A heavy, stagnant air spread outside the Jin family’s gate.

Old Madam Xia’s face alternated between green and pale, and the association members accompanying her were suffocating with embarrassment.

They recalled how, on the way here, she had been constantly ranting to the old president about how despicable Mingde was, which made the situation even more awkward for everyone.

The group couldn’t help but feel frustrated, some of them glancing at Xia Ren with pity as he stood there, looking clueless.

They had come at Xia Ren’s request, and the reasons they agreed to help, besides saving face for the Shang family, were partly because they believed Xia Ren’s claims that Mingde was indeed behaving unscrupulously.

The usually idle association members had gathered to pressure the old president, a form of indirect leverage, knowing well that the old president had a stubborn temperament.

If they could apply pressure, would it be more beneficial or harmful? It didn’t need much analysis.

If they didn’t feel justified, how could these half-grown members of the association be so willing to take on such an unpopular task?

In the end, they didn’t even make it past the door before they were slapped in the face by the reality of the situation.

The Shang family’s position was even more absurd.

Were their apprentices stolen or were they stubbornly clinging to Mingde, unwilling to leave? Don’t they know in their hearts?

The association members, feeling like pawns in someone else’s game, were considering turning back.

Just then, the door swung open.

Maler, who had been yelling, stopped and put down the stone mill to answer the door.

Seeing the large group of visitors, he was momentarily shocked, thinking they were friends or family of the Jin family.

But upon a closer look, his eyes widened as he saw Old Madam Xia in the crowd. His expression immediately turned serious.

“Who are you people? What do you want here?”

Ma Le, with his body leaning against the door, exuded a sense of rejection and wariness, the complete opposite of his earlier warm demeanor when he faced Jin Yaotiao.

Old Madam Xia, who had already been embarrassed, was now enraged and almost lost her balance from the shock.

“Who are you talking to?” Jin Father, hearing the commotion, stepped out and froze when he saw the old president. “President Lu, what brings you and your people here?”

The old president stood outside, feeling deeply awkward.

What exactly was he doing here? He didn’t even know.

Was he here to let this old lady drag him into a humiliating situation?

He sighed, “Let’s not talk about it. I’m getting old and confused. I’m letting anyone fool me with a few words these days.”

Old Madam Xia, still keeping some level of composure in her anger, quickly realized what he meant and hurriedly spoke up, “President Lu, these are just a bunch of kids. What do they understand?”

Jin Father furrowed his brow, realizing, “You’re here to get Maler to go back, aren’t you?”

Before Old Madam Xia could speak, Ma Le immediately rejected, “I’m not going back.”

Jin Father, suddenly glad about his daughter’s decision, thought about the grievances Ma Le had suffered at the Shang family.

Even though they were short of people, Jin Yaotiao had been wise to distance herself from them, not wanting any connection with the Shang family.

Even with Maler and his apprentices at the Shang family, Jin Father had never considered them to be people to worry about.

But now, he saw that they weren’t just harmless; they were also quite a headache.

He sighed, trying to persuade them gently, “Just go back. Don’t be so stubborn.”

Although Jin Yaotiao had been rushing people away lately, Jin Father, because they were juniors of his old disciples, often showed them kindness.

He never treated them harshly like Jin Yaotiao did.

But now, with these people showing up, he was forced to make a clear statement.

Maler nearly hated Old Madam Xia and the group of people she brought to pressure him.

Turning around, he saw the fiery look in the eyes of everyone at the door.

Everyone: “…”

What was going on?

Mingde had tried to persuade, but the Shang family’s apprentices stubbornly refused to leave.

In the end, they were all left looking awkward, neither here nor there.

Old Madam Xia couldn’t fathom why Ma Le was defending the Jin family.

She thought it over and snapped, “Ma Le, tell me, what kind of spell has the Jin family cast on you?”

Ma Le, annoyed, responded, “I came on my own. It’s none of your business.”

Seeing him protect the Jin family like this in front of everyone, Old Madam Xia lost face entirely.

She leaned on her cane and raised her voice, “You’re one of Shang family’s precious apprentices! This is a betrayal of your teacher!!!”

Ma Le stared at her for a while before coldly sneering, “Betray what teacher? My father is my teacher, and so are my uncles, not some precious apprentice. You need to get that straight.”

The crowd immediately picked up on the subtext.

Old Madam Xia, in disbelief, asked, “You mean to say your father and the others know what you’ve done?”

Honestly, the Shang family had suspected their own pillars might be taking advantage of the family’s resources, but they never thought anyone would leave the Shang family.

Leaving on their own, or letting their apprentices leave, wasn’t something smart people would do.

The Shang family was so well-established in the industry, with money and reputation.

After so many years, the second generation had gone from obscurity to making a name for themselves in the field.

They had always identified themselves as part of the Shang family, even when participating in various competitions, always proudly flying the Shang family banner.

Even though there had been disputes between Mingde and the Shang family lately, when they met, they still respectfully addressed Old Madam Xia as “Teacher.”

Why?

Wasn’t it because they valued the benefits the Shang family could bring them?

Maler snorted but didn’t respond.

The crowd was stunned, even the old president was taken aback.

The Shang family’s main pillars were well-known in the industry, and their loyalty to the family was obvious to anyone with eyes.

But this group of third-generation apprentices, who had come to Mingde and refused to return to the Shang family, had never considered this possibility—that their departure could have been sanctioned by the elders.

Old Madam Xia slowly shook her head, unwilling to believe the reality.

She stepped back and suddenly shouted, “Xia Ren!!! Call the second-generation apprentices! I want to ask them why they’re sending recipes and people to Mingde. What has Mingde done to them? President Lu is here—will you just let them betray the Shang family like this? If the old man knew, he’d probably curse them as unworthy!”

Everyone was shocked.

Recipes?

What was this new gossip?

Another one after another!

The second disciple and the others were all in Shenzhen.

As the year-end approached, the major restaurants of Zhenlong were busy with a lot of work, leaving them overwhelmed.

It wasn’t until they received a call from Xian Ren, accusing them of wrongdoing, that they learned Old Lady Xian had caused trouble for the Jin family because of Ma Le and the others leaving.

The group of senior disciples immediately set aside everything they were doing and rushed to the Jin family.

On the way, the second eldest gazed out the window with a somber expression.

The sixth el

was both angry and anxious. “The master’s wife is really too much! Why does she always have to make things difficult for the eldest senior? We can let it go, but Ma Le and the others aren’t from the Shang family. What does it have to do with her whether they join Mingde or not?”

The second eldest sighed deeply. “I should have realized earlier; it’s the trouble we’ve brought upon the eldest senior.”

When they arrived at the Jin family’s house, they ran into Shang Rong, who had also come. The two groups locked eyes, both with complicated expressions difficult to read.

Shang Rong had already learned that Ma Le and the others leaving had nothing to do with Mingde. He also learned of the role that the second eldest and the others had played in the matter.

He looked at these senior disciples he had grown up with, wanting to ask them why they had done this.

However, the second eldest and the others didn’t even acknowledge him and hurriedly entered the Jin family’s house.

At the Jin family’s house, the corn buns had just been steamed, their fragrant aroma filling the air. Jin Yaotiao expressionlessly took them out of the steamer.

Ma Le, aware that he had caused trouble for her, lowered his head and dared not say a word.

The old president had originally planned to leave but didn’t expect that the departure of the Shang family’s young disciples would drag in the senior masters behind them. As a key figure in the association, and with Old Lady Xian’s request, he couldn’t get away.

But no matter how one looked at it, Mingde was the one suffering from an unwarranted disaster.

After all, whether it was the masters or the disciples causing the trouble, Mingde had made it clear that they would not tolerate it.

Seeing that Jin Yaotiao seemed upset, the old president walked over and tried to make small talk, “What are you making? It smells nice.”

Jin Yaotiao glanced at the old man but didn’t get angry. She picked up a corn bun and offered it to him. “Just made some snacks.”

The buns were hot, and the old president took them with his bare hands, turning them over a few times. He hadn’t intended to ask for food, but the soft texture of the steamed bun piqued his interest, and he took a bite.

The moment he bit into it, he was taken aback.

The strong corn flavor was soothing, and the fluffy bun’s texture was unexpectedly chewy. This chewiness wasn’t sticky like glutinous rice, but rather a soft and elastic tenderness that made the corn-flavored outer skin of the bun feel very textured, with a subtle sweetness. The meat filling inside, mixed with savory broth, added a deep, layered flavor that was absolutely delicious.

Being an expert, he immediately recognized the skill in the bun and was surprised by the taste.

It was the first time he had tasted Jin Yaotiao’s cooking, and it far exceeded his expectations.

The old president fell into a deep thought.

The Shenzhen Catering Association had vast resources, and as the president, he often encountered requests from acquaintances seeking his help in recommending suitable candidates. Not long ago, a familiar person had made a similar request, but he hadn’t decided who to pass the opportunity on to yet.

Seeing Jin Yaotiao lost in thought after taking a bite, he asked, “Is there something wrong with the flavor of the bun?”

The old president snapped back to reality, savoring the taste in his mouth, and immediately took another bite. “No, the outer skin has a unique flavor, and the filling is perfectly balanced. It’s delicious!”

Ma Le, hearing this, subtly glanced at Jin Yaotiao.

Jin Yaotiao smiled at him coldly, “Could you please leave my line of sight?”

Ma Le: “…QAQ”

The old lady was furious, feeling her head throb with anger as she watched him still trying to act sweet and seek forgiveness in front of Jin Yaotiao. She gripped her nephew Xia Ren’s hand tighter.

She muttered under her breath, calling him a white-eyed wolf, her grip tightening as if she were clutching a lifeline.

These were her family, the ones who had supported her, comforted her, and were truly her kin. They were different from those outsiders and disciples.

As soon as she heard the footsteps of the second master and the others, she immediately caught on, and with a snap, stood up: “You still have the face to come here?”

Upon hearing the scolding, the second master exhaled a mouthful of foul air: “Madam.”

“I’m not your Madam! Don’t call me that!” Summer Old Lady pointed at him. “Tell me, in front of President Lu and everyone here, did Ma Le and the others come to Mingde because of you?”

The second master stared at her. After a moment, he firmly replied, “Yes.”

“Good!” Summer Old Lady was enraged. “Children are ignorant, which can be understood, but the second master, doing something like betraying your own family, do you still think you can continue working in this industry?”

In the past, whenever she scolded him like this, the second master would always remain silent and accept it.

But this time, after listening, he turned his head and let out a laugh. “Madam, are you done? What exactly do you want?”

What did she want?