Lin Dan had her own shop to open, so it was impossible to keep her around. After preparing ten tables of dishes in a row, she noticed that mealtime was almost over. She washed her hands and face, preparing to leave. The dried ingredients prepared using her secret method were now ready to be used. Although Cook Qiu had only learned a fraction of her culinary skills, he still managed to create dishes with good flavor, earning unanimous praise from everyone.

As Lin Dan was leaving, Cook Qiu handed her two recipe sheets, expressing his gratitude. “Shopkeeper Lin, these are my family’s secret recipes. Please accept them.” He had originally intended to buy her signature dishes with silver but felt she might not value it. Instead, he chose to trade recipes, believing it to be a more sincere gesture.

Lin Dan initially thought the two pieces of paper were silver notes and wanted to decline. But after hearing his explanation, she immediately accepted them and quickly scanned the contents. Her attitude softened considerably. “Thank you. I’ll come by every day at weishi^[1]period of the day from 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM to teach you how to make Golden Lion Fish and leave at shenshi^[2]period of the day from 3:00 PM to 5:00 PM. I’ll stay until you’ve learned it. And if Yan Family’s Restaurant comes up with a new signature dish, I’ll teach you another one until you’ve mastered it. Whatever they produce, I’ll teach you to match it, ensuring you can learn it all.”

Cook Qiu’s face showed disbelief as he guessed, “Shopkeeper Lin, do you have a grudge against Yan Family’s Restaurant?”

“I originally planned to open a Shandong cuisine restaurant across from them, but they maliciously sabotaged my plans. What do you think? Do I have a grudge or not?”

“Ah, it’s fortunate they ruined your plan. Otherwise, you’d have taken away all the business on this street!” Cook Qiu spoke without thinking, and as soon as he finished, he regretted it, looking at Lin Dan apologetically.

Lin Dan pointed a finger at him with a half-smile on her face. “I’ll take that as a compliment. If anyone asks, just say you’ve taken on a new master. Don’t mention my name.” With that, she left through the back door.

Cook Qiu hurriedly agreed. He knew well enough that the Yan family often resorted to underhanded tactics. But no matter how vile they were, how could they compete with real culinary skills? Good food was good food, and bad food was bad. The customers would always be able to tell the difference. He hid behind a screen, watching the front hall, and noticed that the two princes were about to leave, even asking their servants to pack up the unfinished dishes. It was rare for royalty, who usually loved extravagance, to cherish every grain like this.

“No, I have to meet this new cook and ask her how she made that monkey head mushroom dish. Young Qiu could never make something so delicious.” As he reached the door, Prince Cheng suddenly changed his mind, asking the old shopkeeper to call Cook Qiu out.

Cook Qiu had no choice but to apologize, saying that his master had already left and would not return until tomorrow afternoon. Moreover, she would not be cooking at Qiaoyuan Restaurant regularly. It would depend on her mood.

“When will she be back?” Prince Cheng persisted.

“She’ll come at weishi and leave at shenshi.”

“Weishi? That’s after the lunch rush!”

“She’s coming just to teach me how to cook, not to serve as the head cook at Qiaoyuan Restaurant.” Cook Qiu cautiously replied.

“Never mind, never mind. It doesn’t matter if it’s after the lunch rush, I’ll just push my lunch back tomorrow. Weishi, right? I’ll be here!” Prince Cheng, holding a food box, left with a satisfied belly, while the rest of the diners, who had been eavesdropping, all decided they would return at weishi the next day as well. Good food was worth the wait, even if it meant eating a little later.

Cook Qiu respectfully saw the two princes off. As he did, he caught a glimpse of Yan Family’s Restaurant’s shopkeeper sneaking around the corner, spying on their situation. Meanwhile, Yan Family’s Restaurant itself was deserted, with hardly any business.

Cook Qiu raised his head and snorted coldly. The burden on his heart that started ever since his father’s death had finally eased.

———pr


By the time Lin Dan and Ninth Brother Tang returned to the Southern District, it was already evening. The clouds stretched across the sky, casting a warm, rosy glow on their faces and creating a peaceful and serene atmosphere. Neither of them spoke as they walked one behind the other into the depths of the alley, arriving at the door of Lin Dan’s shop. There, they saw a flamboyantly dressed middle-aged woman pestering Xiao Zhu. The other party was speaking to him while frequently touching him, her behavior overly familiar.

Seeing Lin Dan, Xiao Zhu finally breathed a sigh of relief and hurriedly said, “Our shopkeeper is here! You can talk to her!” With that, he dashed away as if being chased by a ghost.

The middle-aged woman stared at his retreating figure and let out a giggle before turning her gaze to Lin Dan. She immediately said, “I’ll give you ten taels of silver, sell me this shop, won’t you?” Without waiting for Lin Dan to respond, the other party continued on her own, “I heard that you spent twenty taels of silver to buy this shop. Selling it to me for ten taels surely won’t make you happy, but think about it, who can find your shop hidden so deep in this alley? If you sell it now, at least you can keep some of your savings. If you wait to sell it later, you’re bound to lose even more.”

“Aren’t you afraid of losing money if you buy it from me?” Lin Dan asked calmly as she walked over.

“I’m in the flesh trade, do you think you can compare with me? As long as my girls spread their legs, my clients know exactly where to go. But you? Your shop is hidden away like this, can customers even find it?” The middle-aged woman spoke so crudely that, despite Lin Dan’s usual patience, she couldn’t help but frown.

Ninth Brother Tang took a step forward, intending to throw the woman out of the alley, but Lin Dan gently tugged on his sleeve to stop him. She softly said, “Sorry, my shop is not for sale. Please look elsewhere.” In business, it was important to maintain harmony while making money. No matter how poorly the other party behaved or how harsh their words were, Lin Dan would never let such things upset her. Her emotions were rarely stirred by people or events, as if she was born with fewer of the seven emotions and six desires than others.

The middle-aged woman seemed intimidated by Ninth Brother Tang’s sharp gaze and quickly started to leave. But after taking a few steps, she turned back and said, “I own a brothel right at the entrance of the next street, called Cuihong^[3]Emerald Green House. If you regret it later, come find me. I’m Madam Qin. But I’ll tell you this now, if you sell it to me later, I won’t offer such a high price!” She had just acquired two courtesans from Jiangnan who were exceedingly beautiful and she planned to keep them in a secluded alley, renting them out long-term as mistresses to earn more money. Lin Dan’s shop was in the quietest location, so Madam Qin had her eye on it, but it was a pity that it wasn’t for sale.

If it wasn’t for sale, so be it. Opening a restaurant in a deep alley, this shopkeeper was bound to lose money! With that thought, the middle-aged woman finally felt satisfied, eagerly waiting for Lin Dan to come begging her.

But Lin Dan didn’t take the other party’s words to heart at all, only responding with a light smile. Ninth Brother Tang, however, expressed his concern, “Why don’t you open a shop in the Western District? I have a few storefronts there that I can either sell or rent to you. The Yan family wouldn’t dare cause trouble.”

“Thank you for your kindness.” Lin Dan turned to him, her voice soft and gentle, “Ninth Brother Tang, what do you think is the most delicious dish in the world?”

This question stumped him, a seasoned gourmand. He had tasted all sorts of flavors from across the land and liked them all, but when asked to rank them, he couldn’t do it. Each cuisine had its own unique characteristics and strengths, with its own devoted followers. Even the imperial dishes weren’t to everyone’s taste— some people loved them, while others didn’t. Tastes vary from person to person.

Seeing that he couldn’t answer for a long time, Lin Dan pointed to the signboard above the door and said, “If I can make the most delicious dish in the world, why should I worry about anything else?”

Ninth Brother Tang looked up and suddenly understood. The new signboard bore two large words written in regular script, 「Hometown Dishes」. Without a doubt, this was the most delicious food in the world. No matter where one went, no matter what kind of delicacies they had tasted, in moments of nostalgia or solitude, what they missed and craved most were the flavors of their childhood, the essence of home. Especially in the Southern District, where everyone was a wanderer, the taste of home was a lingering longing for all.

Lin Dan had spent ten years traveling throughout the Great Chu Dynasty and learning the most authentic local dishes. With such a restaurant, how could she possibly lose money?

Seeing that Ninth Brother Tang had figured it out, Lin Dan smiled and said, “If I were on the west side of the city, I would open a Shandong cuisine restaurant. If I were on the east side, I would open a Huaiyang cuisine restaurant. If I were on the north side, I would open a noodle shop. No matter where I open my shop, I will always have customers.” Because she had confidence in her skills, she always acted with more assurance and composure than others.

The west side of the city was home to officials and nobility, so Shandong cuisine, known as the ‘official’s cuisine’, would be appropriate. The east side was filled with wealthy people who were well-traveled, extravagant, and fond of elegance, making Huaiyang cuisine, with its emphasis on harmony, artistry, and refined taste, a perfect match. Huaiyang dishes often came with stories, which appealed to the affluent. The north side was mainly populated by locals of humble means, so a small noodle shop serving a few bowls of plain noodles or mixed sauce noodles daily could still be profitable. And as for this Hometown Dishes restaurant in the south side, there was no need to even mention it…… The Yan family’s sneaky tricks could never trouble Lin Dan.

Ninth Brother Tang walked along, contemplating these business insights, and couldn’t help but gain a deeper appreciation for Lin Dan.

“It seems I worried for nothing.” He sighed with a complex tone.

“But I still appreciate your concern.” Lin Dan walked into the kitchen, moved three pots of simmering broth into large clay pots, and continued to stew them over low flame. Then she picked up a cleaver and started cutting cabbage stems. Using different knife techniques, she sliced the stems into various shapes— centipede cuts, peony cuts, wheat-ear cuts— each one expanding beautifully as it was placed in water.

Tang Jiu watched her expert knife work for a long time before pointing at the wok filled with small grains and asking, “Are you planning to make roasted chestnuts with sugar?”

Lin Dan shook her head. “After practicing my knife skills, I still need to practice flipping the wok. Without some weight in it, how can I build up wrist strength? If I don’t practice every day, my knife skills will grow rusty, my strength will fade, and I won’t be able to cook with the same flavor as before.”

Ninth Brother Tang sighed. “Practicing culinary skills is no easier than practicing martial arts.”

“Every craft is learned this way, nothing surprising about it.” Lin Dan set down the cleaver and lifted the lid off the large clay pot where the master stock was simmering, stirring it slowly with a long ladle. Afterward, she removed the tenderized whole chickens, ducks, pig’s trotters, and pork belly and replaced them with fresh ones, continuing to simmer them. Finally, she covered the pot, sealed the edges with a damp cloth, and placed a stone slab on top to prevent the aroma from escaping.

As she lifted the lid, the fragrance was so intense that Ninth Brother Tang was nearly overwhelmed— not by a foul smell, but by an aroma so rich and alluring that it was almost bewitching!