afford to take their own sweet time and sped up as well. Soon, what was left was the sound of burping ringing in the air.
As Lin Dan was still ill and had a poor appetite, she stopped eating only after having a bowl of porridge.
The handsome man lifted his head to look at her and asked with a look of concern, "Are you still feeling unwell?"
"I'm feeling much better, but I'm just a little tired. I'm going to take a rest in the carriage, don't mind me, go ahead and help yourselves with the food."
The man looked at her carefully and noticed that her cheeks were pink, and her eyes were clear. He was relieved to know that her illness did not seem to have deteriorated. Zhao Liu and Luo Tietou who were sitting next to him gobbled three bowls of noodles in a row before slowing down. Although they were more than half-full, they decided to scoop another bowl of porridge to clear their palate.
Sure enough, the white rice porridge was just a plain porridge that did not taste anything special. The two men took some pickled vegetables and mixed them into the porridge water, before eating it slowly. But they were shocked – this pickled vegetable that was made with chopped water celery was mixed with some bitters, sesame, and fennel and created a crispy, sour and salty taste that was subtly rich in flavor. However, when it is paired with the lightly sweetened white rice porridge, its strong taste was immediately reduced and replaced with a sweet fragrance. With just one sip of the porridge, they felt as though the pores all over their bodies had loosened up, and their guts felt extremely comfortable.
Another dish that was made to go with the porridge was the steamed salted fish with fermented soybean. They wondered what secret recipe Manager Lin had followed, but the salted fish that originally came with a slightly hard texture became soft and tender. A rich flavor broth slowly seeped from the fish and was mixed with the fragrance of the fermented soybean, which made their mouth water. The fish meat also had a springy texture which made it more delicious as they chew it in their mouths.
As the salted fish had a strong flavor, the bland white rice porridge was a perfect match. If one were to have some white porridge with a piece of salted fish, they would be able to taste the sweetness of rice as well as the fragrance of the salty fish.
Zhao Liu and Luo Tietou could not stop eating and finally wiped their mouths after having two bowls of white rice porridge. Seeing that his subordinates were frantically going for seconds, the handsome man seized the chance as well. He seemed to be an elegant man, but he quickly scooped up a bowl of porridge and added a great number of various pickles before finishing the remaining salted fish. Feeling unsatisfied, he poured the salted fish soup and the fermented soybean into a bowl of noodles and finished it all at once.
Xiao-zhu was dumbfounded at the three men's actions, as he did not expect the three men to have such a gigantic appetite. He was relieved that they did not agree to protect them all the way to the capital, or they would finish all their food.
"Darn it, it feels really good to enjoy life like this!" When they had finished their breakfast, Zhao Liu and Luo Tietou lay on a large rock and rubbed their stomachs, looking very satisfied.
"We will set off after a short break and try to arrive at the capital in two days' time." The handsome man still was standing tall and his abdomen looked thin and flat, as though he had not eaten anything earlier.
"Okay!" As the two brawny men agreed, they saw one of Manager Lin's servants running out of the forest holding two hares and a hazel hen. She said happily, "Manager, we caught some animals from the traps we set last night, looks like we have some meat for lunch."
"What did we get?" Lin Dan pulled open the curtain and chuckled, "Great, let's have braised rabbit and stir-fried hazel hen for lunch later. The hazel hen meat is very tender, it is known as the 'Dragon Meat in Heaven' and tastes delicious regardless of the cooking method. We only need to chop up the chicken, ginger, pickled pepper, and pickled vegetables and stir fry them in the wok before simmering it in half a bowl of water to produce a dish. This method of stir-frying the chicken makes the meat taste fresh and tender. The chopped bones also produce a thick and creamy bone marrow and can blend completely with the hot and sour soup. Its already gives a rich flavor without having to thicken it, and is very delicious when eaten with white rice."
Those who had just eaten their meals were starting to drool as they heard what she said, wishing that time could pass quickly and that lunch would come in the next moment.
"Lock up the animals and let's continue with our journey." Lin Dan looked at the three brawny men and said tenderly, "We shall part here. Thank you for taking care of us along the way."
"Don't mention it." Zhao Liu quickly swallowed his mouthful of saliva and smiled.
"Farewell." The handsome man rode on his horse and cupped his hands.
Luo Tietou took off his boots and looked at it, it seemed as though some pebbles went into his boots. But he was staring at the hares and hazel hen suspiciously from the corner of his eye, it was unknown what he was thinking at that moment.
Lin Dan gave them a bow before saying goodbye and left slowly.
Luo Tietou slowly put on his boots and rode on his steed. He put on a worried look and said, "Boss, shall we escort Manager Lin a little further? There are dense forests ahead, bandits may appear, and it can be dangerous for them. Her servants are all southerners who are short and thin, how are they able to protect the five big carriages?"
"Tietou is right, Manager Lin is a kind and vulnerable woman. Since we have completed our mission, it won't hurt to escort them further." Zhao Liu quickly agreed.
The handsome man turned his horse's around and looked at the fleet. He thought for a moment and said, "Let's follow up."
The three of them whipped their horses and quickly caught up to them. They told Manager Lin about their intentions through the curtain. Manager Lin was very grateful, but Xiao-zhu was glaring hard at the three of them. He thought, "Isn't it obvious that these three free-loaders are here to have free lunch seeing that we've caught the hares and hazel hen?"