The Female Supporting Role Shows Out

Chapter 4

Translator: NovelMultiverse | Editor: NovelMultiverse

Lin Dan helped Lady Qi to the entrance and sat her down. She turned around and looked at Yan Langqing fiercely. "Miss Yan, have you ever looked at the book of recipes that I've returned to you?"

"Of course, I have." Yan Langqing stood on the stairs leading to the second floor and stared at Lin Dan condescendingly with a puzzled yet arrogant look.

"If so, you should have realized that the first 60 pages of that book are yellow and the writings have faded, while the next 388 pages are as good as new and the writings remain clean and clear. Why do you think this is so?"

Yan Langqing knew that things were starting to go south, but she was unable to stop Lin Dan from going on. Lin Dan stepped forward and proclaimed, "That's because the 388 pages are all new dishes developed by my father to make up for the inadequacies in Yan's recipes. My father has been in the culinary scene for decades. He has created hundreds of new dishes and dozens of innovative techniques which are all recorded in the Yan family's recipe book. The most popular signature dishes in the restaurant today are all invented by my father. Young Marquis, I'm sure you would never forget the roasted deer tendon that was invented by the old marquis and my father. It took several months for them to come up with this dish and they even had to kill dozens of wild deer for that."

The young marquis replied in a serious tone, "That is true."

Many connoisseurs were present at the time as the second son of the Lin family had invited them to come and celebrate the revamp of the restaurant's signboard. One of them had a close relationship with Lin Baotian and blurted, "Don't forget that braised shark's fin too! I was the one who invented that dish with your father. It took us more than half a year to come up with that dish. We even burned a few carts of shark's fin before we were able to get this famous dish included as part of the imperial cuisine. We can disregard Lin Baotian's character for the time being, but his culinary skills are truly outstanding. It's a superb skill that can't be stolen or taken and can only be mastered in the kitchen!"

Lin Dan bowed to the man respectfully and said gratefully, "Thank you, Uncle Liu, for speaking up for my father. As for my father's character, I'm sure everyone should have a fairly good idea based on what he has done over the years." Lin Dan then turned to Yan Langqing and continued, "Your father is the son of the grandmaster. Yet, your father failed to see him for the last time when the grandmaster fell gravely ill for several months, despite sending letters to your father multiple times. Let's not speculate the reasons behind that, but I just want to point out that my father was the one who held the funeral for the grandmaster, completed the rites by breaking the pot, and even erected a gravestone for him instead of his son. I'm sure you can't deny that, do you?"

Yan Langqing looked at her father. Before he could refute, Lin Dan added, "Many people attended the funeral and I am sure it won't be difficult to find witnesses to attest to that."

Yan's father dare not utter a word. The funeral was held respectfully indeed, and many people could still remember it.

Lin Dan glanced at him. "My father took care of him until his death and even held a funeral for him. He did what a son should do and how could you say that he has deceived his master and brought shame to his ancestors? Back then, the grandmaster had imparted his culinary skills to your father and mine. But your father has not made his name, while my father traveled around before coming back to the capital and laid a foundation for Yan's dishes. Tell me, was my father being despicable by stealing your family's Golden Knife and recipes, or was your father not competent enough to master the true essence of Yan's dishes? Just like we're unsure of the true reason behind the son who didn't arrive in time to hold a funeral for his father, how can we be so sure that your one-sided story is the only truth?"