Quick Transmigration: The Supporting Female Lead Stays Out of It - Chapter 4: Chef 3

Lin Dan helped Qi to sit down at the door, and then turned to look at Yan Langqing, her gaze was very sharp. “Miss Yan, have you looked through the recipe I returned to you?”

“Of course, I have.” Yan Langqing stood on the stairs leading to the second floor, looking down at the other person, her attitude was somewhat puzzled, and also somewhat arrogant.

“Then you should be able to discover that the first sixty pages of the Yan family recipe have old and yellowed paper, and blurred handwriting, while the following three hundred and eighty-eight pages are as white as new, with clear ink. Why is this?”

Yan Langqing thought to herself that things were not good, but she couldn’t stop Lin Dan’s mouth. Lin Dan stepped forward and spoke in a loud voice, “That’s because the following three hundred and eighty-eight pages are all new dishes developed by my father to compensate for the deficiencies of the Yan family’s recipe. My father worked in the industry for decades, during which he innovated hundreds of dishes and dozens of innovative techniques, which are all recorded in the Yan family recipe. Several of the most popular signature dishes in the restaurant today were all made by my father later. Young Master, that Braised Deer Tendons was also developed by the old Marquis and my father, which took several months and killed dozens of wild deer, you won’t forget, will you?”

The Young Marquis said in a serious tone, “That’s true.”

Because the restaurant changed its sign today, it was a great celebration. Lin’s second brother invited many gourmets to support the event. Among them, one person had a very close personal relationship with Lin Baotian and couldn’t help but shout loudly: “And that Braised Shark Fin with Yellow Sauce was developed by me and your father, which took more than half a year, and the shark fin was ruined in several carloads, before we had the famous dish that was included in the imperial court’s recipe. Not to mention your father’s character for now, but your father’s cooking skills were definitely not stolen or robbed, it was genuine skill honed in the smoke and flames!”

Lin Dan respectfully bowed to that person, expressing her gratitude, “Thank you, Uncle Liu, for your righteous words. As for what kind of person my father was, everyone should know the answer based on his actions over the years.” After speaking, she looked at Yan Langqing: “Your father is the master’s own son. The master was bedridden for several months, and during that time he sent your father many letters, but he couldn’t come back to see the master off. I won’t delve into the reasons for this. I just want to say—my father handled the master’s funeral properly in every way, and even replaced the son by breaking the basin and setting up a tombstone. You can’t deny this, can you?”

Yan Langqing subconsciously looked at Yan’s father, who was about to retort, but Lin Dan then said: “There were many people who attended the funeral that year, so it should be easy to find a few witnesses.”

Yan’s father immediately didn’t dare to speak. The funeral was indeed held very grandly, and there were still many people who remembered it now.

Lin Dan glanced at him and said slowly: “My father served the master until his old age, and also handled the master’s funeral. His actions were no different from those of a biological son. How could he be regarded as a person who betrayed his master? In those years, you and my father learned cooking from the master together. Yet you remain unknown to this day, while my father traveled south and north to Kyoto, establishing the foundation of the Yan family cuisine. Was it that my father stole your family’s golden knife and recipe, and did the ugly deed of betraying his master? Or was it that the master was disappointed in you and didn’t teach you the secret skills? Who knows the inside story? Just like you, the biological son, didn’t send your own father off, the ins and outs of this, who can make it clear? Isn’t it all just by your mouth?”

Yan’s father’s forehead broke out in some cold sweat. He raised his hand to wipe it, but quickly put it down, looking a little guilty and embarrassed. No matter how good he spoke, not sending his father off was indeed a great act of unfilial piety, enough to drown him with the spit of the world.

Lin Dan turned her head to look at Yan Langqing, and continued: “You want to compete with me in cooking, and whoever is stronger will get the golden knife and the recipe, I think it makes sense, so I agreed. In the end, you won, and I also returned the recipe and the golden knife. Then, does that mean—only the strongest person is qualified to inherit the title of ‘Golden Knife Imperial Chef’s Successor’? So, should your father and my father have also competed back then?”

Yan’s father seemed to be poked at a sore spot, and immediately shouted: “What’s there to compete? I am my father’s biological son, his things should be passed on to me, what does it have to do with your father?”

Someone beside them finally couldn’t stand it anymore and retorted: “Cooking is different from other professions, whether you have real skills can be known by just trying it on the stove, how can you fake it? The title of ‘Imperial Chef’s Successor’ can’t be given to anyone who wants it, you have to be able to carry it! Chefs value their reputation and word-of-mouth the most. If anyone ruins these two things, even their own son won’t do!”

As soon as this remark came out, many people followed and nodded in agreement. Any famous chef in the capital, which one doesn’t take seventeen or eighteen apprentices, but only one or two are selected to inherit their mantle. Why? Because the true skill can only be carried forward by those who truly have talent.

Some things are better left unsaid, but once they are spoken, the doubts in them will come out one after another. For a moment, the gazes of everyone towards the Yan family father and daughter changed.

Lin Dan said unhurriedly, “Yes, you are the master’s biological son, and what you say seems to be reasonable. My father is already dead, so naturally, he is beyond defense. Now, can I challenge you in accordance with Yan Langqing’s logic? I will represent my father and complete the competition that you didn’t finish back then. You and I will each make three dishes in the kitchen of this restaurant, and invite the people present as witnesses. Whoever wins will be the owner of the golden knife and the recipe. Is that fair?”

Yan’s father was so frightened that his lips began to tremble. He had asked his mother to send him to his maternal grandfather’s house to study because he couldn’t bear the hardships of learning to cook, so how could he cook? Instead, Yan Langqing inherited Yan Bo’s talent. If not, he would not have instigated his daughter to compete with Lin Dan.

But he never expected Lin Dan to be so cunning, and to turn around and take him as the target. What should he do now? Should he accept or not under the watchful eyes of the public? Not accepting would make him seem cowardly and timid; accepting would mean he couldn’t win and would be even more embarrassing!

Yan Langqing was only one or two years older than Lin Dan, and she had some guile, but not much. She immediately stood up and shouted: “Lin Dan, if you want to compete, compete with me, what is the point of you looking for my father?”

“I’ve already competed with you. Now, this match is me completing the competition from my father’s time. I was taught by my father, and only got five or six points of his true skills. If I lose, I admit it. If I win, I also ask you to take back those words that defame my father. How about it, are you going to compete or not?”

Yan’s father didn’t even know how to use the wok, so what could he use to compete? The cold sweat on his forehead was streaming down.

Seeing his appearance, everyone naturally guessed that his cooking skills were not good, so they began to discuss among themselves: “Even a twelve or thirteen-year-old girl can’t win, how can he have the face to compare himself with Lin Baotian? If I were Yan the Imperial Chef, I would also choose Lin Baotian as my successor, not this useless son.” Originally, the public opinion, which was very unfavorable to Lin Baotian, had now completely changed. Some people were even encouraging Yan’s father to agree, just wanting to see him make a fool of himself.

Although Lin Dan had already lost to Yan Langqing, this time she was challenging on behalf of her deceased father. Her purpose was also to defend her deceased father’s reputation. No one could find fault with her, and they even had to secretly praise her with a sentence, “This child is greatly filial, a son should be like this”.

The old man with the white beard who had been a judge the other day looked at Lin Dan and nodded repeatedly, his expression quite appreciative.

Yan’s father was completely panicked, wiping his sweat while shrinking back. Yan Langqing turned her head and looked at the Young Marquis pitifully, as if asking for help. The Young Marquis was Lin Dan’s master. As long as he spoke, Lin Dan would not make things difficult for her father. But the Young Marquis, who had always been responsive to her demands, this time had a serious expression and did not speak.

Lin Dan glanced at the Young Marquis and said helplessly: “Well, for the sake of the master’s spirit in heaven, I won’t entangle myself with you. I only need to clarify one point: My father was definitely not an ungrateful person who betrayed his master. Everything he has today is based on his own true skills. In the past, there were dozens, if not hundreds, of imperial chefs who retired from the palace, but how many of them truly made a name for themselves outside? I counted with my fingers, not exceeding five people. If it weren’t for my father, who would know about the Golden Knife Imperial Chef? Who would know about the Yan family cuisine? The Yan family recipe originally only had sixty pages, but was expanded by my father to more than four hundred pages. How much effort did he put in?”

Lin Dan looked straight at Yan Langqing: “I’ve already returned the golden knife to you. I’ve also returned the recipe newly written by my father. Consider it as repaying the master’s kindness for teaching my father for many years. I hope you will not be aggressive anymore. The dishes on the recipe, I can choose not to make them, but please don’t deny my father’s cooking skills and character, and don’t deny his contributions to your Yan family cuisine. Without him, there would be no Yan family cuisine that is praised by everyone today. He is worthy of the master and the Yan family. He is not afraid even in the afterlife.” After the words fell, she helped the tearful Qi to walk away slowly.

As soon as the two figures disappeared, discussions broke out in the store. Some said that the good reputation of the Yan family cuisine today was indeed built by Lin Baotian. He always claimed to be the successor of the Yan family cuisine. This was gratitude and repayment, not ungratefulness. Others said that the Yan family father and daughter were really not kind people. Without Lin Baotian, could there be the Yan family cuisine today? Lin Baotian rewrote the Yan family recipe. That was a great fortune, and you not only took it all, but also forbade his own daughter from cooking the dishes on it. You are pushing people into a dead end. You have no conscience!

Before, everyone had a lot of sympathy for Yan Langqing and her father. Now, after taking a look, they realized that these two people, one fabricated lies to ruin other people’s reputations, and the other was cruel and ruthless, cutting off people’s future paths. They truly were the actions of petty people. In contrast, Lin Dan and her father and mother were magnanimous and generous!

“We’re not eating anymore. Without Chef Lin, what’s the point of eating the dishes in this restaurant!” Immediately, many diners threw their sleeves and left. The bustling hall became empty in an instant.

Lin Dan helped Qi into the hired carriage and headed to the outskirts of the capital to find an inexpensive inn for them to stay. One hundred and twenty taels of silver might have seemed like a lot, but it would be spent quickly, and without any income, they needed to save and save to ensure their future lives.

“Dan’er, why didn’t you compete with Yan Shouye just now? Back then, he couldn’t even flip a wok, how could he be your match?” Qi asked, puzzled.

“Mother, didn’t you notice that the Young Marquis was very protective of Yan Langqing? With the Young Marquis there, it’s better for us to avoid provoking the Yan family,” Lin Dan pulled back the thin quilt, letting Qi lie down and rest for a while. But only she herself knew that avoiding Yan Langqing and the Young Marquis was one thing. On the other hand, she had only inherited Lin Dan’s memories, but she did not possess her cooking skills. Those words just now were only to intimidate Yan’s father; how could she really compete with him? If she competed, she herself would be embarrassed. By not competing, everyone would fill in the gaps in their minds, and they would only think of Yan’s father as more unbearable. This was the effect she wanted.

“You mean, the Young Marquis is to Yan Langqing…” Qi thought of Yan Langqing’s face, as beautiful as a peach blossom, and also thought of the Young Marquis’s thousandfold care for her, and immediately let out a long sigh. They were a mother and daughter, alone and without support, how could they dare to oppose the person the Young Marquis had taken a liking to? This silent loss had to be accepted.

Unbeknownst to them, after they left, the Young Marquis also left without saying a word, leaving Yan Langqing standing there, extremely embarrassed.