Chapter 108

Chapter 108

Seeing how worried they all were for her, Lin Chunyan quickly reassured them, "Don't you trust my skills? There's no need to worry; I have a method."

Mrs. Zhang eyed her suspiciously. "What method do you have? Don't always take everything on yourself. If it really doesn't work out, we'll confront them head-on."

"That's right!" Second Aunt Lin chimed in. "With so many of us in the village, what do we have to fear?"

A simple call would bring plenty of people from the village, whether they were relatives or not, to help out. As the saying goes, even a powerful dragon can't overpower a local snake.

Lin Chunyan told them not to worry and asked Sanlang to persuade Erlang. She had noticed Erlang silently going to pick out the right tools. He had probably taken Second Aunt Lin’s words seriously and was planning to cause trouble at Hehua Restaurant.

Wang Yingniang followed Lin Chunyan into the house. Lin Taohong also entered, looking troubled. Watching Lin Chunyan change out of her outer garment into something more comfortable, she stammered, "They run their restaurant, and we run our shop. Why are they picking on us?"

She was genuinely worried for Lin Chunyan. "Now that all the fish and shrimp are gone, and even the bamboo shoots are nowhere to be found, how can we make the same dishes?"

These people were deliberately malicious. They had clearly decided to compete but waited until they bought up all the supplies before making their move.

And instead of directly challenging them, they were being all secretive and indirect, which was very petty.

Lin Chunyan pulled Lin Taohong closer and asked her to change her clothes too. "Aren’t you hot? Take it easy."

After changing, Lin Chunyan went to the well and took out some sweet melons, cutting them into small pieces and placing them on a plate.

The melons had been brought by Sister Wei Rou. Every day, when she delivered duck eggs, she would bring a couple of melons for them.

Lin Taohong, who had been complaining, sat down and started eating the cool melons, which took away her earlier irritation.

"Next year, we must plant some melons no matter what," Lin Taohong mumbled indistinctly, regretting that they had no space left for watermelons after planting other crops.

"We need to collect some peanuts and sesame seeds," Lin Chunyan was thinking about other matters. "Peanuts are fine; we can plant a bit of them. But sesame seeds aren’t so abundant."

Collecting some would allow them to grind peanut and sesame paste, which went well with anything and tasted particularly good.

"There's no separate planting of sesame here. I remember there were many wild sesame plants in Wangjia Village, growing in vast expanses. The leaves could also be brought back for cooking."

Second Aunt Lin was distracted. "They're old now. If we had asked earlier, we would have picked some in the spring."

Lin Chunyan was also regretful. Since there were none in the mountains near their village, she had forgotten about it.

Mrs. Zhang quickly comforted her. "There must be people growing them elsewhere. We can ask Old Dog Dan’s father to find them. He's been idle at home with nothing to do."

Sesame seeds would mature in autumn. At this time, most of what they would collect would be old sesame seeds planted earlier.

Seeing that Lin Chunyan was still thinking, Mrs. Zhang knew she had a plan. Her worries eased, and she peeked into the kitchen. "What is Sister Yingniang cooking?"

"Spicy stuffed buns."

Lin Chunyan took out some fresh bamboo shoots and peeled them. These shoots, after removing the bitterness, could still be used for cooking.

Bamboo shoots were available in all seasons. However, the ones in spring were the freshest and tenderest, while those in other seasons could be used for pickling or were best for soups.

As for the small shrimp, Lin Chunyan planned to go to their small river to catch some after dinner.

Soon, the air was filled with the unique aroma of spicy stuffed buns. The spicy filling used dogwood and mustard greens. One bite, and you’re instantly captivated by the spicy flavor, making it both delicious and satisfying.

Lin Chunyan got up and lit a few stalks of mugwort. The mugwort burned in the yard didn’t need to be formed into moxa sticks. Only when used indoors were the painstakingly twisted moxa sticks necessary.

After whispering to Aunt Lin the Second, Mrs. Zhang returned to the room and brought out colored thread ropes to tie on the three of them.

"This is something only children wear," Lin Taohong retracted her hand, but Mrs. Zhang forcefully pulled her over.

"You're still young and don't understand these things. We must have definitely offended some deity."

It was nearing May, and people at the time considered the fifth month a poisonous month, requiring protection from evil spirits and disasters.

Both of Lin Chunyan's hands were adorned with the colored threads, and Mrs. Zhang didn't forget to remind the three of them, "You must wear this until after the Dragon Boat Festival, and only remove it when it rains."

According to legend, if the thread is thrown into the water during rain, it will transform into a dragon and bless them.

Knowing this was Mrs. Zhang's heartfelt gesture, Lin Chunyan could only comply and wear it.

Mrs. Zhang rummaged through the kitchen and found various fruits and pastries.

These had been prepared by Wang Yingniang earlier in the day. Some were to be taken to the town or the county by Zhang Xiaojiu, and others were to be collected by people sent by Bookkeeper Huang.

"What are you taking these for?"

Mrs. Zhang replied vaguely, "Earlier, your Dada Niang mentioned she'd take me to burn incense and worship the Buddha, so I'm going with her tomorrow."

Just now, Aunt Lin the Second also said that their recent misfortune was because they hadn't sought the bodhisattva's blessing, so it was time to pay homage to the Buddha.

Lin Chunyan chose not to stop her. Mrs. Zhang hung mugwort grass at the main entrance.

Lin Taohong was picking mint leaves and, seeing Mrs. Zhang, pulled her, "Mom, come help too. Big sister said we need to pick all the mint and perilla leaves."

Mrs. Zhang shook off Lin Taohong's hand, but when she couldn't break free, she stayed to help.

"Sigh, I just hope this trouble ends soon so we can live in peace."

Once the spicy pancakes were done, they ate them with mung bean soup, finishing every last bit. The spicy pancakes, with their kick of spice, were incredibly satisfying.

Even though there was no chili, many people still enjoyed eating spicy food. Mrs. Zhang mentioned that the pickled garlic and vegetables from the shop always sold out quickly.

The pickled garlic wouldn't last a month, and Lin Chunyan wouldn't allow Mrs. Zhang to eat it, so she often found herself craving it.

However, the ginger with plums could be eaten. It had a slightly sour taste, and the juice could be used to make a refreshing drink that both quenched thirst and stimulated saliva production.

By summer, when it was placed in the well to chill, it was exceptionally good to drink.

The breeze blew over them, easing their earlier discontent.

Mrs. Zhang didn’t allow Lin Chunyan to go to the river. She took a basket and said, "You rest at home. I’ll bring back plenty for you."

As she walked out, she made a detour to call Liu Niangzi along.

Liu Niangzi, who had just finished eating and didn’t want to move much, had a stuffy nose from a cold a few days ago, "When something good happens, you never think of me."

Mrs. Zhang pulled her down, "There are reeds by the river. I’m afraid to go alone."

Though Liu Niangzi said she wouldn’t go, she lazily slipped into her shoes.

Lin Chunyan and Wang Yingniang weren't resting either. They went to the kitchen to make mint cakes.

"Big sister, I think we shouldn’t make these today, since tomorrow we’ll be making the Shanhai Dou, and a lot of people will come to see."

Lin Chunyan handed the bitter greens and chickweed she had dug from the mountain to Lin Taohong, asking her to clean them thoroughly.

"When you're busy, you won't think too much. If I lie down early, I probably won't be able to fall asleep."

Jiang Jinyao thought that Lin Chunyan would have a sleepless night, anxiously spinning in circles because she couldn’t find the ingredients she needed. However, the next day, upon seeing the Shanhai Dou Lin Chunyan had made, she could only display a mix of envy and admiration.

Thinking about this, she fell into a peaceful sleep at the inn. Meanwhile, she didn't know that Lin Chunyan and Wang Yingniang had already completed the mint cakes.

The taste did indeed have a hint of mint aroma. Wang Yingniang loved this flavor, as the addition of some glutinous rice allowed the refreshing aroma to come through, along with the taste of glutinous rice.

"It’s somewhat like green dumplings."

However, when making green dumplings, they put in a lot of filling.

"Next time, we could try adding some red bean filling."

Lin Chunyan suddenly remembered the pine nut powder that Liu Niangzi had sent over. "I wonder what mint cakes would taste like with pine nut powder."

Pine nut powder actually had a slightly bitter taste, which could only be balanced by honey to offset the slight bitterness.

"Let’s give it a try."

Wang Yingniang also became interested and took the oil lamp to go to the cellar and fetch the pine nut powder.

Lin Taohong yawned. She had already picked two baskets of chickweed and endive and placed them in the drying basket in the yard. "When are we going to sleep?"

Lin Chunyan then realized it was quite late. She hurried Lin Taohong to go to bed. "We'll be there in a moment."

Lin Taohong refused, shaking her head like a bolanggu. "I'm scared to go alone. I'll wait for you."

Fortunately, the mint cakes were easy to make and didn’t require an oven to bake.

When Mrs. Zhang went to the small river, it wasn’t fully dark yet. However, it turned pitch black all around after a few moments of conversation.

The wind blew through the reed beds, making a rustling sound, and both Mrs. Zhang and Liu Niangzi got scared, quickly taking out torches.

They worked quickly and soon had two baskets of fish and shrimp.

They didn’t have the heart to put the small fish back into the river, as Mrs. Zhang wanted to bring them back for Xue Tuan to eat.

"It’s quite cool, but there are too many mosquitoes."

Mrs. Zhang rolled up her pants to show them the mosquito bites.

"Quickly apply some willow leaf ointment."

"I did, but there’s not much willow leaf ointment left. We’ll have to make some other things after this."

She, like Lin Taohong, was afraid of mosquitoes; sometimes the itching was so bad that she had to scratch until it bled.

"In a while, we’ll make mugwort ointment."

After adding pine nut powder to the mint cakes, the flavor became unusual, as if the minty spiciness had been amplified many times over.

Lin Chunyan and Wang Yingniang exchanged glances and couldn’t help but laugh.

"Such a waste of all that pine nut powder and honey."

"It seems that pine nut powder is better suited for plain, non-flavored cakes."

When the moon climbed up the treetops, they finally finished washing up and went to sleep.

The next day, as soon as they arrived at the shop entrance, they saw that someone was already loitering and looking around.

Those in the know were aware that Hehua Restaurant was going to challenge Lin Chunyan, and they were making the same dish—Shanhai Dou.

"They’re not being very fair," someone complained.

At least during the competition with Shufangzhai, the plums and torreya nuts were provided by Shufangzhai.

"Hehua Restaurant hasn’t formally issued a challenge, which actually gives Lin Chunyan some room."

However, if she doesn’t dare to compete, people might think she’s scared.

Some were just there for the spectacle, while others genuinely cared about Lin Chunyan.

Madam Song didn’t make fish soup this time and instead sent over all the fresh fish. "Feel free to use these. We can’t let the other side get too arrogant."

They only knew that Hehua Restaurant had hired a master chef with exceptional skills, but no one knew exactly who it was.

Lin Chunyan thanked her for the kind gesture. "My Sanlang has made a lot of crispy fish. I'll use his fish when the time comes."

Madam Song nodded. "That works. If you need anything, don’t hesitate to ask."

"Exactly! Don’t be shy. He can even make Yu Xiang Shredded Pork and Beijing-Style Shredded Pork. His skills are undoubtedly excellent. The fact that he bought all the fish and shrimp shows he’s quite cunning."

The one speaking was Manager Huang. He came to pick up some new pastries today, and Lady Zhu followed him. She had been looking upset lately. She immediately started scolding, "When we compete in tea ceremonies, we do it honorably. It’s wrong to buy everything up like this. If not, I’ll go to the county town."

Lin Chunyan chuckled, "We’re almost prepared."

Lady Zhu glared at her. "At a time like this, how can you still laugh?"

Lin Chunyan pointed at Madam Song. "She just said something similar, and I find you all so wonderful."

Lady Zhu, who had always hated injustice, blushed slightly upon hearing this. Seeing that Lin Chunyan was well-prepared, she felt relieved and, together with Lin Taohong, vented their frustrations with a barrage of scolding.

Manager Huang shook his head. "Your temper hasn’t improved in all these years. If you were at another establishment, you’d suffer a lot."

Lady Zhu snorted. "A blessing in disguise."

She then turned to Lin Chunyan. "Young lady, if you win against that person, you must spit in his face to teach him a lesson!"

Lin Chunyan smiled even wider. "My dish isn’t even finished yet. Who knows whose dish will turn out better."

Zhao Liu and Hu Daqiang immediately nodded in agreement. "Of course! Our young lady is the best. Even an imperial chef would have to admit defeat."

They truly believed this and weren’t embarrassed at all.

Manager Huang didn’t forget the task at hand and focused his attention on the mint cakes. Seeing the greenish cakes, he picked one up and put it in his mouth. The refreshing taste of mint hit him first, followed by the soft texture of glutinous rice. As he ate, he nodded approvingly.

"I thought you’d be making Shanhai Dou today and wouldn’t be able to make anything else."

To his surprise, everything was going smoothly, and Lin Chunyan didn’t show any signs of nervousness. He sighed inwardly.

Although no one knew who the chef was—it certainly wasn’t Chef Qi, whose skills were lacking—this person was a bit too arrogant.

Many people didn’t know, but Lin Chunyan had become successful not just because of her fresh food. Those who had known her for a long time understood that she had real skills.

Take the current popular lamb, for example. Although her shop never made lamb dishes, it didn’t mean Lin Chunyan wasn’t good at cooking lamb. On the day when Old Man Qin’s son got married, she had truly shown her prowess.

"But many people who don’t know the details assume that Lin Chunyan can’t handle those things.

‘Sister, Li Niangzi is here,’ Lin Taohong noticed and quickly called out to Lin Chunyan.

Li Niangzi didn’t come empty-handed either. She was accompanied by a maid carrying a good amount of fish, shrimp, and wild vegetables.

There were plenty of these things in the Wang Estate, but even if Manager Zong was wealthy, there’s no way he’d have bought all the supplies from the estate.

As soon as Li Niangzi entered, she looked apologetic. ‘I only just found out. I hope it’s not too late, right?’

It was clear that she had rushed over, as she was still panting when she spoke.

‘We caught some small shrimp yesterday and I want to try using them this time,’ Lin Chunyan said. Seeing that Li Niangzi was still panting, she asked curiously, ‘Why the rush?’

Li Niangzi sighed and put down the things she was carrying before continuing, ‘I don’t know how to bring this up to you. This morning, I received news. My junior sister has come from Bian City and has gone to the Hehua Inn.’

The people around her were momentarily stunned by the news.

Although they had speculated, hearing that the chef at the Hehua Inn wasn’t Chef Qi but a master chef from Bian City made everyone react with surprise.

That was a master chef from Bian City, and what’s more, he was a disciple of Li Daniang!

Li Daniang was famous in Bian City and now served at the Zhao Wang Estate. It was said that people often went to the Zhao Wang Estate to offer advice, all just to get a taste of Li Daniang’s cooking.

After the initial shock, many began to worry for Lin Chunyan.

Although Lin Chunyan’s skills were excellent and they, as gourmets, loved her food, Lin Chunyan was self-taught. She only learned a few techniques from her grandfather. How could she compare to a chef who came from Bian City?

Even before the competition, many had already formed their biases.

Lin Taohong became anxious again and complained to Li Niangzi, ‘What’s going on with your junior sister? We have no grudge against her, so why is she causing trouble for us as soon as she arrives?’

Li Niangzi gave a bitter smile. ‘Though she’s my junior sister, I haven’t known her for long. She was the last apprentice taken by our master. Because of her talent, the master said there was no need to take any more apprentices, which nurtured her arrogant and naive nature.

This morning, after receiving the news, I went to the Hehua Inn to find her, but she refused to see me. It’s really…’

It turned out that Prince Zhao knew Xinghua loved to eat tofu skin and dried tofu, but buying them each time was a long journey, and in hot weather, they were hard to preserve. So, he had Li Daniang learn to make them.

After writing to ask Li Niangzi and successfully making them herself, Li Daniang found that tofu skin and dried tofu were excellent ingredients for cooking. Whether fried, stir-fried, sautéed, stewed, braised, or simmered, they tasted delicious.

She couldn’t help but admire Lin Chunyan’s exceptional talent.

But when Jiang Jinyao heard this, she felt a sense of injustice. How could a village girl deserve such high praise? This was why she wanted to compete.

Lin Chunyan wasn’t surprised at all, which made Li Niangzi curious. ‘How did you guess this?’

‘I don’t have that much ability. I just happened to overhear something.’

The brothers from the escort agency were very righteous. They often mixed with people from all kinds of backgrounds, so getting information was easy. After Mrs. Zhang asked Sun the Constable yesterday, Sun Anyuan helped to inquire and told her early in the morning.

Lady Zhu couldn’t stand it anymore. ‘Not only did she copy the dish, but she also bought all the ingredients, which is really quite unethical.’

Li Niangzi couldn’t defend Jiang Jinyao and could only find a seat, hoping to persuade Jiang Jinyao when she arrived.

Soon, the news that the Hehua Inn had hired a master chef from Bian City spread quickly. Those idle men who relished stirring up trouble shouted through the streets and alleys.

Hearing this, many became interested and dropped what they were doing to watch. Before long, both Lin’s shop and the Hehua Inn were swarmed with people.

Mrs. Zhang went with Mrs. Song early in the morning to pay homage at Granny Dong’s place, carefully arranging the melons, fruits, and ingots they had brought, and respectfully offering three sticks of incense."

"May the Bodhisattva bless us! Let our establishment thrive, and may that troublesome Hehua Restaurant close down soon. Let me save some money so that my two daughters can marry suitable husbands, and please, don't let that damned old man return..."

With her eyes closed, Zhang Daniang murmured countless prayers. The more Song Daniang listened, the more speechless she felt.

With so many requests, which one would the Bodhisattva answer?

After leaving Granny Dong's place, Song Daniang brought up the matter again, "You can only ask for up to three things; if you ask for more, it won’t work."

Zhang Daniang didn't believe her. "But I offered a lot of fruits and ingots, and even gave some oil money for the lamps. What's wrong with asking for a bit more?"

If the wishes didn’t come true, it meant this Bodhisattva wasn’t effective. She decided not to come back, unwilling to waste her oil money.

Jin Niangzi had just finished cooking the last bowl of wontons for the day. Seeing Zhang Daniang, she quickly pulled her aside. "Have you heard? The chef at Hehua Restaurant is from Bian City and was the last disciple of Li Daniang. She's said to be extremely skilled! You must save me a spot, no matter what, so I can watch the spectacle!"

Zhang Daniang jumped in anger. "What? From Bian City?!"

Upon hearing that the chef was the final disciple of Li Daniang, Zhang Daniang spat in disdain. "Granny Dong really isn’t effective!"

Feeling both distressed and anxious, she hurried into the establishment. Jin Niangzi, seeing her like this, quickened her pace to catch up.

"Madam, a bowl of wontons, please!"

Someone called from behind. Jin Niangzi waved without looking back. "Not cooking today. If you want to eat, come back tomorrow. Can't you see what time it is?"

She caught up with Zhang Daniang and said, "Don’t worry, even if we can’t compete, there’s a reason for it. That person is a famous chef from Bian City!"

Zhang Daniang, who had been looking for a place to vent her anger, shouted back, "What kind of talk is that? My Yan Niang's skills are far superior to any chef from Bian City!"

Although she said this, she felt nervous inside. Seeing that the establishment was already filled with people, she headed straight to the back kitchen to find Lin Chunyan.

Liu Daniang and her father-in-law had just disembarked at the dock in Gourd Town when the boatman, Yu, told them, "You’ve arrived just in time. A chef from Bian City is having a cooking competition with Lin Chunyan at Hehua Restaurant. The place is probably packed by now."

Upon hearing this, Liu Daniang quickened her pace, leaving her father-in-law behind. He was less fit and a bit overweight, so he lagged behind.

"I'm going to grab a seat."

To her surprise, someone was moving even faster than her. Turning her head, she saw it was the boatman who had brought them there.

The boatman grinned widely. "Sister, slow down a bit. I'll go ahead first."

Seeing this, the young men behind Liu Daniang no longer cared about decorum. They couldn't let the boatman beat them to the best seats; they also wanted to taste the food prepared by the Bian City chef.

This was a rare opportunity!

When the establishment had first opened, they had come to eat, and the boatman had rushed them there too, walking faster than them after disembarking.

From the dock to the establishment, the group sped up until they were practically running.

The street vendors who saw this were used to it by now. If they didn’t have to watch their stalls, they would have gone to watch too.

After all, this was a chef from Bian City!

Without even considering Li Daniang’s reputation, just the fact that the chef was from Bian City made many believe that no matter how skilled Lin Chunyan was, she couldn’t win this time.

When Liu Daniang reached the establishment, the boatman was already sitting under the outside shed, grinning widely.

The old man finally caught up, panting. "Next time, I won’t take this boatman’s boat again, no matter what."

He plopped down and calmed himself for a moment before continuing to speak, "Every time we have to run like this, how can we manage?"

The boatman, sitting in the shed, grinned, showing his teeth, "If I weren’t running ahead, you would probably not even have a place in this shed now."

The old man then looked around, following his words, and indeed saw that outside the establishment it was already packed with people. He felt lucky they had arrived just in time.

More people arrived after receiving the news, and the tables inside the shed were soon fully occupied. Those who couldn’t secure a spot felt disappointed.

Inside the establishment, Old Man Qin saw Liu Daniang and gave a gentle poke to Mr. Zhao beside him, "See that woman? She's quite impressive. Without fail, they show up whenever there’s something new to eat here."

He brought up the incident with the spicy hotpot again, "They still live in Gourd Town, yet they always manage to be present whenever something good happens. They must have some powerful connections."

Unlike him, who has only recently started to have good luck.

Mr. Zhao nodded in agreement but remained focused on the back kitchen.

Though they all knew of Lin Chunyan's excellent culinary skills, their hearts sank at the thought of the reputation of the chef from Hehua Restaurant.

Seeing Mr. Zhao's concern, Old Man Qin, sipping his wine, comforted him, "You young ones have just experienced too little. Even if Lin Chunyan’s dishes aren’t as good as those of the so-called disciple of the famous chef from Bian City, in the future, everyone will say she’s the one who competed with a Bian City chef. No loss, no loss."

The young men who came with Liu Daniang couldn’t help but laugh at the lively scene.

The young man who lost the bet last time rubbed his hands and asked his companions, "Want to bet on who will win?"

"Let's do it!"

They were all interested, "I bet the Bian City chef will be superior!"

"I'm in."

With a few nods of agreement, the scholar who first spoke gritted his teeth, "I’m betting on Lin Chunyan!"

Losing wasn’t new to him, and since the bet was small, losing would just mean buying some snacks.

When Manager Cao got wind of the news, both the inside of the establishment and the shed were already packed. He strolled around with his large belly, trying to buy a spot with a dozen coins.

He thought that just a seat would cost these dozen coins, which was already quite a lot.

But the person, seeing only a dozen coins, sat back down, "Manager Cao, this is a great opportunity to taste the new dishes that Lin Chunyan will be making for Hehua Restaurant. How can it be worth just a dozen coins?"

The manager of Wu's Pastry Shop, sitting there, chimed in, "Exactly, Manager Cao, you're being too stingy."

Manager Cao ignored him and took out another dozen coins, "It's not like we can only eat today. We're just here to watch the fun. Back when we competed with Lin Chunyan, no one paid extra to secure a spot."

The person, seeing the offer was good enough, put the coins in his pocket and said happily, "Back then, only a dozen people could taste it. We could only watch helplessly. But today, we actually get to eat."

After sitting down, Manager Cao chatted with the people around him and, upon seeing Bookkeeper Huang, felt even more uncomfortable than when he saw Manager Wu. He gave him a sideways glance and asked, "Didn't you say you were leaving? Why haven't you made a move yet?"

For a while, Manager Huang had been struggling, unsure whether to follow the county magistrate’s lead and move to another place.

Having gained the magistrate’s favor, not going would keep him awake at night.

But going meant giving up his business here, and he saw that Manager Cao was just waiting for him to leave.

After much thought, Manager Huang decided to follow the magistrate. Whether it would be good or bad in the future, he wouldn’t regret it.

With a smiling face, Manager Huang replied, "No need to be in such a hurry, it'll still take some time! Manager Cao, you're an expert. These mint cakes were made today. What do you think of their taste, Elder?"

Manager Cao’s face immediately darkened. As the owner of a pastry shop, he paid close attention.

These mint cakes are just right for summer, refreshing and cool in the mouth. If only they were sold in our establishment, they would sell like hotcakes. His heart was aching at the thought, and he turned his head away from Mr. Huang.

He shouldn't have had such evil thoughts.

Even Manager Zong of Hehua Restaurant hadn't expected that Lin Chunyan would dare to challenge them without any preparation!

And now, with Jiang Jinyao's identity revealed, Manager Zong thought Lin Chunyan should give up and retreat when faced with difficulties!

Jiang Jinyao, walking from the back, truly hadn't expected that Lin Chunyan would so quickly accept the challenge.

She had thought Lin Chunyan would take at least a few days to think it over, just as she had analyzed Lin Chunyan's dishes before, or perhaps play it safe and not respond.

But unexpectedly, she actually had the courage!

Fortunately, it was a good thing, otherwise, she would have felt disappointed in herself for putting in so much effort in vain.

Meanwhile, Manager Zong was excited, clapping his hands together. "I never thought the young wife would be so formidable! It seems we are sure to win and show them our skills!"

He laughed heartily, letting out all the frustration built up over the past few days.

Jiang Jinyao looked at Manager Zong silently, then went to wash her hands and headed to the kitchen.

The fish and shrimp purchased the day before were stored in basins. The shrimp were quite big. Though Manager Zong was a bit foolish, he was obedient and had followed her instructions to get them.

Although they were by the dock, few people here ate seafood. At most, they would catch some fish and shrimp to sell.

Lin Chunyan only realized after coming here that without any fat, eating this seafood wouldn't satisfy her hunger.

She found it better to farm diligently than to go through the trouble of catching seafood, risking a loss.

With the inconvenience of transportation, many travelers didn't have access to seafood, making it even more of a niche food.

Jiang Jinyao removed the shrimp veins, with Chef Qi and Manager Zong standing by watching. The shrimp were one thing, but the fish caused both Manager Zong and Chef Qi to inhale sharply.

Jiang Jinyao only wanted the small piece of meat below the fish's eye. The rest was discarded.

No wonder he had asked to buy so many fish. Initially, he thought it was to prevent Lin Chunyan from having fresh fish. Now it seemed that with only that small piece of fish cheek meat, they couldn't gather enough ingredients needed.

Manager Zong endured it for a while but finally, unable to stand it anymore, carefully said, "Are we not going to use all this fish meat? I think the meat on the fish fin is also very fresh."

Without looking up, Jiang Jinyao replied with sarcasm, "What do you know? Only the fish cheek meat is extremely tender. The rest is either too tough, too oily, or too fishy, none as good as this piece."

She intended to crush Lin Chunyan without mercy in her area of expertise.

This had nothing to do with other grudges, just one chef challenging another.

Manager Zong could barely maintain his smile, partly because it was such a waste, so many fish had been killed and if not eaten in time, they would spoil by evening.

And then there was Jiang Jinyao's obvious mockery, implying that the people in their town were uneducated.

Manager Zong wondered what kind of arrogant person would only eat that small piece of fish cheek meat. Thinking of Jiang Jinyao's identity, he began to understand.

In his heart, he apologized to Lin Chunyan, imagining how Jiang Jinyao would mock Lin Chunyan after this.

Lin Chunyan was probably going to be defeated soundly, and it was uncertain if anyone would visit her establishment after this.

"Tsk, there's nothing good here. Fortunately, I brought some fresh and tender bamboo shoots." Jiang Jinyao said as she took out the bamboo shoots she had brought.

These were bamboo shoots picked in spring and stored in the ice cellar, brought specially for this competition.

When Jiang Jinyao said this, there was already a tone of triumph in her voice.

He didn’t need to mention the fish and shrimp; Lin Chunyan surely wouldn’t know which part of the meat was the most tender and fragrant. Even if she did know, she likely wouldn’t dare to kill so many fish.

Jiang Jinyao had inquired about Lin Chunyan and had indirectly observed her over the past two days. From those so-called dishes like fish-flavored shredded pork and braised intestines that Lin Chunyan made, it was evident that she was a chef with limited experience.

These lesser dishes were not worth a second glance, not even by the nobles, let alone himself.

Chef Qi’s eyes gleamed, and he swallowed hard a couple of times. He could almost imagine the scene where this Shanhai Dou would be a resounding success, overwhelming all rivals.

Since Lin Chunyan had refused to take him as an apprentice, he now considered himself half an apprentice to the person who was about to defeat her.

Thinking of Lin Chunyan’s impending defeat, Chef Qi couldn’t help but want to burst into laughter.

"Shopkeeper, we've truly encountered a remarkable person!"

Encouraged by his words, Manager Zong became excited again, and the slight dissatisfaction he had felt earlier vanished completely.

Their restaurant was also bustling with patrons. After waiting in the kitchen for a moment, Manager Zong hurried out to attend to the guests.

He knew that these people had come for Jiang Jinyao and were eagerly waiting for her to finish making the Shanhai Dou.

As a businessman, Manager Zong had already calculated how much he would charge for this event.

Since so much was being used like this, he certainly couldn’t let them eat it for free.

After entering the kitchen, Lin Chunyan placed the small shrimp she had caught the previous day into the pot. These shrimp were small and cooked quickly.

The fish that Sanlang had delivered was still jumping lively alive in the bucket. Lin Chunyan stunned the fish, then began to scale it.

The ma bamboo shoots had been boiled in water the previous night to remove the bitterness.

Concerned that the bitterness hadn’t been fully removed due to the short time, Lin Chunyan added some baijiu.

When she tasted it again today, the ma bamboo shoots had indeed lost their numbing and bitter taste.

Handling the bracken was more troublesome. There was still plenty of bracken on the mountain, but after summer arrived, few people dug for it.

With the rising temperatures and increased rainfall, the bracken grew faster and became tough before it could be harvested.

Lin Chunyan had no plans to substitute it with other wild vegetables. Although she had picked chickweed and bitter vegetables the previous day, which could have been used in the Shanhai Dou, only bracken would give it the unique flavor it needed.

Even if it had grown old, Lin Chunyan carefully removed the tough fibers and cut the rest into strips before blanching them in a pot.

It was like with water celery. Although it was troublesome, she could still enjoy the bracken's tenderness and unique flavor.

The outer pastry skin needed to be made from mung beans to give the Shanhai Dou its translucent jade-green color. Ideally, the wrapping should be rolled thin and transparent, revealing the treasures of the land and sea inside.

Firewood had been lit in the kitchen, and the temperature was slowly rising. Outside the hall, eager diners stretched their necks, waiting to see which side would finish the Shanhai Dou first.

Until a faint aroma slowly began to fill the air, it was as if it was right in front of them, teasing their appetites.

Someone swallowed loudly, and soon everyone was too impatient to laugh, their necks stretching even further, some looking towards the kitchen and others outside the establishment.

"Here it comes! The Shanhai Dou is coming!" someone shouted, and the noisy hall immediately fell silent, with no one speaking again.