Chapter 117: The Dishes of Wanhua Restaurant

“Yanbei, why are you here? Did you ask the teacher for leave again?” Lin Wenyan asked quickly.

“Did something happen?” Lin Beitao tensed up.

Lin Yanbei took a sip of the watermelon juice that Lin Sangqian handed him before saying, “I have something I want to tell you all, so I asked the teacher for the afternoon off and came over. The Ruwen Academy sent word that they want to hold a contest against our academy.”

“What kind of contest?” Lin Sangqian asked.

“Just a friendly sparring between students—calligraphy, reciting poetry, things like that.”

Hearing this, Lin Beitao brightened. “Isn't that perfect? Second Brother, who could possibly beat you at writing and poetry?”

Although Lin Yanbei had enrolled late, he was extremely gifted. He already recognized a great many characters and could recite quite a few poems. In fact, he had even begun composing essays of his own.

“I was reminded of what Little Sister warned us about before, so I made a point of coming to tell you all,” Lin Yanbei said.

After all, there was something murky between Lin Shuimei and Master Hou of the Ruwen Academy. Lin Shuimei had just suffered a loss at their hands not long ago, and now the Ruwen Academy was suddenly proposing a contest with them. Lin Yanbei recalled what Lin Sangqian had said earlier about Master Hou possibly resorting to underhanded tricks, and he couldn't help wondering—could this contest be aimed at him?

“I hope I'm just being paranoid,” Lin Yanbei said with a wry smile. “The teachers at our academy have already agreed. In three days, our academy will select ten students to go to the Ruwen Academy.”

“Will you be among them?” Lin Sangqian asked.

Lin Yanbei nodded.

Although it was only meant to be a friendly sparring, it still concerned the academy's reputation. Whichever academy's students won would be seen by the common folk as having the better teaching. So, Haixing Academy would naturally send its ten finest students. That would certainly include Lin Yanbei.

“It's fine,” Lin Sangqian said. “When the time comes, you'll go with your schoolmates. It's not like Master Hou and Lin Shuimei can do anything to you in front of everyone. Just keep your wits about you and don't go off on your own.”

“Mm, I know.”

“Second Brother, do your best and show those brats from Ruwen Academy what you're made of!” Lin Beitao spoke with such fiery enthusiasm, as if he were the one about to compete.

Lin Wenyan gave him a helpless look. “Do you regret dropping out? If you hadn't, you could have gone to the Ruwen Academy and competed alongside those students.”

Lin Beitao gave a dry laugh. “Big Brother, you think far too highly of me. Even if I hadn't dropped out, it wouldn't have been my turn to go.”

His grades had only ever been at the bottom.

Lin Wenyan reached out and flicked him on the forehead.

Though she didn't show much on her face, Lin Sangqian felt a stirring of unease in her heart.

This was definitely not a coincidence. She just couldn't figure out what scheme Hou Tianlu and Lin Shuimei were hatching. When the time came, she would simply have to adapt to whatever happened.

…

That night, after the shop closed, Lin Sangqian and her two brothers made their way to the Fuman Restaurant. This time, however, they entered through the back door.

Yang Shi had already been waiting for them. As soon as he saw Lin Sangqian arrive, he handed her a food box.

“The new dishes Wanhua recently came out with—I bought them all.”

With that, Yang Shi produced some silver and offered it to Lin Sangqian. “This is the leftover money.”

Lin Sangqian took the food box but declined the silver, smiling. “Brother Yang, keep that money and treat yourself to some tea.”

Yang Shi didn't refuse. Chuckling, he tucked the money away again. He knew that sticking with Lin Sangqian always brought good fortune.

“Little Sister, why did you buy dishes from the Wanhua Restaurant?” Lin Beitao asked in confusion, then glanced at the food box with a look of utter disgust.

Probably because his days at the Wanhua Restaurant had been so miserable, he now found even the food there displeasing to the eye, let alone appetizing to the palate.

“No particular reason. Just want to taste them and see what's so appealing about these new dishes,” Lin Sangqian said lightly.

Lin Beitao harbored no suspicions, but Lin Wenyan felt there had to be more to it than that. Still, he didn't press the matter.

Back at home, Liao Shuxia saw them carrying a food box and assumed they had bought something delicious. The moment she heard it was food from the Wanhua Restaurant, however, she immediately wrinkled her nose in disdain.

Zhao Lan'er had already prepared their dinner. Though her cooking wasn't as good as Lin Sangqian's, it was still passable.

They sat down together to eat, while Lin Sangqian opened the food box off to the side.

Inside were three very ordinary dishes, made from equally ordinary ingredients—mutton, eggplant, and mushrooms.

How could these have become so popular?

Lin Sangqian didn't rush to taste them. Instead, she picked up a piece of mutton with her chopsticks and brought it to her nose, sniffing it. Nothing unusual.

There wasn't the particular smell she had anticipated.

Could it be that she had been wrong?

She sniffed the eggplant and the mushrooms as well—still nothing out of the ordinary.

Then she took a small bite of each dish. The flavors were quite good, but they weren't much different from the old dishes at the Fuman Restaurant.

How could these be so appealing? What could possibly make people line up early in the morning and late at night for them?

Unfortunately, this era didn't have the equipment needed to analyze exactly what ingredients these dishes contained. She could only rely on her own taste and smell, and yet, she couldn't detect anything at all.

Lin Sangqian thought for a moment, then ate a considerable amount of each dish. Her actions startled everyone else. Liao Shuxia even came over to feel her forehead.

“Little Pup, are you all right? You don't have a fever, so why are you eating food from the Wanhua Restaurant?”

“Mother, I'm fine.” Lin Sangqian helplessly took her hand away. “I just wanted to try something different and see what makes these dishes so special, so I can help Fuman think of a way to respond.”

Liao Shuxia nodded. “I see.”

Lin Sangqian now held a share of the profits on several dishes at the Fuman Restaurant, so it was only natural that she wanted the restaurant to do well. Liao Shuxia therefore didn't suspect anything.

“Oh, right, Mother.” Lin Sangqian pulled an invitation from her bosom and said with a grin, “This is the invitation that pretty young lady gave me earlier. She's invited us to visit the Yu Mansion tomorrow. When we're there, we can really push your embroidery.”

“Really?” Liao Shuxia took the invitation and examined it from all angles, unable to put it down. “Oh, I've finally waited for this day to come!”

“How much have you embroidered recently?”

“Don't you worry. I haven't been idle a single day. Aside from what I've already sold, I have seven pouches, over a dozen handkerchiefs, and five bellybands on hand right now.”

Bellybands… Lin Sangqian's mouth twitched. She hadn't known Liao Shuxia had already started embroidering those.

“Tomorrow I'll sell all of these—who knows, we might even land a big commission.” Liao Shuxia rubbed her hands together, her face brimming with excitement.

“So tonight, let's get to bed early and be well-rested for tomorrow.”

“Don't worry!”

The next day, Lin Sangqian and Liao Shuxia arrived at the Yu Mansion right on time according to the invitation. This time, they entered through the front gate.

As soon as Guo Er and the others saw them, they greeted them cheerfully. Guo Er even chatted with Liao Shuxia at some length about how much they both missed Lin Hongda.

As Lin Sangqian stepped through the door, she came face to face with Guan Yanqing.