Adorable Food Goddess

Chapter 82: Sidelines

Translator: Kats  Editor: Perriemix

Ye Jiayao was not a stranger to the suspicious and negative look Elder Princess Yi De was giving her. For a man, she was considered scrawny and ‘pretty’ so everyone looked at him as just some naive kid. She knew that this would not be the first nor the last time that she would have to face rigorous questionings because of what she looked like.

She would rather be doubted and questioned than be ugly.

Elder Princess Yi De and Lady Xia You took a seat. Elder Princess Yi De did not invite Big Yaoyao to sit, so Helian Jing decided to stand with him.

“What restaurants have you worked at before?” Elder Princess Yi De asked.

Ye Jiayao could make up a fake background like she did when the people at Heavenly Residence asked her, but somehow, lying didn’t feel right to her with Chunyu’s mom present. On the other hand, her resume was too unimpressive and certainly doesn’t speak the extent of her skills.

With a prayer, she answered, “Honestly, the biggest restaurant I’ve worked at so far is Heavenly Residence. I was traveling all around the country before that, tasting all the delicious foods, learning about the essence of Northern and Southern foods and fusing Eastern and Western cuisines. However, I don’t believe that my resume, or any resume for that matter, is a way to judge skills and probability for success. In a few years, though, I believe that not one single person in Jin Ling will ask me that question again.”

Elder Princess Yi De took a sharp intake of breath. This kid was really arrogant. Was he just young and frivolous, or does he really have the skill he was claiming?

Helian Jing looked at Ye Jiayao with a mix of respect and admiration.

Lady Xia You, on the other hand, regarded the young chef with interest. It was seldom that someone could one-up Elder Princess Yi De.

“You are quite confident,” Elder Princess Yi De remarked with a glare.

Ye Jiayao smiled calmly and answered, “I’m not being proud, but I’m also not going to pretend to be modest and downplay what I can do.”

Ye Jiayao had always believed that the best way to beat the arrogance and prejudice of superiors was to be prouder than they were. She was not going to roll over for anyone, princess or not.

Elder Princess Yi De already had doubts about Li Yao’s skills and age, and the way he talked was not helping him convince her otherwise. She found him arrogant, brash, and… distasteful.

Helian Jing was aware of his mother’s temper – the prettier her smile, the worse the situation was about to get. He quickly handed her the menu. “Mum, this is the menu that Li Yao created. What do you think?”

Elder Princess Yi De took the menu leisurely. She was already completely uninterested and dissuaded but she could not ignore Little Jing’s eager and pleading look. She was prepared to glance over the menu for a few seconds and declare it lackluster. However, as soon as she made her way down the list, her mind quickly changed.

She had hosted all kinds of banquets, family banquets, seasonal banquets, and banquets for guests. She had also held feasts for celebrating the first month of a newborn, passing the civil examinations, birthdays, and even feasts for the Imperial family. In that vast experience, she had never seen a menu as detailed as this.

Li Yao listed  everything,  from the choice of plates and bowls to the tea and dried fruits and cakes to be served before the banquet. It contained the number of pickled dishes, the number of appetizers, the number of hot dishes, and even the longevity of the noodles. Every part and aspect of the banquet was accounted for.