Chapter 13

Chapter 13

The First Daughter

A leopard cannot change its spots.

There’s no hope for someone who has always been self-centered to become considerate and gentle.

It costs something for a prodigal son to turn back.

And such a price might be paid by the prodigal's family, friends, lovers, and himself.

Some say a prodigal's sincerity is wrought in blood.

Yet, by choosing to be a prodigal, one should be prepared to live a life devoid of genuine sincerity.

Jiang Su's disdain for Qin Yan stems both from her sympathy for Lin Le and her contempt for him. Qin Yan's status has shaped his character. Under normal circumstances, this wouldn't matter, but his most despicable trait is disregarding others' sincerity initially and later, when finding it valuable, attempting to seize it forcibly.

She doesn't believe in Qin Yan's sincerity, not considering him worthy of Lin Le, even knowing he truly likes Lin Le.

Qin Yan reverts to his old tactics, pressuring Lin Le.

Lin Le is resolute, refusing to submit, yet Jiang Su senses her unease. Despite Jiang Su's influence, Lin Le subconsciously fears Qin Yan due to her experiences of being oppressed by him.

This fear is a natural reaction of the underprivileged towards the powerful.

It's a helpless situation.

Jiang Su, not wanting Lin Le to revert to her previous timid self under Qin Yan's pressure and with no response from the Xu family, decides to take matters into her own hands.

Jiang Su instructs V0 to find the origins and development of the dishes from the Lin family cookbook, intending to publicize the long heritage of the cookbook and its dishes.

V0 retrieves the required information, and Jiang Su organizes it, then hires online influencers to spread the word.

……

Hai Cheng Local Treasure, a marketing account with over 400,000 followers, regularly shares content related to Hai Cheng, including events, travel tips, and local cuisine.

When the Chinese Restaurant first gained popularity, the owner of Hai Cheng Local Treasure, having personally visited the restaurant and becoming a loyal customer, continued to support it despite negative claims of plagiarism from Moonlit Pavilion and Ying Ke Tower.

Thus, when Jiang Su's marketing team reached out to Hai Cheng Local Treasure for assistance, the owner readily agreed.

@HaiChengLocalTreasureV: Turns out, ancient people knew how to enjoy food far more than we do! Makes me envy the emperors of old even more! [cry laugh] [cry laugh] [long image] [long image]

Due to the recent buzz around the Chinese Restaurant and Hai Cheng Local Treasure's support, the account gained many new, albeit hostile, followers.

Upon posting, critics swiftly attacked, questioning the integrity of Hai Cheng Local Treasure.

"An unethical influencer! How much did the Chinese Restaurant pay you?"

"[Smile] Bro, I've been asking for days, what's your group number? Let me in on the action and make some quick money too?"

"Bootlicker, why aren't you groveling before your 'divinely talented' chef today?"

Despite the insults in the comments section, there were those who genuinely read the original post and commented—

"Wow, ancient people really knew how to enjoy food!!!! They were even happier than we are now!"

"This looks so delicious!"

"emmmmm~ why do these ancient dishes look so familiar to me?"

"No need for familiarity, I specifically went back to check, and yes, these dishes really have the same names as those introduced by the Chinese restaurant, I even ate... the Phoenix Jade Roast......."

"......Xiao Bao, what's actually going on here?"

……

Due to the outcome of Yuehua Pavilion and Yingke Building, as well as Qin Yan's behind-the-scenes operations, the plagiarism scandal of the Chinese restaurant became highly controversial. When several marketing accounts simultaneously released information on the origins and development of the alleged plagiarized dishes, the internet quickly erupted.

Many questioned the existence of these dishes. While some leaked data had traceable evidence, others, being lost recipes, had no basis to be found.

As many detractors deemed this release of information as an ineffective attempt at whitewashing for the Chinese restaurant, several historians and renowned culinary family heads suddenly stepped in to share these posts.

"Holy shit! Even Master Ji has stepped in! What's with this Chinese restaurant?"

"What does Master Chen mean by this? Is he siding with the Chinese restaurant?"

"My god, Master Jiang too, is the Chinese restaurant aiming for the skies?!!!"

"Hey, hey, hey! Guys, let's focus! These big shots have personally confirmed it, meaning those dishes did indeed exist historically?"

"I'm shook! This world is a bit fantastical... So, the Chinese restaurant really has a cookbook?"

"Eh? What cookbook? Bro, I need an explainer!"

"Hey! I've also heard about the cookbook. It's said that the chef of the Chinese restaurant has a family cookbook, and every new dish she introduces is learned from this cookbook."

"???? Eh, eh, eh???? Is this for real?!"

The matter of the Chinese restaurant became even more heated online.

Jiang Su herself hadn't anticipated this turn of events. She was considering which authoritative and experienced individuals she could ask to verify the data, but divine help arrived unexpectedly, saving her the effort as those authoritative figures took the plunge themselves.

Jiang Su is very pleased with the current situation but is also very concerned about the reasons why things have evolved to this point.

While pondering the cause, Lin Le suddenly came to her to admit a mistake.

She told Jiang Su that she had given the cookbook to someone.

Jiang Su was surprised, but even more astonishing was that the person Lin Le gave the cookbook to was none other than Xu Rui from the Xu family.

“……”

"The Xu family is powerful and influential, and Xu Rui is very famous in the food street. Moreover, he has been engaged in antiquity searching in recent years. I could only seek his help by relying on the cookbook, Mom, I'm sorry. I've let you and Dad down, as well as the Lin family. But I really had no other choice."

Lin Le knelt before Jiang Su, feeling tremendously guilty as she faced Jiang Su's stunned expression. A family cookbook, passed down through generations of the Lin family, was now handed over to someone else by her.

She truly felt unfilial.

And utterly helpless.

But... she was also without a choice.

With Qin Yan relentlessly pursuing her, she simply couldn't contend against him alone. Her only way out was to seek external help, but why would those with power and influence care to assist her?

Lin Le kowtowed to Jiang Su, "I gave half of the cookbook to Xu Rui, asking him to protect us from Qin Yan's bullying. I'm sorry, Mom, I know what I did was very unfilial, but compared to being harassed by Qin Yan, I don't regret giving the cookbook to Xu Rui."

"......" Jiang Su actually wanted to say that she wasn't angry at all.

Not only was she not angry, she even wanted to praise Lin Le—what she did was commendable.

Knowing the original plot, Jiang Su always felt like an old mother trying to pave the way for her naive daughter, never expecting that the seemingly fragile flower was actually a resilient little grass capable of withstanding pressure on her own.

Jiang Su was delighted.

She also finally realized that she had subconsciously thought of Lin Le as too fragile.

In fact, this shouldn't be the case.

In this world, only those who are cherished and protected can truly remain innocent, because all their darkness has been shielded by others.

But Lin Le was different.

Born into hardship, she had faced countless dark moments throughout her life. Thus, while her nature was gentle, she was equally resilient. Innately kind, yet not lacking in strategy.

"You did the right thing." Despite her inner joy, Jiang Su's face remained sorrowful as she helped Lin Le up, sighing softly, "Given the circumstances, this was a good decision. The cookbook is important, but after all, it's an inanimate object. I believe your ancestors and your father wouldn't blame you, because living well is more important than any book."

Lin Le's eyes reddened, and she choked up.

Compared to Jiang Su, who knew the origin of the cookbook inside out, Lin Le truly regarded it as the legacy of the Lin family. So, handing over her ancestors' hard work to someone else was genuinely heartbreaking for her. But often, heartbreak is futile; forced by circumstances, she had no choice but to acquiesce.

Lin Le gripped Jiang Su's hand, "Xu Rui of the Xu family is very famous in the culinary world. He has agreed to take me as his disciple, and from now on, both you and I will be under the Xu family's protection. We won't have to fear Qin Yan anymore."

"If that's the case, then it's good," Jiang Su said.

Lin Le looked at her, determined, "I will work hard, Mom. Believe in me, one day we won't need the Xu family's help, and Qin Yan won't be able to touch us."

Jiang Su gently stroked her hair, "Mom believes in you."

You will definitely succeed.