Chapter 144 - Master Chef Competition, Real and Fake Mother

“Then, I’ll leave the three little masters in your hands.” Nanny Fang spoke kindly.

Yan Ruyu did not expect that the children she had tried so hard to get back would be sent back by the Princess Consort just like that. If it weren’t for the fact that the occasion wasn’t right, she really wanted to pinch herself to see if this was true.

Nanny Fang took in her surprise. It would be strange if she didn’t have this reaction when a “fiancée” who had lost his favor was suddenly valued by the Princess Consort.

Nanny Fang said pleasantly, “Young Master caught a cold and isn’t feeling well. The Princess Consort went to take care of him. The little masters are still young and it’s not good for them to be sick. I’ll have to trouble Miss Yan to take care of them for the next few days.”

Yan Ruyu said gently, “Nanny, you’re treating me like an outsider. I’m their biological mother, so it’s my duty to take care of them. I still have to thank the Princess Consort for letting me take care of them.”

Nanny Fang said, “In that case, I’ll have to trouble Miss Yan.”

… .

At the end of February, the Yu Family’s small workshop completed all the orders they had gotten during the Old Master Wei’s birthday banquet and successfully handed over the first batch of goods to Master Qin—800 pounds of black stinky tofu and 30 jars of stinky beancurd.

These ingredients were transported by Master Qin to the two Drunken Immortal Pavilions closest to the Capital. The stinky tofu looked ugly and smelled bad. He thought that he would have to slowly open up the market, but in less than two days, it was sold out.

Although Master Qin wanted to rush the next batch of goods, the most important thing now was the Capital’s Master Chef Competition.

“Take your time to produce the goods. I’m not in a hurry,” Master Qin said generously.

Yu Wan said, “There’s nothing we can do even if we’re anxious. The output of tofu won’t increase without suitable tools.”

Master Qin pondered for a moment. “The tool you’re talking about is…”

Yu Wan said, “A jack and a few utensils that I want.”

Master Qin pondered. “I’ve never heard of what you said, but I know many skilled craftsmen. I should be able to help you make it. We’re old acquaintances, so I won’t treat you badly.”

She had searched high and low for it, only to find it without any effort. Ironware was a controlled product in the Great Zhou Dynasty, and she was just worrying about how to customize it from the iron shop.

“I’ll thank Master Qin first.” Yu Wan returned to her room and drew the blueprint with a charcoal pencil.

Master Qin looked at the blueprint in his hand and revealed an extremely surprised expression. “Miss Yu… your handwriting is really good.”

The painting was also well drawn. It was not inferior to a professional craftsman. If he had not seen it with his own eyes, he would not have believed that it was drawn by a village girl.

“Miss Yu, you’re really impressive!”

He was looking forward to the competition three days later more and more. Although Yu Kaiyang was the head chef, he had a feeling that this little girl was definitely not an ordinary person.

… .

The day of the Master Chef Competition was set for the third of February.

On this day, the Yu family woke up early. Aunt went to the kitchen to make breakfast. She mixed in some millet porridge made from rice, steamed cornbread, a few fresh green onions, and pickled vegetables. The family ate until they were sweating profusely, and not even a single green onion leaf was left.

Yu Song ate eight cornbread in one go, but he was not full. He still wanted to go to the pot to get more.

“Alright.” Aunt pressed him down. “It will be uncomfortable on the road if you eat too much. I steamed some buns. You guys can eat when you get there.”

Yu Song nodded and glanced at Yu Wan, who was quietly eating porridge. He stammered, “No… no need. I’m full!”

“Second Brother, you only eat so little?” Yu Wan looked up and asked.

Yu Song glared at her. “Do you think I’m a rice bucket?!”

Yu Wan raised her eyebrows. Eight cornbreads were almost as good as a rice bucket.

The venue of the competition was at the Tianxiang Restaurant on Chang’an Street in the Capital. It was said to be the headquarters of the Tianxiang Restaurant, which was three times larger than the one on Xuanwu Street they had been to.

It was said that there were dozens of restaurants participating in the competition. One restaurant could at most send out two chefs, but as the host, Tianxiang Restaurant sent out a total of four chefs, one of which was Chef Bao.

There were also two chefs from the Drunken Immortal Pavilion who participated in the competition. However, the other person was very dizzy and fell sick as soon as he entered the Capital.

“Chef Yu, Miss Yu, Little Brother Yu!” Master Qin’s loud voice came from outside the old residence.

Aunt took the half-cleaned bowl and chopsticks from Yu Wan. “Go.”

Yu Wan nodded and stood up to welcome him. “Master Qin, you’re early.”

Master Qin smiled and said, “I have to be early. If I’m late, I won’t have the chance to participate in the competition. You haven’t eaten yet, right? I have food prepared in my carriage.”

Yu Wan hurriedly said, “I’ve eaten.”

“So early?” Master Qin was surprised.

Yu Wan thought to herself, What’s this? When she was doing business back then, she had also woken up in the middle of the night.

The competition was held in three days. On the first day, she did not need her ingredients, so Yu Wan did not pick up anything and went on a journey with her uncle and two brothers.

On the way to Tianxiang Restaurant, Master Qin explained the rules of the competition to the four of them. Other than Chef Bao’s third day of descent, the remaining chefs had to go through the heavy screening of the previous two days. To put it simply, they had to continuously defeat their opponents and advance to the finals.

Master Qin didn’t have any hopes of defeating Chef Bao, but he had to make it to the third day no matter what. This was because only on that day would the chefs be able to make the food they wanted.

“So we’ll cook with the ingredients they gave us in the first two days?” Yu Wan asked.

“That’s right,” Master Qin said. “If you get ingredients that you’re not used to, it’ll easily affect your performance. However, I think this shouldn’t be a problem for Chef Yu.”

Uncle had been working at Tianxiang Restaurant for so long. He had basically cooked everything from those that were flying in the sky to those that were swimming in the water. There were few things that he could not cook.

He was afraid that he would meet the chef of Tianxiang Restaurant too early. One had to know that the other party was definitely not an undeserved reputation, and Uncle had abandoned his skills for so long. If he really met his former peers, the outcome would probably be uncertain.

The carriage drove quickly and arrived at Chang’an Street in less than two hours.

The streets were crowded with people, and the entrance of Tianxiang Restaurant was even more crowded. The carriage could not move over, so the few of them could only abandon the carriage and walk.

When she finally squeezed to the door, Yu Wan saw a familiar figure. “Miss Bai?”

Bai Tang, who was about to cross the threshold, turned around in surprise. The person beside her also stopped in her tracks. Only then did Yu Wan realize that Shopkeeper Cui was also there.

Yu Wan greeted, “Shopkeeper Cui.”

“It’s Miss Yu.” When Shopkeeper Cui saw her, he remembered that he had been caught by Yan Jiuchao and could not help but feel a little embarrassed.

Bai Tang was much more affectionate. She pulled Yu Wan’s hand. “Why are you here? Are you here to watch the competition too? Are you alone?”

When they first met, the young lady was quite cold, but once they got familiar with each other, she became a chatterbox like Little Bruiser. Yu Wan laughed. “I came with my family, and there’s also Master Qin from the Drunken Immortal Pavilion.”

As she spoke, she turned around to look behind her, but only her uncle, Master Qin, and Yu Song walked over. Yu Feng had gone somewhere to hide with a red face.

The White Jade Restaurant did not have the qualifications to participate in the competition, but Miss Bai spent a lot of money and booked a room on the second floor. The room on the third floor was even better, but unfortunately, she could not book it.

Bai Tang said excitedly, “Didn’t Young Master Yan smash the Tianxiang Restaurant’s signboard? In order to save face, I heard that they invited many nobles to support them. If we’re lucky later, we might be able to meet a few royal relatives. That way, I won’t have spent so much money in vain! By the way, you said that you were with the people from the Drunken Immortal Pavilion. Which Drunken Immortal Pavilion is it?”

Just as Yu Wan was about to answer her, there was a commotion outside the door. The pageboys and waiters who were originally doing their jobs in the hall put down their work and ran out of the door. Yu Wan could not help but look in the direction of the voice. She saw a girl in a white dress with a light blue ribbon around her waist. She had a graceful figure and looked like a cloud sweeping across the moon. Surrounded by everyone, she walked in.

She was wearing a light blue veil and a sapphire pendant on her forehead. Her eyebrows were like the crescent and her eyes were sparkling. Her slender waist was slim and was tied with a translucent ice-blue ribbon. When the breeze blew, her skirt slowly gathered and the ribbon fluttered. She was extremely beautiful.

Almost everyone’s eyes flashed with amazement. She was probably not a mortal, but a fairy from a painting, right?

Just as everyone was stunned by the woman’s beauty, the woman reached out with a pair of slender white hands and led the two children over. There was another child that was held by the maidservant behind.

The three of them were wearing the same clothes, had the same height, and had the same hair bun.

Twins were extremely rare these days, let alone triplets.

The three of them were not wearing veils, so their faces were exposed to everyone.

Everyone was really dumbfounded. Were they dreaming? How could there be such beautiful children in the world? Even the immortal child in the painting wasn’t so cute! In particular, the three of them hung their heads low and looked dejected. However, their little hands were still being held as they walked forward. It almost melted everyone’s hearts.

Others might not have recognized them, but Yu Wan did at first glance. Needless to say, she could recognize the three little munchkins, and the woman holding their hands… must be the eldest daughter of the General Manor, Yan Ruyu.

After Yan Jiuchao took the children away, he didn’t keep them by his side, but returned them to Yan Ruyu?

Why?

A handsome middle-aged man walked out from behind the crowd and strode forward. He cupped his hands at Yan Ruyu with a smile.

Someone recognized him as the owner of the Tianxiang Restaurant, Xu Shao. Xu Shao was Worthy Consort Xu’s brother. Because Worthy Consort Xu was the best in the harem, many people secretly called Xu Shao Emperor’s Little Brother-in-law. The Emperor’s Big Brother-in-law was the Empress’s brother.

Even he personally went to welcome Yan Ruyu.

“Eh? Is that Yan Ruyu?” Bai Tang asked.

She had seen Yan Ruyu before. She was wearing a veil, but it was also equal to not wearing one. Instead, it was easier to recognize her. Moreover, there was Aunt Lin and the three adorable little masters. Bai Tang would never mistake them.

Bai Tang muttered, “Why is she here too? Her fiancé ruined someone’s place, and she still has the cheek to come?”

“Fiancé?” Yu Wan did not react for a moment.

“Yan Jiuchao!” Bai Tang whispered.

Yu Wan said indifferently, “He didn’t say he wanted to marry her.”

Bai Tang raised her eyebrows and said, “They already have children. What can they do if they don’t marry? Besides, didn’t you see that the Emperor is praising the Yan family? He’s reopening the case and promoting them. He’s just short of sending the betrothal gift directly to the Yan family! Eh? Why are you leaving? I haven’t finished speaking! Do you want to go to my room?”

Shopkeeper Cui, who had finished communicating with Uncle and Master Qin, walked over. “Miss, let’s go up.”

Looking at Yu Wan’s lonely back, Bai Tang scratched her head. “Did I say something wrong?”

“Ah, no.” Shopkeeper Cui smiled. “The Yu family is here to participate in the competition. The competition is about to begin, so Miss Yu has to start preparing.”

“I see, that’s right, why would she care about Yan Jiuchao’s marriage?” Bai Tang was relieved and went to the second floor with Shopkeeper Cui.

Yan Ruyu and the three little masters were invited by Xu Shao to the third floor that only nobles could step foot on.

Yu Wan and Bai Tang were not the only ones who recognized Yan Ruyu. Soon, the news that Young Master Yan’s fiancée had arrived at Tianxiang Restaurant spread through the crowd. Everyone guessed that Tianxiang Restaurant and Young Master Yan had reconciled. Although there was no precedent, Miss Yan was still the mother of his three children. Her words should have some weight.

At the same time, the news that Yan Ruyu had lost her favor also collapsed. She had already appeared in front of others with three little masters. Who would dare to say that Yan Jiuchao didn’t want her? It’s more like her good fortune was coming soon and she would marry into the Young Master Manor.

On this end, Yan Ruyu was pleased with herself. Yu Wan also returned to her uncle and two older brothers’ side. She was never someone who put her thoughts on her face. Besides, what kind of thoughts were these? The world was big, and earning money was important. The most important thing now was to win the competition, clear her uncle’s name, and obtain the full business of Drunken Immortal Pavilion. She did not have the time to think about anything else for the time being.

Today’s competition was divided into three rounds. In each round, the ingredients were predetermined. As for what dishes to make, it would depend on their performance. The ten chefs would form a group, and only three people in each group could enter the competition tomorrow.

In order to avoid arousing suspicion, the Tianxiang Restaurant invited more than ten respected chefs from elsewhere to evaluate.

“Our luck might not be good.” Master Qin, who had returned from drawing lots, had a heavy expression.

Yu Wan blinked. “What’s wrong? Are all the opponents strong?”

Master Qin bowed with bitter tears. “Three out of ten people can advance. Three of them are from Tianxiang Restaurant. What do you think?”

The chefs of the Tianxiang Restaurant were naturally the strongest. No one was willing to face them in the first round of the competition, but not only did the Yu family face them, they even faced three of them!

Yu Feng and Yu Song did not know what to say.

“On purpose, right?” Yu Song muttered.

“They really didn’t do it on purpose.” Master Qin even checked the lot tube and confirmed that they didn’t do anything. He was just unlucky to encounter a fatal blow from the Tianxiang Restaurant in the first round.

“You… you’re on your own!” Master Qin patted Uncle’s shoulder and returned to the room dejectedly.

Perhaps it was because this lot was too much for the head chefs to bear. After some negotiations with the Tianxiang Restaurant, they transferred a chef surnamed Sun away, leaving Madam Du and a chef surnamed You.

When Uncle was working in Tianxiang Restaurant, he had never seen Chef You, let alone Madam Du. Although the two of them had heard of Uncle, they did not match up to the crippled chef of the Drunken Immortal Pavilion.

The three of them brought their respective sous-chefs and went to work at the open-air stove.

The main ingredient received in the first round was flour which the bran did not remove. It was commonly known as wheat flour. The supplementary ingredients were placed outside the stove. There were chickens, ducks, fish, fruits, and vegetables.

In theory, they could do anything as long as they used flour.

Chef You of the Tianxiang Restaurant was the first to start. He made dumplings with soup. This was a dish that every family knew how to make. It was probably not easy to innovate. He personally chose a few fresh sweet potatoes and asked someone to wash them before cutting them into pieces and putting them into a steamer. He steamed them until they were soft, then removed the skin. He mashed the sweet potato and poured it into the flour. He added brown sugar and eggs to make the dough. The dumpling skin made from this dough carried the fragrance and sweetness of sweet potatoes.

He was also very particular about the stuffing. He chose the pork belly that has both fat and thin meat. If there was less, it would be hard, and if there was more, it would be greasy. He controlled everything just right. After chopping it into pieces, he mixed the spring bamboo shoots, mushrooms, and mustard greens into the stuffing.

“Original soup and food.” Uncle nodded in admiration.

The pork had the smell of meat, but when poured with the bone broth, it could greatly eliminate the smell of meat without affecting its taste. It could be said to be a very smart method.

The sweetness of the sweet potatoes and the freshness of the filling completely fused together. The soup was rich, the meat was tender, and the skin was soft. There was a hint of sweetness in the salty fragrance, making one eat heartily.

What Madam Du made was a snack. She removed the skin of the pumpkin, steamed it, and mashed it. She added white sugar and milk into the flour. In order to enhance the taste, she put in red dates and hawthorn paste. The steamed cake was not only soft and sweet, but also slightly sour. However, there was nothing new about this until Madam Du ground the dried spicy mutton meat into powder and sprinkled it evenly on the cake. The taste of this snack instantly changed.

“Good, good, good!”

After the chief chef finished tasting it, he said those words in a row. It was obvious that he liked this snack.

After finishing the cake on the plate, another dish was presented. It was a bowl of yellow-orange noodles. There wasn’t much in it, only a small ball covered in a bright red sauce. On the sauce were two tender green leaves. The arrangement wasn’t exquisite, but it still made one’s eyes light up and their index finger move.

The chief chef first tasted the noodles. They were not soft, and were even a little hard. He had never eaten such strange noodles, but they were still considered strong. He tasted the sauce again, and the strong fragrance of beef spread between his teeth. He was instantly frightened.

The Great Zhou Dynasty banned the killing of cattle, but someone actually dared to make beef? He quickly called the waiter over. After asking, he realized that it was not beef in the sauce, but tofu.

“Tofu?” The chief chef did not believe him.

The shop assistant smiled and said, “I saw them make it with my own eyes. It’s indeed tofu.”

The chief chef had lived for most of his life, but this was the first time he had seen tofu that tastes like beef. And these strange and chewy noodles… The chief chef suddenly felt that this competition was a little interesting.

“Is this the smell?” Uncle asked.

“Slurp ~” Yu Wan sucked in the last piece of spaghetti with meat sauce and nodded with satisfaction. “This is the taste!”

It was exactly the same as in her previous life.

The noodles were made by Yu Wan. She did not add any water during the fermentation process and only used eggs. This way, the dough that was kneaded out would become harder and harder, but the texture was firm and distinct. The sauce was cooked by her uncle. Yu Wan only casually mentioned it, but she did not expect her uncle to really cook it until it tasted like beef.

After the first round, four chefs were missing.

The second ingredients they received were half of the freshly slaughtered sheep and soaked soybeans.

Chef You made a soybean lamb chop. It was a standard dish with excellent taste.

Madam Du had made sliced mutton and soybean crisps. The texture of the mutton was not as good as Chef You’s, but the bowl of soybean crisps was really delicious. It was crispy and chewy, sweet but not tart. If it wasn’t because he had to have some space in his stomach to try other dishes, the chief chef would have wanted Madam Du to fry a few more plates.

The Yu Family made steamed mutton rolls. The soybeans were made into tender tofu and tofu skin. The mutton was on the outside, and the tofu skin was inside. It was first steamed, then fried, allowing the fat on the mutton leg to completely soak out. Finally, it was accompanied by a spoonful of cold tofu, which was refreshing and could cleanse their palate.

It was delicious, but the chief chef wondered, “Does his family sell tofu? Why can they make everything with tofu?”

The shop assistant said, “His family sells tofu!”

The chief chef : “…”

After the second round, only Chef You, Madam Du, and Uncle were left.

The last round of the competition was two hours later. The few of them went to the back row to rest. Uncle was exhausted and sat on the chair, panting.

Yu Wan opened the pot lid. “There’s no more water. I’ll go pour some water.”

“I’ll go!” Yu Feng took the teapot and turned to leave the room.

Yu Song sat at the side and chewed on a steamed bun. He was also exhausted. He had clearly been at the Bai Manor’s banquet for an entire day, but it was not as tiring as this half a day. The main reason was that he was always tense and on tenterhooks.

He looked at Yu Wan, who was busy picking bean sprouts. “Aren’t you tired?”

Yu Wan shook her head. “I’m not tired.” She continued to pluck the bean sprouts.

Yu Song couldn’t even move his fingers: “…”

Yu Wan plucked the bean sprouts and peeled the corncobs. Seeing that Yu Feng had not returned, she stood up and said, “I’ll go look for Big Brother and bring back some ice.”

Uncle’s leg hurt again, so he had to ice it.

Yu Wan left the room and walked towards the lobby of Tianxiang Restaurant. Halfway there, she saw Yu Feng being dragged into the room by Shopkeeper Cui. It was rare to see Miss Bai, so Yu Wan did not disturb him. She asked the waiter in the lobby for a pot of hot tea. “By the way, do you have ice here?”

“Yes, in the icehouse.” The waiter was so busy that he couldn’t leave. He pointed the way for Yu Wan. “Walk forward, go out the back door, enter the small garden, turn right, and go through the cloister.”

“Thank you.” Yu Wan thanked him and walked towards the icehouse with the teapot.

On the other side, Yan Ruyu went downstairs to take a breather. She was annoyed by the few little fellows and was unwilling to stay in the room for a moment.

She wanted to go to the garden to take a walk, but when she turned around, she saw Yu Wan walking towards the back door of the hall. Yu Wan had already turned around and left. She wasn’t sure if she had recognized the wrong person. She called out to the waiter who had been questioned by Yu Wan, “Come here.”

Seeing that she was wearing extraordinary clothes, the waiter did not dare to be negligent. He hurriedly went forward and said, “What can I do for you, Miss?”

Yan Ruyu looked at Yu Wan’s back and said, “Who is that?”

The waiter said, “She came to participate in the competition. I’m not sure who it is. I’ll help you ask.”

Yan Ruyu nodded indifferently.

The waiter put down the work at hand and asked his companions. He reported, “A girl surnamed Yu. She’s a helper of the Drunken Immortal Pavilion.”

Surnamed Yu? So it was her? A trace of disgust flashed across Yan Ruyu’s eyes. “To think that you allow any Tom, Dick, or Harry to enter despite being known as the Master Chef Competition.”

“Uh…” The waiter was stunned.

Yan Ruyu was originally going downstairs to relax, but she felt even more annoyed. “Alright, you can leave.”

“…Yes.”

“Miss.” Her personal maidservant walked forward. “That village girl doesn’t know what’s good for her and has gone against you several times. Why don’t you take this opportunity to teach her a lesson!”

“What lesson?” Yan Ruyu asked.

The maidservant snorted. “Isn’t she here to participate in the competition? Just by finding someone to tamper with her ingredients, she can make a name for herself. There’s no need for Miss to personally appear for such a matter. Master Xu has the intention to be on good terms with Miss. I think he’ll be very happy to help Miss resolve this thorn in your side.”

“Who said she’s a thorn in my side?” Yan Ruyu looked coldly at the maidservant.

The maidservant’s head turned cold. She lowered her head and said, “I misspoke. Miss is magnanimous and will never argue with a village girl!”

Yan Ruyu pinched the handkerchief in her hand. “It’s good that you know.”

The maidservant did not dare to say anything else.

Yan Ruyu’s chest was tight and she was frustrated as she looked at the servants. “You can leave too. There’s no need to follow me.”

“Yes.” The maidservant left with lingering fear.

Yan Ruyu walked towards the garden in frustration. When she passed by a room, she accidentally heard a commotion inside.

“Is that Chef Yu?”

Yu? Yan Ruyu stopped in her tracks.

“It’s him! This matter has caused a stir in the city. The entire Capital knows about it. The signature dishes of Tianxiang Restaurant were stolen from him by Chef Yang. Only we, who have just arrived, didn’t recognize him!”

“In that case, our Manjiang Restaurant is in danger?”

“Chef Jiang’s culinary skills are good, but against the three of them… he has almost no chance of winning!”

“What should we do? If we lose on the first day, the people at Qinghe Hall will laugh at us!”

“I have an idea. You guys come over…”

Manjiang Restaurant used to be a gambling den, but for some reason, it had turned good. However, its nature had not changed. This kind of despicable method could be said to be easy.

Yan Ruyu listened quietly.

These people were not stupid. They knew that they had to choose their crippled uncle and the only woman to attack. However, their uncle was in the room and Yu Song was guarding him. As such, Yu Wan, who was alone, became their only target.

Miss Yu, Miss Yu, I didn’t want to harm you. You were the one who caused trouble. Yan Ruyu adjusted the pearl hairpin on her hair and quietly went upstairs.

… .

As the largest restaurant in the Capital, the Tianxiang Restaurant’s ice cellar was also top-notch luxurious. It actually used a few huge night pearls to illuminate it.

Yu Wan walked down the steps with the iron bucket.

The icehouse was eerie and cold. The ice inside was very big. Fortunately, the tools were ready. Yu Wan put down the iron bucket, picked up the hammer and hail, and began to chisel the ice.

After just two chisels, the ice cellar door closed with a bang! The light in the icehouse weakened, and the cold instantly increased.

Yu Wan frowned strangely. Using the weak light of the Night-Luminescent Pearl, she walked up the steps and pulled the door of the ice cellar. She realized that the door was locked from the outside.

Who was so wicked? Couldn’t they hear her picking the ice? Or was it… intentional?

Clack!

Something fell from somewhere in the icehouse, and a thick smoke hissed out.

Not only did they close the door, they even drugged her?

Yu Wan covered her nose and looked at the approaching smoke with a cold frown.

“Will she be okay?”

“What can happen? We can just let her out after it’s over. She’s a living person with hands and feet. How can she freeze to death inside?”

“You’re right. Let’s go. It’s about to start.”

The waiters of the Manjiang Restaurant left furtively.

Bastard! How dare they lock her up and drug her!

Yu Wan held her breath and began to use the ice pick and hammer to chisel the door.

… .

On the other hand, after Yu Feng finally broke free from Shopkeeper Cui’s “demonic claws”, he returned to the room with a pot of hot tea, but Yu Wan was nowhere to be seen.

“Where’s Ah Wan?” he asked.

Yu Song asked strangely, “Didn’t she go to look for you?”

Yu Feng frowned. “I didn’t meet her.”

Yu Song sat up straight. “I’ll go find her!”

Yu Feng glanced at his tired father who had fallen asleep. “Dad’ll be worried when he sees that the three of us are not around when he wakes up. Wait for me here. I’ll go look for her.”

Yu Song said unhappily, “Why can’t you be the one guarding Dad while I look for her?”

Yu Feng looked at him deeply.

Yu Song turned his head guiltily. “If you want to go, then go.”

Yu Feng put down the teapot and left.

There were only fifteen minutes left until the third round. The chefs were already in position one after another. Yu Feng asked a few waiters, but no one had seen Yu Wan.

An ominous feeling gradually welled up in Yu Feng’s heart. He had just gone out because he was worried that Ah Wan would come out to look for him. He had not even entered the room and had been standing in the most conspicuous place in the corridor. It was impossible for Ah Wan not to see him and not call him. Something must have happened.

“Big Brother!” While Yu Feng was in a terrible fix, Yu Song hurriedly caught up.

“Didn’t I ask you to stay in the room and guard Dad?” Yu Feng said coldly.

Yu Song panted. “I forgot to tell you that Ah Wan went to get ice!”

Ice… Icehouse?!

“The Second Prince has arrived—”

Yu Feng had just taken a step when a servant’s message suddenly came from outside the Tianxiang Restaurant. In an instant, everyone knelt down.

Yu Feng had no choice but to kneel down with his brother.

Although Yan Huaijing often walked among the commoners, he mostly traveled incognito. Today, he specially revealed his identity as a prince for the sake of the Tianxiang Restaurant. How could anyone present have ever seen a prince? They squeezed their heads and rushed forward, making Yu Feng and his brother unable to move.

Xu Shao led his clansmen to greet Yan Huaijing.

Everyone kowtowed three times.

Yu Song was about to die of anxiety. “What prince is this? Why isn’t he leaving yet?” They had to look for their sister!

At this moment, in the carriage behind Yan Huaijing, the little fat ball in the cage raised its head and looked in the direction of the Tianxiang Restaurant warily. It bit the iron cage into pieces. It dashed out with a whoosh!

“Your Highness, your presence at the Tianxiang Restaurant really brings light to the Heavenly Fragrance Restaurant…” Xu Shao said with a flushed face.

Yan Huaijing’s gaze followed the little fat ball as he raised his hand at Xu Shao.

Xu Shao quickly shut up.

Yan Huaijing narrowed his eyes and entered the Tianxiang Restaurant with a powerful aura.

Everyone looked at his cold eyes and made way for him.

Yu Wan had inhaled too much smoke and was dizzy. She almost couldn’t hold the hammer.

“Just… just a little more…” Yu Wan smashed down with her hammer again, but not even the hail fell off.

Yu Wan fell to the ground weakly. She did her best. But there was really… really no choice… She was going to die…

Crack!

The copper lock was bitten off. The little fat ball’s claws started scratching urgently on the iron door.

When Yan Huaijing walked all the way to the icehouse, he saw the little fat ball scratching and banging against the door.

“Chang’an.” Yan Huaijing gave him a look.

Jun Chang’an picked up the little fat ball and pulled the door open.

The little fat ball, who had been scratching foolishly for a long time: “…”

The iron door was pulled open, and Yu Wan, who was leaning against the door, fell out without warning. Jun Chang’an quickly went to help her, but Yan Huaijing walked over and pulled the half-conscious Yu Wan into his arms.

Yu Wan looked at him in a daze. “Yan…”

Yu Wan wanted to finish shouting that name, but the smoke made her head tilt and she closed her eyes.

Yan Huaijing naturally smelled the smoke that was emitted, but Jun Chang’an closed the door in time. He didn’t inhale much, but Miss Yu was different. As time passed, her life might be in danger.

“Chang’an, call the imperial physician!”

Just as he finished speaking, Yu Wan started snoring evenly. “Hu ~ Hu ~”

“…”

“…”

Jun Chang’an’s lips twitched.

Yan Huaijing was speechless.

… .

Yan Huaijing brought the sleeping Yu Wan to the room.

The Second Prince hurriedly went to the icehouse. When he came out, there was a woman in his arms. Everyone did not know what had happened. They only craned their heads, wanting to see who was in the Second Prince’s arms. However, the Second Prince wrapped her tightly in his cloak, and they did not see a single strand of hair.

However, just because they couldn’t see it didn’t mean that Yan Ruyu couldn’t guess it.

Who else could it be but that village girl?

Yan Ruyu took a sip of tea. “What good luck!”

It was not strange for Yan Huaijing to save her. After all, he was a prince who cared about the people and helped the world. It would be strange if he did not take action when he encountered such a situation. However, there was one thing that Yan Ruyu could not understand. Why did the Second Prince personally save the village girl and not let his guard to protect her?

Xu Shao could not escape the blame for such a thing happening in the Tianxiang Restaurant. He brought his men and followed them in fear. “Aren’t you guys going to serve them?”

A few decent maidservants reached out to take Yu Wan.

Yan Huaijing said coldly, “Get out!”

The few of them trembled and left fearfully.

Yan Huaijing placed Yu Wan on the soft bed. With a flick of his sleeve, he closed the door with a strong gust of wind.

“Chang’an.”

“Yes.”

Jun Chang’an had followed Yan Huaijing for a long time. There were some things that Yan Huaijing did not need to instruct him to do. With just a look, Jun Chang’an could understand what he meant.

Jun Chang’an went to the icehouse to investigate.

It was not difficult to find out that it was Manjiang Restaurant. The moment the Second Prince rescued her from the icehouse, the waiters of Manjiang Restaurant realized that they were snookered. Who would have thought that a small chef would have such good fortune and be saved by the Second Prince himself?

The few of them fled in fear, but Jun Chang’an caught them again.

The three of them confessed to their crimes, but the incident did not end there.

When Jun Chang’an entered the room again, the little fat ball was rubbing its chest comfortably in Yu Wan’s arms. Yan Huaijing stood in front of the bed and stared at Yu Wan without blinking.

This was the first time he had exposed his appearance to her. Before she fell asleep, she shouted the word “Yan”. How did she know that his surname was Yan?

“Your Highness,” Jun Chang’an said, interrupting his thoughts.

“What is it?” Yan Huaijing, who had been guarding Yu Wan, turned around to look at him.

Jun Chang’an told Yan Huaijing about the Yu Family’s competition. At the same time, he opened his palm and revealed a small iron cylinder with a strange totem engraved on it. “…It’s not an ordinary competition between peers. What I found in the cellar was the smoke it emitted.”

Yan Huaijing took the small iron tube and stroked the cold patterns on it. He said thoughtfully, “This is…”

“The Ghost Clan of Southern Xinjiang,” Jun Chang’an said.

A trace of extreme surprise flashed across Yan Huaijing’s eyes. He had heard of the Southern Xinjiang’s Ghost Clan, but that was only a legendary existence. No one had really seen them. “Those chefs…”

“It’s not them.” Jun Chang’an hesitated.

Yan Huaijing said seriously, “If you have anything to say, just say it.”

Jun Chang’an said, “I saw Young Master Xu’s steward near the icehouse.”

“Xu Chengxuan?” Yan Huaijing’s eyes turned cold.

… .

When Yu Wan woke up, Yan Huaijing had already left. The little fat ball rubbing her chest was also very unhappy as it was taken away by Jun Chang’an.

Yan Huaijing had sealed the news tightly, so no one knew that the person he had personally saved was the little chef of the Drunken Immortal Pavilion. However, the Yu family knew about it. Before Yan Huaijing left, he got someone to pass a message to the Yu family so that they didn’t have to worry.

Yu Wan also returned to her room and learned from her uncle and two brothers that she had been saved by the Second Prince.

Uncle said sincerely, “The Second Prince is really a good person.”

Yu Feng nodded. “Yes.”

Yu Song: “Hmph!”

Outside the house, they could hear a few waiters talking.

“Have you heard? The waiter from the Manjiang Restaurant offended the Second Prince and was beaten thirty times. He was even kicked out of the competition.”

“They deserve it. Who asked them to be so blind!”

The Yu family members exchanged glances and did not say anything. They coughed lightly and went to prepare for the competition.

The Manjiang Restaurant “offended” the Second Prince, causing the third round of the competition to be delayed. When the competition began, Yu Wan happened to wake up.

The Yu family was fully focused on the last round of the competition today. Uncle had seen Chef Jiang cook before. His culinary skills were not inferior to Chef You and Madam Du, but his performance was not as stable as the two of them. If he calmed down in the third round, he might have a chance to advance. However, he was implicated by the waiter and lost his qualifications. It was a pity.

The ingredients received in the third round were red beans. Chef You still made a normal dish—Laba Congee. Madam Du was good at sweet food and made purple rice, sweet potatoes, and red bean cake. Uncle grinded half of the red beans into bean paste and handed it to Yu Wan to make a basket of buns. The other half was tamped and made a pot of thick soup with the drumstick.

With a mouthful of sweet and sweet bean paste buns and a spoonful of savory and fragrant hot chicken soup, the chief chef ate heartily.

After three rounds, the Drunken Immortal Pavilion advanced without any suspense.

“That family also advanced?” Yan Ruyu frowned in surprise. “Even if the Manjiang Restaurant is gone, there’s still the Mingyue Restaurant, the Qingfeng Hall, and the Wangchuan Pavilion. How could they lose to a few chefs from the countryside?”

The maidservant’s eyes flashed. “Miss, could that vixen have done something?”

Yan Ruyu paused and sneered. “I almost forgot. She was brought back to the room by the Second Prince.”

A man and a woman alone in a room. Perhaps the Second Prince had already taken her body.

Yan Ruyu was certain that the Second Prince had secretly used his connections to help the Yu family advance. Although she didn’t understand why the Second Prince would be so blind as to take a fancy to a little village girl, she couldn’t think of any other reason. It couldn’t be that the Yu family really had the ability to compete with Madam Du and Chef You.

“Alright, the competition is over. We should return to the manor. Go and find Aunt Lin and the little masters.”

The few little fellows caused a ruckus, causing Yan Ruyu to feel a headache coming on. Yan Ruyu asked Aunt Lin and the wet nurse to bring them out. The maidservant hurriedly went to look for them, but only found Aunt Lin and the wet nurse.

“Where’s the little masters?” The maidservant asked in shock.

Aunt Lin held the rice in one hand and held her old waist with the other. She was panting. “I… I don’t know…”

The moment the three of them came out, they ran away like wild horses!

… .

The three people who had disappeared were quietly leaning against the door frame of a room. They stuck their heads out and looked at the busy Yu Wan with their big black eyes.

Uncle and her brothers had gone to negotiate for tomorrow’s competition. Yu Wan stayed behind to pack her things. As she kept them, she felt that something was wrong. She turned around and saw three small heads that they couldn’t keep in time.

Her eyes lit up. “It’s you guys?”

The little ones, who had been caught, lowered their heads shyly.

Yu Wan led the three of them in. The three of them fooled around for the entire day. They were sweating profusely and their faces were dirty.

Yu Wan fetched water and washed their faces and hands. She wiped their sweat. “Have you eaten?”

Their stomachs growled.

Yu Wan opened her bag and took out three pig buns with red bean filling. She secretly made a few pig buns for them, but she wasn’t sure if she could see them.

“I’m so lucky, right?” Yu Wan smiled and patted their heads.

The three of them grabbed the pig buns and started eating. Yu Wan looked at them eating and felt an indescribable sense of satisfaction.

“Is it a little dry?” Yu Wan poured water.

The three of them obediently drank the water and continued to eat the pig buns in their hands.

When Yan Ruyu found the room, she saw the three little fellows eating obediently while Yu Wan looked at them gently. Yan Ruyu felt that her eyes were deeply stung. The little fellows who were never at peace in front of her actually became obedient babies in this woman’s hands. What method did this woman use to bewitch these little fellows to this extent?

“Aiya, Little Masters, you’re here?” Aunt Lin patted her chest in relief and walked into the room. When she saw Yu Wan, she was stunned. “Miss Yu?”

Yu Wan looked at her and then at Yan Ruyu outside the door. Her smile faded and she slowly stood up.

Yan Ruyu walked into the house and glanced at Yu Wan indifferently. She said to the three little fellows, “Didn’t I say not to eat what others give you? Hurry up and put it down.”

The three of them refused to let go.

“Don’t make me say it a second time.”

They just wouldn’t let go!

Her sons had actually humiliated her in front of Yu Wan. Yan Ruyu was furious, but she endured it in front of outsiders. “Someone, carry the little masters into the carriage.”

Under her command, a few strong guards entered and forcefully carried away the young kids who refused to give in.

Yan Ruyu also left.

As soon as they got into the carriage, Yan Ruyu rudely snatched the buns from the three of them and threw them out of the carriage. “Let’s go back!”