Caught in her own confusion, Mother Jin suddenly found herself relying on her daughter once again as the family’s pillar of strength.

She searched online for the clinic and the doctor her daughter mentioned and, unsurprisingly, was overwhelmed by their many accolades and awards.

The doctor Jin Yaotiao found was particularly renowned for lung cancer surgeries—patients with grim diagnoses still achieved impressive survival rates post-operation.

There was nothing to fault, and the more she read, the more satisfied she became.

At the same time, curiosity crept in. “Yaotiao, the internet says this doctor is extremely hard to book. It’s not something money alone can solve. How did you manage to get him to agree so easily to operate on your dad?”

Jin Yaotiao, who had just finished arranging for her father’s surgery and had also found a reputable breast treatment center for her mother, casually brushed it off: “I knew a few contacts from my time studying abroad, so I asked them for a favor.”

In truth, the doctor was someone she had spent significant effort to track down through overseas intermediaries when her father was critically ill.

A few days ago, she recalled the connection and reached out before the health check-up to confirm the surgery time.

Unaware of the truth, Mother Jin was left with the impression that her once-delicate daughter had suddenly grown into someone dependable and capable.

Like a true pillar of support.

---

That night, she sat on the edge of the bed, wiping tears from her eyes.
“Old Jin, I realized that our daughter has really grown up.”

Father Jin, recalling how he had been lectured earlier, stared blankly for a moment before smiling with relief. “Our little girl can be fiercer than someone else’s son when she needs to be.”

---

On the plane, Shen Qiming worked tirelessly with the in-flight Wi-Fi.
Jiang Sen, on the other hand, had already secured the phone number of a beautiful flight attendant.

Sipping champagne, he was idle and restless, so he struck up a conversation with Shen Qiming’s assistant sitting behind him.

“This trip has exhausted me. I swear I’m taking a week off when we get back.”

The assistant smiled. “Mr. Jiang, there’s still a meeting scheduled for tonight.”

Jiang Sen’s expression froze. “What the hell? Does Shen Qiming ever give his partners a break?”

Shen Qiming ignored him, fingers tapping steadily on the keyboard.

Annoyed, Jiang Sen rummaged through the overhead compartment and pulled out several shopping bags. “Hey, I have emotional needs too, okay? At least give me time to hand out gifts.”

The assistant tried to distract him. “What did you buy, Mr. Jiang? Why so much?”

Jiang Sen opened a bag and showed him: several luxury-brand handbags. “What choice do I have? Little Red, Little Mei, Little Juan—each one gets a bag. Business trips are a nightmare.”

The assistant’s mouth twitched.

Jiang Sen rolled his eyes at his unresponsive friend and sneered, “Forget it. You wouldn’t understand. Your boss has probably never bought gifts for a woman in his life. I bet he doesn’t even know which way the Hermès store entrance faces.”

The assistant opened his mouth, unsure how to respond.

When the plane landed, and they boarded the car waiting on the tarmac, the assistant finally took out a deep red velvet box. “Mr. Shen, should I deliver this back to your home for you again?”

Shen Qiming thought for a moment and held out his hand. “She’s not home. I’m meeting her this afternoon. Give it to me.”

Jiang Sen looked suspicious and grabbed the box before Shen Qiming could. “What is this…”

The moment he opened it, he was stunned into silence.

Resting on a black velvet cushion was an imposing pink diamond, as large as a fingertip.

It was surrounded by a halo of smaller pink diamonds, set so densely that they shimmered like stars, further highlighting its opulence.

“Holy…”

Jiang Sen stared blankly, utterly dazed. “Damn it. I think I’ll stay single. Buying a few handbags is easy enough, but having a wife would be way too expensive.”

---

Turn right past the Mingde Corporation office building, and less than 300 meters away sat an old, low courtyard that sharply contrasted with the surrounding skyscrapers.

This was Jin family’s historic restaurant, Xun Xiang Yan.

Legend has it that the name Xun Xiang Yan (“Banquet of Seeking Fragrance”) was bestowed by an emperor during the Jin family’s ancestral era.

Whether that’s true or not is now impossible to verify.

However, the Jin family did indeed enjoy a period of great prestige in their early years.

Jin Yaotiao’s grandfather had been invited to cook for state banquets multiple times, a legacy that solidified Xun Xiang Yan as a landmark in Linjiang City’s ever-changing cityscape.

Jin Yaotiao could still recall the restaurant’s heyday when she was a child. Her grandfather was alive, and the place was bustling with unparalleled energy.

Cars of every make and model crowded the entrance.

Food lovers and chefs alike flocked there, eager to taste her grandfather’s famous braised crabs or to ask him to take them on as apprentices.

In Linjiang—and even across the wider surrounding region—the Jin name became synonymous with “master chefs.” Anyone with money visiting Linjiang would be ridiculed if they left without dining at Xun Xiang Yan.

But times changed.

Her grandfather passed away, and the world evolved.

People’s lives grew richer, the global culinary scene shrank distances, and international cuisine—Japanese, French, and more—sprouted up like mushrooms after the rain.

Suddenly, Xun Xiang Yan became outdated: too local, too unfashionable, and too “unrefined.”

Its survival rested only on nostalgia, drawing in a few sentimental patrons now and then.

At that time, the Jin family nearly went bankrupt.

Fortunately, Father Jin acted quickly.

He launched the new Mingde Courtyard restaurant chain, targeting the mass market and opening locations in all of Linjiang’s busiest shopping districts.

This decision saved the company.

To this day, Mingde Courtyard is considered one of the most well-known chain restaurants in Linjiang City. Many young people even think that Mingde Company started with Mingde Courtyard.

There’s nothing wrong with that.

However, the glorious past of “Xun Xiang Banquet” remains an unresolved regret for all of the Jin family’s descendants, including Father Jin.

Whenever there’s an important company event, they prefer to hold it at the flagship store. Perhaps the lively atmosphere helps them reminisce about the Jin family’s generations of culinary prestige.

---

Jin Yaotiao stepped over the threshold, led by her father.

The flagship store of Xun Xiang Banquet was quite old.

It was originally a converted residential house from the old days, later renovated several times with added features like small bridges and flowing water, giving it a refined appearance.

However, as a restaurant, the atmosphere inevitably felt a bit desolate.

Inside, there were only two occupied tables, and all the diners were familiar faces.

Seeing Father Jin, they greeted him warmly: “Old Jin, long time no see!”

Father Jin cupped his hands and greeted them back, “Gentlemen, enjoy your meal. Don’t forget to come by and show your support on the anniversary celebration. This is my youngest daughter, Jin Yaotiao.”

He then turned to Yaotiao. “Yaotiao, this is Uncle Gao and Uncle Wang. They’ve been regular patrons of our family business since your grandfather’s time and are good friends of mine.”

Jin Yaotiao smiled politely at them. “Hello, Uncles.”

She stood there with an elegant demeanor, and with a slight squint of her eyes and a curved smile, the whole courtyard seemed to brighten up.

The diners were amazed. “Old Jin, who would’ve thought! You’ve been hiding such a beautiful daughter!”

Father Jin, flattered, was beaming all the way into the kitchen, his belly puffed out proudly.

The back kitchen presented a starkly different scene—busy and bustling.

The anniversary celebration of Xun Xiang Banquet was a major event for the Jin family.

Everything from the menu to the ingredients required input from many people. As soon as Jin Yaotiao entered, she saw several familiar faces—veteran chefs trained by her grandfather.

Today, they were the most senior employees in the company, and many head chefs across Mingde’s restaurant brands, including Mingde Courtyard, were their protégés.

Veteran craftsmen often have eccentric temperaments.

At that moment, a chef named Master Tu was scolding an apprentice. “Are you stupid? Did everything I taught you go to waste? Who taught you to slice bamboo fungus like this?”

The young apprentice, wearing a chef’s hat, was too scared to speak. Father Jin laughed, “Master Tu, you’re just like my father when you’re angry.”

Master Tu glanced at him and rolled his eyes. “Your father used to scold me like this. Back then, I thought he had a bad temper. Now that I’m training apprentices, I finally understand what it means to feel infuriated.”

He squinted at Jin Yaotiao, trying to recognize her. “And who’s this?”

Jin Yaotiao smiled. “Uncle Tu, you don’t recognize me anymore?”

She had always had a good impression of these older uncles.

Back when her father was seriously ill and Jin Jiarui was causing trouble, it was Uncle Tu who led the veteran chefs to storm the hospital and berate Jin Jiarui and his group.

Master Tu grinned. “Oh, Yaotiao, you’ve changed so much! I didn’t recognize you without your pink dress.”

Jin Yaotiao knew that pink was probably a piece of “black history” she could never escape.

---

Master Tu looked puzzled. “But what are you doing in the kitchen?”

The room fell silent for a moment.

Jin Yaotiao calmly turned to her father.

After a few seconds of silence, Father Jin, under his daughter’s gaze, reluctantly spoke, “Well, with the anniversary coming up, I brought her to familiarize herself with the kitchen, check the menu, and finalize the dishes.”

Master Tu took about five seconds to process this before furrowing his brows. “Old Jin, you must be joking.”

Father Jin rubbed his temples, unsure how to explain. Jin Yaotiao stepped in. “My father hasn’t been feeling well lately, so he’s entrusted the kitchen duties to me.”

She had already warned everyone not to talk recklessly about her father’s lung cancer.

Now, she only described it vaguely as “not feeling well.”

Master Tu didn’t press further, but his attention shifted to the other part of her statement. “Nonsense!”

His face wrinkled like a worried pickle. “Yaotiao, listen to your uncle. The anniversary is a big deal, and the kitchen isn’t a place for a young girl to fool around. Don’t joke about this.”

Jin Yaotiao shook her head. “I’m not joking, nor am I here to fool around.”

Master Tu silently looked at Father Jin, clearly angry. Even the normally imposing Father Jin looked a bit intimidated.

But Jin Yaotiao showed no fear.

Leisurely, she walked over to the preparation table and picked up a gleaming kitchen knife.

Master Tu, accustomed to timid apprentices, had never encountered a young person unafraid of his temper.

Flustered, he banged the table, trying to persuade the “brazen young lady.” “Yaotiao! Listen to your uncle. The kitchen doesn’t lack manpower. There’s your father, your uncles, and plenty of capable apprentices.”

Jin Yaotiao casually brushed the finely chopped bamboo fungus strands on the cutting board with her knife. “Oh? So many people, yet they still can’t make a proper Eight Treasures Mountain Delicacy?”

Master Tu froze. “How did you know…”

“How did I know you’re preparing Eight Treasures Mountain Delicacy?”

“The bamboo fungus is sliced too thinly, the matsutake is too thick, and the diced bamboo shoots—what’s with those? They’re almost as big as my head.” She pointed at a small copper pot boiling on the stove and chuckled. “And that crab roe gravy—it’s so thick. Are you trying to use up all the starch Xun Xiang Banquet ordered?”

For every word she said, Master Tu’s hair seemed to stand up a little straighter. By the time she finished, his whole forehead was practically ablaze. “What do you know!”

Other things could be criticized, but that pot of gravy was his handiwork!

Yet Jin Yaotiao paid him no mind, picking up a fresh bamboo shoot and slicing it herself.

Master Tu, who had initially intended to shoo her away, froze as he watched her precise knife work.

This knife skill…?

You couldn’t develop this level of expertise without at least ten or twenty years of practice.

After preparing several ingredients, she switched to a finely crafted mother-of-pearl knife, slicing the matsutake thin as cicada wings.

Then, using a fresh pot, she blended crab roe with the perpetually boiling stock on the stove.

The Jin family’s broth had been a legacy since her grandfather’s time, simmered daily with fresh ingredients.

Its flavor grew richer with each passing year, a treasured symbol of Xun Xiang Banquet’s glorious past.

One by one, the mountain delicacies were added to the crab roe broth.

Glancing at the clock, Jin Yaotiao suddenly asked, “Do we have chicken fat?”

“Chicken fat? What for…”

Before Master Tu could finish, the scolded apprentice instinctively ran to fetch the requested ingredient, returning quickly under Jin Yaotiao’s radiant smile.

Using a clean pot, Jin Yaotiao rendered the golden fat from the chicken belly.

Once the timing was perfect, she thickened the crab roe broth with starch, added finely crushed ginger, drizzled in a few drops of fragrant vinegar, and finished with a spoonful of sizzling chicken fat.

Zzzziiii!

A maddeningly enticing aroma filled the kitchen, boldly disregarding the tense atmosphere.

Jin Yaotiao straightened up after finishing the dish, not a hint of messiness on her.

Leisurely, she wiped her hands with a paper towel. “Which table is this for? Serve it.”

“Wait… wait a moment!”

Master Tu stopped the apprentice mid-motion. He took a clean tasting spoon, lightly skimmed the edge of the broth, and brought it to his lips.

The rich, creamy flavor of crab roe intertwined with the chicken fat’s aroma, infiltrating every ingredient.

The sweetness of the bamboo shoots, the chewiness of the matsutake, the crisp texture of the bamboo fungus, the spiciness of the ginger, and even the faint tanginess of the vinegar—all came together seamlessly without any one overpowering the other.

His first thought was: I could eat five bowls of rice with this.

A long silence followed.

Jin Yaotiao wiped her hands and leaned against the prep table. “Uncle Tu, whose orders do we follow now?”