The Female Supporting Role Shows Out

The dish in front of him was placed in a semicircular shape in the bowl. It was steaming hot and was giving a subtle yet sweet aroma of rice wine that was not at all overpowering. The fermented glutinous rice flour that formed the outer and was viscous enough to keep the delightful aroma within. 

Marquis Weiyuan removed the layer of glutinous rice flour with his chopsticks. He could immediately smell a unique aroma which had not only surprised him but also the onlookers who were starting to make a commotion. Combined with the aroma of wine, vegetables, marinade, meat, and light soy sauce, the smell of the dish was extremely strong but was neatly layered on top of each other that made people desire for the food even more.

Dishes that were delicious in appearance, smell, and flavor were known to be delicacies. The dish that Lin Dan made may look and smell nothing extraordinary, but when the outer layer of glutinous rice flour was removed, the aroma that was kept underneath immediately revealed itself. The dish had somehow seemed to have a soul of its own.

As the emerald ice jade pork slices were soaked in the marinade, the thinner parts had been slightly stained red, looking like delicate petals. The fat of the meat was slowly eliminated by the heat and was absorbed by the bright and brown glutinous rice flour. This had made the two ingredients stuck tightly together. There was meat in the flour and flour in the meat, which created a flavorful dish.

Marquis Weiyuan picked up a piece of ice jade meat that was wrapped in the glutinous rice flour. He had only taken a bite and his eyes widened in astonishment. The meat was just as Lin Dan described – it had fully absorbed the wine and felt as though he had drunk a glass of wine just with one bite. Similar to wine, it had a strong yet mellow taste. This piece of meat was actually unlike a food ingredient but more like a container of wine. It did not only have the freshness and tenderness of meat, but it also had the flavor of the marinate and soy sauce, which produces a rich flavor. The glutinous rice flour that was used to make the outer layer also had a unique taste. It was originally used to make rice wine, but as it was only semi-fermented, it was sweeter and softer than the ordinary glutinous rice flour.

When all kinds of flavors including the sweet and salty, the sauce, and the fermented ingredient were combined, it did not cover the aroma of the wine, which got stronger as he chewed. However, there was no burning sensation of the wine when the meat entered the throat, but it made the stomach warm. Lin Dan actually fulfilled his unusual request. With a pair of skillful hands, she managed to create a dish with wine, and it tasted wonderful. Marquis Weiyuan could not help but glance at her before finally trying the cold bean sprouts.

The bean sprouts were also made with fermented rice and were mixed with some pepper and sesame oil. When the marquis chewed the stems, the aroma of the wine-filled up his mouth with the freshness of plants and created a refreshing taste.

As the marquis wanted to have wine for every meal, he often only had two mouthfuls of food before his stomach was filled with alcohol. Then, he would fall soundly asleep. Although the Emperor had sent him back to the capital to treat his illness, it was due to that reason that he had become thinner instead. Now, his subordinates were overjoyed to see that he was willing to sit down and eat a proper meal and even had a good appetite.

He picked up the food with his chopsticks one after another. His actions were elegant but were carried out in haste. Within a short moment, he had already finished half a plate of Wine Steamed Pork, and only some sauce was left on the plate that contained the bean sprouts. The rest of the diners stared at him eagerly and were swallowing their saliva. “Darn, Manager Lin’s culinary skills are impressive. I thought her braised pork was the best, but the steamed pork was even better.” The onlookers thought. It was simply torturous for them to be able to smell it but not taste it.

“Gulp, gulp.” The sound of saliva swallowing started to get audible in the dining hall. Most people would not be able to catch the sound, but the marquis was skillful in martial arts and had a great sense of hearing. He lifted his head and saw the guards that came along with him were trying their best to maintain a serious look. He instructed Lin Dan, "Give my men a plate of that Wine Steamed Pork each."

"I’m sorry, Sir. I have only made one jar of Fatty Yanglin and you have finished that one piece of meat I have." Lin Dan waved his hand helplessly.

"Wine should be brewed in batches, why are you being such a miser by brewing only one jar at a time?" Marquis Weiyuan looked stern, but he was speaking in a much gentler tone.

"Sir, I am a cook, not a winemaker. I make wine as a hobby and these were not meant for sale." Lin Dan replied composedly.

The marquis squinted his eyes and looked at her. Seeing that she did not look fearful at all, he suddenly felt a little helpless with the situation. This meal was too delicious and was right up his alley. He wanted to eat these foods for the second or third time… or many more times in the future and dared not upset her.

"Never mind. How about giving them a catty of braised pork each? I’m sure you have it, right?"

"Yes, I have braised pork knuckles, pork ears, pork belly, chicken, and braised duck. As for vegetarian food, I have braised tofu, lotus root slices, and edamame. I can also make them into different flavors, such as five spices, hot and spicy, or sweet and sour. Just let me know what you like." Lin Dan patiently served the group of guards. Those people were fierce and hostile a while ago, but they were now all smiles and swarming to look inside the earthen jar, ready to have a feast.[Read this novel and other amazing translated novels from the original source at the "Novel Multiverse dot com" website @ novelmultiverse.com]

At this moment, Tang Jiu left Lin Dan and sat down in front of Marquis Weiyuan. He picked up a pair of chopsticks and wanted to try the food on the table.

Marquis Weiyuan quickly stopped him with his chopsticks and sneered: "Go order it yourself if you want it."

Tang Jiu ignored him and continued to pick up the food from another direction. Marquis Weiyuan continued to stop him. The two started a fight wielding the chopsticks like swords and went on for several rounds. Subsequently, the fight got serious and they almost broke into a physical fight after rolling up their sleeves.

Lin Dan took time out of her busy chores and shouted, "The glutinous rice is sticky and difficult to digest. It’s not good to eat so much of that in the morning. Just half a plate is enough for you, marquis, or you may get stomach issues later.”

The marquis' stomach had already been badly damaged by alcohol since a long time ago. Everything was normal when it did not hurt, but when it did, he felt as though someone was cutting his stomach with a knife. He would break out in cold sweat and endure the terrible pain. He was stunned for a moment after hearing what she said, and when he snapped out of his thoughts, Tang Jiu had already picked up the remaining steamed pork.

"You rascal…" He slapped the chopsticks on the table and slowly rolled up his sleeves. But at this moment, Lin Dan walked over with a bowl of porridge and a small dish with small red and white squares. She said warmly, “Do have some porridge if you’re still not full. It is best to have some porridge in the morning."

The porridge she served was not an ordinary porridge, but a porridge boiled in a milky broth that was simmered all night. It contains tender stewed chicken and pork knuckles meat and was mixed with the finely chopped shepherd’s purse leaves. The white porridge that was decorated with green vegetables looked appetizing and had a particularly rich aroma.

Tang Jiu’s victorious moment was ruined in an instant and he said in a deep voice, "Hurry up and eat it. This is made with the pheasant soup that was said to be created by Peng Zu. It is known as the best soup in the world and is very nourishing."

Marquis Weiyuan's gloomy face eased slightly. His eyes lit up and he took a sip of the warm porridge. He had to admit that getting up in the morning to drink a bowl of hot porridge was a great cleansing ritual for an ill body.

"What is this? It has a very strong taste of wine." He pointed to the small dish next to the porridge with his chopsticks. As the family of Marquis Yongding were all food connoisseurs, they were extremely well-versed in food.

Tang Jiu knew what it was and replied, "This is fermented bean curd, which is also soaked in wine."

Marquis Weiyuan took a small piece and was immediately blown away by this unique taste. With the fermented bean curd, he quickly finished the bowl of porridge and had a satisfying look on his face. His guards also finished their food with grease on their mouths. They kept giving Lin Dan a thumbs up and praised her for her great culinary skills.

About forty-five minutes later, Marquis Weiyuan placed a gold ingot on the table and led a group of guards away contentedly. But as he walked away, he turned back as if he had forgotten something and grabbed the hooligans who tried to sneak away. They were pinned down at the entrance of the restaurant and were beaten into a pulp.

"Manager Lin, look, I’ve already dealt with these scums for you. As for that jar of Fatty Yanglin…"

Before Marquis Weiyuan could finish his words, Lin Dan shrugged, "It will take at least half a year to make one jar of that. Since I took it out when it was only brewed for three months, that wine is ruined. Please wait for another six months if you want to have some of it."

The Marquis’s gentle and kind expression stiffened slightly. He stared at Lin Dan and gritted his teeth. In the end, he could not hold back anymore and shouted at the guards, "Let’s go deal with the bandits!" Without those bandits that ruined all the good stuff, he would not have to deal with a lady’s rejection.

Lin Dan chuckled and shook her head. She walked into the shop and continued cooking noodles, turning a blind eye to the hooligans who were lying on the floor. She may seem to have a mild temperament, but she also seemed to lack certain emotions and desires and would not sympathize with those people. Tang Jiu instructed a few people to carry the hooligans away so that they would not affect the shop’s business.

"Lin Dan, this is your father's belongings." He took out a yellowed book and explained, "Even if Marquis Weiyuan was not here today, I already have plans to tell you the truth today. I recognized you the first time we met." It was Lin Dan who taught him that a person’s character was far more important than his ability, which also made him fall into a deeper sense of regret and guilt. This was why, even after a decade, he had never forgotten this stubborn young girl. He had always wanted to know if she was doing well and wondered whether she could survive after refusing everyone's help.

It turned out that Lin Dan was able to survive well and even better than he thought.

"Thank you, young marquis." Lin Dan took the book and flipped through it. She realized that it was a book of recipes, which was the second half of the Yan family recipes that her father had added back then.

Tang Jiu explained, "Yan Langqing asked me to pass it on to you. She took away the first 60 pages of the Yan family's recipes and has never used your father’s recipes all these years. This is your father's belongings, you should take it."

"She has never used my father's recipes?" Lin Dan repeated with a cold smile.

Tang Jiu felt that her smile was a little weird and wanted to ask her more about it. But he saw Qin Er’niang approaching Lin Dan and said hesitantly, "Manager Lin, are you still gonna make me some braised pork with Qianzhou flavor?" Everyone else was scared away by Marquis Weiyuan, but she was the only one who stayed just to have a taste of her food.

"Of course, please give me a moment." Facing her customer, Lin Dan immediately put away her smirk and returned to the gentle and patient Manager Lin.

Qin Er’niang glanced at Tang Jiu secretly and was a little fearful of him. She knew that he was the son of the Marquis Yongding and had just won a victory on the battlefield. He was recently transferred back to the Ministry of War by the Emperor. His sister was also the most favored noble concubine in the palace and held an immense amount of power because there was no queen.

This restaurant was impressive enough to attract prominent figures and she felt lucky that she did not offend Manager Lin too badly yesterday. As she was lost in her thoughts, she saw a man and a woman entering the restaurant followed by several servants. Both of their facial features were very similar, and she thought they could be siblings. It was also a coincidence that Qin Er’niang knew the man and she shuddered the moment she saw him.

Manager Lin was really something, another respectable man had arrived at her restaurant![Read this novel and other amazing translated novels from the original source at the "Novel Multiverse dot com" website @ novelmultiverse.com]