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A man and a girl walked into the shop, speaking in hushed tones. The man spoke with concern, “I thought there were no decent restaurants here in the Southern District, but it turns out I underestimated this place. Sister[1]younger sister, you haven’t eaten much for two days now. Today, you must eat something, no matter what.”
The girl clutched her chest and reluctantly nodded. “Alright, I’ll eat a little.”
The man walked closer and saw Lin Dan stirring a pot of braised meat. He couldn’t help but show a look of surprise. “Oh, you can make Qianzhou-style braised meat? How perfect! We’re from Qianzhou. Please, give us a serving.”
Lin Dan shook her head and said, “I’m sorry, Guest, but the braised meat is sold out. Would you like to try something else? We still have noodles and plain porridge.”
The man frowned, his expression displeased. “But I only want the braised meat, nothing else.”
“Then I must apologize again. If you wish to have it, please come earlier tomorrow.” Lin Dan smiled softly.
She didn’t know who the man was, but Madam Qin did. She quickly waved her hand and said, “It’s alright, it’s alright, they can have my portion. I won’t eat it.” As she spoke, she wiped the cold sweat from her forehead, her expression extremely anxious. If she wasn’t mistaken, this brother and sister pair were the legitimate children of the King of Dianqian[2]Yunnan and Guizhou. The King of Dianqian was the only non-imperial king in the Great Chu Dynasty, stationed on the Dianqian Plateau with an army of 800,000 soldiers— someone even the Emperor had to fear.
To show his loyalty, the King of Dianqian sent his son to the capital for education early on, receiving treatment not much worse than that of the imperial princes. Two years ago, he had also sent his daughter over, who had just turned fifteen, likely with the intention of entering the palace as a consort. In short, these siblings were high-ranking individuals who could not be offended.
The man’s frown relaxed, seemingly satisfied with Madam Qin’s tact. But Lin Dan said, “Everything should follow the principle of ‘first come, first served’. Madam Qin has been waiting all morning, so this braised meat is rightfully hers.”
Before the man could show any anger, Lin Dan raised her head and carefully looked at the pale-faced young girl beside him. She continued, “Moreover, I see that this young lady has been holding her chest, looking as if she’s feeling dizzy and nauseous. It seems she hasn’t adapted to the water route and is seasick, right? One shouldn’t eat greasy food when one’s feeling nauseous. How about I make some light dishes for the young lady instead?”
The young girl, who wasn’t keen on eating meat in the first place, quickly nodded at Lin Dan’s words. “Alright, could I trouble you to make some light dishes for me? I really don’t feel like eating meat right now.” She then timidly glanced at her brother.
Thinking of his sister’s future fate, the man felt a wave of pity and could not bear to refuse her. He nodded in agreement, then turned around, only to be surprised to see Tang Cheng also present. “Young Master Tang, you’re eating at this restaurant too? What a coincidence.”
Tang Cheng nodded slightly. “This shop belongs to a friend of mine. Thank you, Prince, for gracing us with your presence.” His unspoken message was clear— ‘anywhere else, you may act as you please, but not here’.
The man, who had been granted the title of prince of the second rank by the Emperor, looked higher in status than a marquis, but in front of someone like Tang Cheng, a close confidant of the Emperor, he had to restrain himself. His haughty demeanor instantly disappeared, replaced by a surprisingly approachable smile.
Seeing him settle down, Tang Cheng handed ten copper coins to Lin Dan and repeatedly reminded her to send word to the Ministry of War if she ever needed anything.
Lin Dan agreed politely, but in reality, she had no intention of troubling Tang Cheng. They were not from the same world, so why force a connection? She was a cook and he was a customer. Their relationship was just that simple. After handing the braised meat to the trembling Madam Qin, Lin Dan filled a clay pot with plain porridge, set it on the stove to heat, and then took out some green peppers, tossing them into the fire.
The peppers sizzled and popped over the charcoal, releasing a pungent, spicy aroma that quickly filled the air. Xiao Zhu and the others began sneezing from the strong smell, while the handsome man and petite girl showed a mix of surprise and nostalgia.
“Are you making fire-roasted peppers?” The girl walked over to the stove. She stared at the softening green peppers in the flames, her eyes brimming with tears. “Back home, my mother loved making this dish for me and my brother. You might not know, but when we were children, we were separated from our father, and my mother took my brother and me to hide in the countryside. We had no money and couldn’t afford meat, so the best dish we remembered was fire-roasted peppers because the flavor was strong, it went well with rice, and it could fill us up.”
The man’s stoic expression cracked slightly, his eyes reddening.
Lin Dan smiled gently at the girl, her gaze full of comfort. She then placed the roasted peppers and some garlic into a mortar, crushing them before drizzling in soy sauce, vinegar, and litsea oil.
“Try it and see if it tastes like the dish from your hometown.” After finishing the cold dish, Lin Dan handed the bowl to the girl.
The other party tasted a small portion of the roasted peppers and tears welled up in her eyes. “Yes, this is exactly the taste.” She quickly wiped away her tears and smiled. “Brother, come try it too.”
Ever since their father brought them back to the royal residence, she had never tasted this dish again because their mother was no longer around and there was no place for them in the royal residence. She and her brother were nothing more than tools to be used and sacrificed at will.
The man also tasted the dish, his voice slightly hoarse. “Shopkeeper, you must have spent some time in Qianzhou, right? These fire-roasted peppers taste very authentic.”
“I stayed there for a few months.” Lin Dan said softly as she placed the pot of porridge and a small stove on the table. “The appetizer is a bit spicy, so it’s better to eat it in moderation. I’ve sliced some meat and pork liver for you, along with some leafy greens. You can add them directly to the porridge. Cook it fresh and eat it immediately— it tastes even better that way.”
“Thank you, Shopkeeper.” The girl replied. After crying, she felt much better. She picked up another piece of roasted peppers with her chopsticks and ate slowly, savoring each bite. She never imagined that in this far-off capital city, she could find such authentic food from her hometown.
The brother and sister sat across from each other, eating in silence for a long time, though their eyes were both red. To avoid any awkwardness, Lin Dan retreated to the kitchen with Xiao Zhu and a few others Madam Qin, unwilling to share the same room with such esteemed guests, followed Lin Dan. Holding a plate of braised meat, she chattered about the various rumors circulating in the capital. She had grown especially fond of Shopkeeper Lin. Not just because of her excellent culinary skills, but also because of her kind and gentle nature. Being around her, one could always feel the other party’s peacefulness and tolerance, which made her company particularly comforting.
When they returned two-quarters of an hour later, the brother and sister had already left, but a shiny gold leaf had been placed on the table. Madam Qin swallowed hard, exclaiming with genuine admiration, “My goodness, having top-notch skills really pays off! Shopkeeper Lin, your restaurant is going to make a fortune!”
From that day on, Tang Cheng, Marquis Weiyuan, the Prince of Dianqian, as well as others, became loyal patrons of Hometown Dishes Restaurant. They didn’t just eat there themselves but often took packed foods for their friends and family. With such high-profile customers acting as living advertisements, Lin Dan’s business flourished. People from the Southern District flocked to the restaurant, and even the nobles from the Western and Eastern Districts would discreetly change into plain clothes to enjoy a quiet meal there. No matter how many delicacies they’d tasted, what they cherished and missed the most was a simple plate of hometown dishes.
———pr
Two months later, Lin Dan had firmly established herself in the capital. She spent her mornings busy with her restaurant, and in the afternoons, she would teach Cook Qiu how to cook. The other party had only learned cooking from his father for three years. His knife skills were still unpolished, let alone his stove work. But he was talented and eager to learn, and as Lin Dan taught him, she became increasingly interested and officially accepted him as her pupil.
One day, Tang Cheng invited several princes from Mongolia to dine at Hometown Dishes Restaurant. Lin Dan cooked a large pot of hand-grabbed mutton in almond milk and mixed a sauce with salted greens and garlic chives, serving it directly to the guests. Xiao Zhu was about to prepare chopsticks and bowls, but Lin Dan shook her head, declining.
But how could the guests eat without utensils? One of the officials accompanying Tang Cheng immediately showed displeasure. A young man who bore a strong resemblance to Tang Cheng raised his voice in anger, “How thoughtless! We have so many people here for a meal and you just bring out a large plate? Where are the bowls? The chopsticks? Are we supposed to eat with our hands? Ninth Brother, this restaurant is too unreliable. Let’s go to Yan Family’s Restaurant instead. Sister Yan had just returned from the palace and should be there today. Her cooking skills are excellent and the guests will surely be satisfied.”
The young man, named Tang Peng, was Tang Cheng’s cousin[3]younger male cousin and also currently held a position in the Ministry of War. He was infatuated with Yan Langqing and naturally pushed for them to go to her restaurant. Unfortunately, his suggestion was vetoed by his cousin. Now, seeing Lin Dan make such an absurd mistake, he couldn’t resist taking the opportunity to mock her.
“If you don’t know, then keep quiet to avoid embarrassing yourself.” Tang Cheng replied in a cold, displeased tone.
“Ninth Brother, I’m just trying to ensure our distinguished guests are well taken care of. They’ve come all the way to Great Chu and you plan to serve them this? Have you seen the looks on the princes’ faces—” He turned to the princes, intending to explain and suggest they move to another place. To his surprise, they had already reached into the large plate, grabbed pieces of mutton with bones, and were eating with gusto. They were speaking excitedly in their language, their faces full of praise.
One of the aides who understood Mongolian translated, “The princes are very satisfied with this meal. This dish is called ‘hand-grabbed mutton’, and it’s traditionally eaten by hand.”
Another prince spoke loudly and the aide’s expression turned more pleasant as he continued, “The princes say that central plains mutton is too gamey for them and they can’t get used to it. They’ve lost several pounds since coming to the capital, but today they finally had a proper meal. The mutton prepared by this cook is very tender, with none of the gamey taste of central plains’ mutton. It’s just like the ones they eat on the grasslands. Hometown Dishes Restaurant truly lives up to its name!”
Tang Cheng humbly responded, then grabbed a piece of mutton and began eating. The other officials accompanying the group were so embarrassed they wished they could crawl under the table. They silently thanked their luck that the princes didn’t understand Great Chu’s language, otherwise, they would have been utterly humiliated today. Tang Peng’s face flushed red with embarrassment and he struggled to find words to say. He had been loudly criticizing Lin Dan for being ignorant, only to discover that this dish was a specialty of Mongolia and is traditionally eaten by hand, making him look foolish and ignorant, even less knowledgeable than a cook.
Xiao Zhu and the others, who had been nervous earlier, almost burst into laughter at the scene. Hmph! These so-called high-ranking officials really didn’t have any sense at all!
Lin Dan paid no attention to the commotion in the front hall. After washing her hands, she boarded a carriage to the west side of the city. Yan Family’s Restaurant, in an attempt to compete with the suddenly rising Qiaoyuan Restaurant, had introduced two signature dishes in the past two months. It was said they would unveil a third one today, and Lin Dan needed to check it out.
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pocketrobbin[Translator]
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