Mingde’s Grand Opening in Shen City

When Mingde opened its restaurant in Shen City, none of the local competitors showed up.

This was mainly because of the Shen family’s influence.

After hearing the rumors about the Xia family, no one would be foolish enough to offend a major player in the industry just to support an out-of-town business.

Ye Baiqing, however, didn’t know any of this.

She sat by the table, looking around the restaurant.

The location of the Mingde restaurant was quite good, situated in a high-rise in a very convenient area of Shen City.

The banquet hadn’t started yet when her phone, vibrating in her hand, caught her attention.

It was a message from Phoebe, an overseas colleague she had chatted with last time.

Phoebe asked, “Bai, are you still in the country?”

Ye Baiqing replied, “Yes, what’s up?”

Phoebe said, “I might come to your country soon, bringing a friend along.”

Ye Baiqing was surprised and recalled Phoebe’s earlier conversation: “Is it the friend who has anorexia?”

After a long pause, Phoebe responded, “Her condition is really bad, and I can’t do anything for her. Bai, I’m really worried about her.”

Ye Baiqing sighed, put down her phone, and instinctively touched her stomach.

Emotions were truly mysterious.

She once felt an overwhelming despair so intense that she lost all fear of life and death.

Now, after overcoming those difficulties, she couldn’t even recall a trace of how she felt back then.

Her husband, noticing her behavior, asked, “What’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell again?”

Although the psychological trauma of morning sickness had dissipated, allowing her to eat a bit, her body still had physical reactions.

Sometimes, she would still feel nauseous, but it was within a normal range.

Ye Baiqing shook her head, trying to push aside the worrying thoughts, and picked up the menu to look through it.

The menu wasn’t customized for her, so it didn’t consider the tastes of pregnant women.

As she flipped through, she began to worry whether she might feel uncomfortable later.

It was a joyous occasion, but if she didn’t do things right, she might cause trouble for Mingde.

While thinking, one of the staff from Mingde approached her: “Miss Ye, right? Director Jin asked me to come over and move you to another seat.”

Ye Baiqing was a little taken aback, but she stood up with her husband, and they were led to a seat by the window.

There weren’t many people around, and as they were still confused, the staff had already placed a small brass teapot on their table.

“Director Jin said you might be sensitive to smells,” the staff member explained. “This spot has a better view and more greenery, so it should make you more comfortable. Director Jin is busy at the moment but asked me to move you to a better spot.”

After the staff left, Ye Baiqing felt a bit dazed.

She hadn’t expected Jin Yaotiao, who was so busy, to remember her special condition.

Her husband, usually very rational, was also somewhat moved: “This restaurant really has a warm touch.”

Ye Baiqing smiled upon hearing this.

She felt much more at ease.

Then, she smelled the fragrance coming from the teapot: “Stewed pear soup?”

She opened the lid and saw that it was indeed stewed pear soup.

The pear chunks were soft and pale yellow, releasing a mildly sour fragrance that hit her face.

The moment she smelled it, her mouth watered uncontrollably.

She immediately poured herself a cup and took a sip, then widened her eyes: “Mmm!”

It wasn’t just pear in the soup. The thick, sweet juice wasn’t overly cloying.

The fresh fruit scent wafted up first, followed by layers of tangy richness, perfectly complementing the fresh pear.

After taking a few more sips, she couldn’t resist peering into the teapot, and sure enough, she saw several plump dried plums floating in the soup.

Ye Baiqing smiled at the sight of the plums.

It was such a peculiar restaurant—just having people come here could make one feel so warm inside.

---

Jin Yaotiao popped a sour plum into her mouth, savoring the taste before nodding.

The new Yangmei this year had been dried and pickled with honey, and there were also other types of pickled plums mixed in.

It had a moist, sweet-and-sour flavor, very appetizing.

The room was filled with a mixture of aromas, but they couldn’t overpower the refreshing taste in her mouth.

Master Tu opened the smoker, pulling out the juicy, tender smoked meat.

A group of young apprentices immediately stepped forward to assist, looking like a line of lambs waiting to be sheared.

The smoked meat was cut into thick slices and neatly arranged in a square dish, with drunken crab, marinated goose feet, and pickled vegetables placed around the edges.

The pickled vegetables were golden, different from any kind she had seen outside.

They were covered with a thick sauce and pickled to a soft, mellow state.

This was something Jin Yaotiao had recently perfected using a new pickling technique.

The appetizers were arranged neatly, and one young apprentice asked, “Is it ready?”

Though the apprentices were not yet fully trained, they had been learning for years and had recently been placed in Mingde’s kitchen, where they had quickly learned to work efficiently.

Jin Yaotiao was pleased by their performance.

The more capable they were, the fewer things she needed to worry about.

Looking at the neatly arranged plates, she set down the sour plum and said, “It’s ready.”

After washing her hands, she observed the crab yellow pot still simmering. Then she moved to the next row of ovens, where several shiny geese were roasting.

This dish was something she had learned from her father, later improved by herself, and infused with new flavors.

Her father rarely cooked anywhere other than home, even at Mingde’s main restaurant, which had a large R&D kitchen, he seldom visited.

Jin Yaotiao had once found this odd and asked him why. Her father had only smiled and said that his skills in the Jin family cuisine weren’t extraordinary and that he had no need to show off in public.

Talent.

In the culinary world, talent was highly valued.

But not every master was fortunate enough to find a talented apprentice.

Jin Yaotiao’s grandfather had not been so lucky.

The chosen apprentice, Master Tu, though honest and hardworking, was not particularly gifted.

Jin Yaotiao opened the oven, and the aroma of roasted goose wafted out, drawing the attention of the apprentices, who could hardly contain their excitement.

Jin Yaotiao smiled, picking up a pair of chopsticks.

Just a slight touch to the crispy skin, and it cracked easily.

---

Jin’s father’s old friends from the Shenzhen market had also arrived.

After greeting the guests, he still didn’t enter the kitchen.

A group of his younger apprentices asked, surprised, “Senior Brother, aren’t you cooking today?”

This was the first Mingde restaurant to open in Shenzhen, and if it succeeded, it would become the oldest flagship store in the city.

Such an important store naturally needed to be run by the most experienced team.

Even if the younger apprentices took over, they wouldn’t be careless.

Jin’s father didn’t need to maintain any face in front of the apprentices he knew well.

He answered directly, “I’m not capable enough.”

The apprentices frowned. “Senior Brother, don’t downplay yourself.”

“Yes,” another added. “You’re definitely better than us.”

“You’re just lazy,” Father Jin glared at the Sixth Brother, who had said this, and then turned to Second Brother, saying, “Old Second, it’s thanks to you that Master took you in. Otherwise, the Shang family would have been left in the hands of little Sixth and the others, who are all good-for-nothings. By now, there’d be no Shang family left.”

The Second Brother let out a bitter smile.

He was indeed the most accomplished among all the Shang family’s disciples, but receiving such praise from the eldest senior brother still made him feel guilty.

No matter how capable he was, he could never reach Master’s level.

Over the years, he had participated in various culinary events across the country to bring fame to the school, but the impact was still limited.

Most people only recognized him for his own achievements and the Shang family’s business, not for Master’s name or the dishes that had been passed down for countless generations.

But this pain, he could only keep hidden in his heart, with no one to share it with.

At this moment, Father Jin didn’t know his Second Brother’s troubles. The Sixth Brother asked, “So who’s in charge of the kitchen today?”

Upon hearing this, Father Jin’s mood brightened, and he proudly boasted, “You’ve met her at my house before, it’s Yao Yao.”

The other disciples at the table were shocked, even the Second Brother, who had been reflecting on his own situation, snapped out of his thoughts and looked at him disapprovingly. “Eldest Senior Brother, you’re being too reckless! You didn’t show your hand, but at least find a trusted disciple from home. Yao Yao is just a girl. How can you let her handle such an important event?”

Old Master Shang had accepted many disciples, but none of them were girls.

Now that they were handling things on their own, all of the disciples were male.

In their view, the position of heir didn’t involve a girl.

Years ago, Father Jin had the same belief, but by now, his views had been completely shattered.

He waved his hand dismissively. “What era is this? Still stuck on that? Yao Tiao is capable. Don’t talk about me, I’m afraid you all would just be assistants in her presence.”

The Second Brother frowned, thinking, “Could it be that Mingde has really fallen to the point of not even having a disciple?” For a moment, he considered sending one of his disciples to help the Eldest Senior Brother, but after thinking it over, he realized none of them were talented enough.

Some of them even lacked the aptitude to match him.

He was worried about Mingde.

He feared that the traditions left by their Master might be on the brink of extinction.

The Second Brother thought of the dishes that Master had passed down but which he hadn’t been able to promote, and he felt that he and his Eldest Senior Brother shared the same sorrow.

Just as he sighed, there was a commotion in the restaurant, and someone in the distance exclaimed, “It smells so good!”

He looked up and realized the person bringing out the dishes from the kitchen was approaching.

At first, he hadn’t noticed the smell, but as the server got closer, he detected a faint fragrance.

When the dish was placed on the table, he saw that it was the appetizer, divided into four small plates, each with different ingredients: deep red, moist slices of meat, golden, plump pickled vegetables, brown goose feet, and small chunks of drunken crab.

Apart from the meat slices, the rest were cold dishes.

The voices from another table, which had received their dish earlier, came over: “Wow! What kind of meat is this? It’s so tender!”

The server explained, “This is the new method researched by Director Jin. It’s smoked, but hasn’t officially made it to the menu in Linjiang yet. This is the first time we’re serving it.”

The Second Brother looked at the meat slices.

They were thick, with a deep red sauce that resembled caramel, occupying one corner of the plate, quietly steaming.

The Sixth Brother acted quickly and picked up a piece.

The moment the meat entered his mouth, his eyes widened. “Is this rib?”

Ribs?

The Second Brother was a bit surprised and tried a piece.

It was indeed rib meat, thick and tender, perfectly marinated.

He expected it to be sweet like char siu, but to his surprise, it had a more savory flavor.

The faint smoked aroma blended into the salty-sweet sauce, and the meat had been braised before being smoked, making it tender and moist, leaving a fatty, gelatinous texture that felt refreshing despite being a cold dish.

Over the years, he had eaten countless good things, but this bite made him immediately sense the skill that went into the dish.

Father Jin, standing nearby, introduced, “Indeed, the ribs are marinated, then the bones are removed before being smoked. As for the details, I’m not sure. You should ask Yao Yao. She’s the one who figured these dishes out.”

The Second Brother was stunned. “Yao Tiao… came up with this?”

Father Jin replied, “Yes, indeed.”

The table was composed of industry insiders, so they remained relatively composed in the face of good food.

But other customers in the restaurant were getting excited.

A group of middle-aged people, who originally came just to socialize, had not expected such a pleasant surprise.

The tender, fragrant smoked ribs and the salty, juicy goose wings—one soft and sticky, the other thick and fatty—were both hearty dishes.

Afterward, the pickled vegetables refreshed the palate, their juice soaking into the vegetables but not affecting their crispness, leaving a burst of flavor that cleaned the greasy taste of the meats.

The drunken crab was also a standout.

The rich, sticky crab meat carried a slight wine fragrance, and with a gentle pull, it slid out of the shell, filling the mouth with fresh taste.

Ye Baiqing ate three pieces of the pickled vegetables, her appetite opening up.

She had thought she wouldn’t be able to eat much today, but after tasting the pickles, she suddenly felt hungry and quickly devoured a piece of rib and then a goose foot, savoring them.

If her husband hadn’t been sitting next to her, she would have tried the drunken crab as well.

After the appetizers, the main dishes were soon served.