Chapter 653 Enemies are destined to meet.

Peking duck is a profound art. There are countless Peking duck restaurants in Beijing, but very few can match the skill of the chefs at Shuangfuji.

"Cousin, do you think roast duck is just about killing a duck and roasting it over charcoal?"

Lin Yuesha was quite famous before she transmigrated, but she couldn't make roast duck.

"Just because it's difficult, my mother studied it for a year or two, and then my father and I were both relieved."

Xu Da sighed. The person he admired most in this world wasn't his mother, but his father. How had his father endured these past twenty years because of his mother's condition? Putting everything else aside, his spirit of finding joy in hardship was absolutely admirable.

"The first step in making roast duck is raising ducks."

When you roast a regular duck, the fat dries out, making the meat very dry and losing its aroma. It's similar to eating dried duck, so people with weak teeth should definitely not try it.

"Raising ducks? Cousin, you must be joking!"

Xu Da laughed heartily, imagining his mother, Madam Xu, raising ducks on the estate, walking ahead with a flock of ducks following behind...

"I'm not kidding."

Culinary arts are a vast and profound art; even the most skilled imperial chefs could not master them.

Take roast duck as an example. The size of the duck and the amount of fat under the skin are very important factors.

Therefore, there are specific requirements for selecting ducks. Ducks grow quickly in a short period of time, and there are strict procedures for what kind of feed to eat, how much to feed them each day, and how many times to feed them.

A master chef of Peking duck not only needs his own secret recipe, but also needs to be familiar with the structure of the duck.

Knowing exactly where the fat is and how to roast each part, precise heat control ensures a crispy-skinned duck. When slicing the duck, leave a layer of dry oil on top for extra flavor.

Lin Yuesha gave Xu Da a detailed analysis, leaving Xu Da dumbfounded. He never imagined that roast duck was so complicated.

"Cousin, the head chef at Shuangfuji earns more in a year than you do."

Lin Yuesha had asked the pockmarked man before, and the head chef used to work at Shuangfuji in the north, earning three thousand taels a year. Because he temporarily moved to the capital with his family, far from his hometown, his wages had increased significantly, now reaching five thousand taels a year.

Even though the cost of living is high in the capital, five thousand taels is still a lot of money.

"so much?"

Xu Da realized he had underestimated the chef, and no wonder Lin Yuesha charged high prices for her private custom-made dishes; no one else could replicate the taste.

"Oh right, I'll go to Jinxiu Tower first."

Lin Yuesha has been gaining weight recently, and the men's clothing she wore to Wenjun Tower not long ago had sleeves that were a bit too short, so she wants to buy herself another set.

As soon as Lin Yuesha appeared, she was recognized by the embroiderer who came to the Lin residence to take her measurements, and she bought a set of men's clothing for an extremely cheap price.

The carriage wound its way to Shuangfuji Restaurant. When they arrived at the entrance, Xu Da suggested, "Cousin, why don't you change your clothes in the carriage?"

It was lunchtime, and Shuangfuji was crowded and noisy. It would be inconvenient not to find a private room, and it wouldn't be good if we were disturbed.

"good."

Lin Yuesha readily agreed, and as soon as the two got off the carriage, she quickly called Bai Cha to come and help.

With a coachman watching outside the carriage, Lin Yuesha felt at ease. She had just taken off her outer dress when she heard a sweet female voice at the door say, "It's Young Master Luo's carriage. Young Master Luo is inside!"

Outside the carriage, Wei Lan, the daughter of the Wei family, was strolling around with Lin Yue'e, followed by their friend Bai Youran.

"Young Master Luo is..."

Bai Youran had only been in the capital for a short time and had only met Prince Luo once at the flower-viewing banquet at the Prince's mansion. She immediately fell in love with him, as she had never seen such a noble man as Prince Luo before.

With her parents in the north, Bai Youran faced numerous difficulties in the capital. Only after her elder brother, Bai Dingfeng, passed the imperial examination did things become a little easier for her.

A few days ago, while admiring the lanterns for the Mid-Autumn Festival, the brother and sister unexpectedly met Wei Lan, the daughter of the Wei family and the Empress's younger sister.

At that time, Wei Lan was standing by the bridge when she was pushed into the river by the crowd, and her older brother rescued her.

Bai Youran had never met Wei Lan before and did not know that she was the daughter of the Wei family. She only found out after the two left their place and indicated that they wanted to stay together.

“Sister Bai, Young Master Luo is a prince. He is not used to the etiquette of others kneeling, so he calls himself Young Master Luo.”

Wei Lan did not laugh at Bai Youran, but patiently answered her questions.

Lin Yue'e glanced at Bai Youran, who was standing to the side. She couldn't believe that her dog had won the favor of the Wei family's daughter. The two of them went out for a stroll, and Wei Lan took the initiative to invite Bai Youran.

For some reason, Lin Yue'e was secretly observing.

"I only caught a glimpse of the flowers at the Prince's Palace last time."

Bai Youran was somewhat excited. She said to Wei Lan expectantly, "It would be wonderful to see Young Master Luo up close."

"What's so difficult about that?"

Wei Lan waved her hand, taking full responsibility. In the past, as the Empress's younger sister, Wei Lan often attended palace banquets and occasionally ran into Prince Luo.

Everyone in the capital knows that although the Prince of Luo is not interested in women, he is easy to talk to.

Bai Youran could hardly hide the joy in her eyes. The fact that Miss Wei was suddenly so close to her was ultimately for the sake of her elder brother.

Unfortunately, the eldest brother is already married to that extremely incompetent Li Ruoxue. If they don't get rid of her and make room, even if Wei Lan is willing, the Wei family will definitely not suffer this injustice.

Bai Youran was conflicted. Although Li Ruoxue had an unpleasant personality, she was wealthy. Her clothes and jewelry in the capital were all provided by her sister-in-law, Li Ruoxue.

The three of them were talking outside the carriage when Bai Cha peeked through the crack in the window and immediately sensed something was wrong.

"Miss, things aren't going well. There are two acquaintances outside the carriage."

If it were just a one-time encounter, one might not recognize their young lady when she was dressed as a man, but those two happened to be Bai Youran and Lin Yue'e.

Another elegantly dressed young lady stood with Lin Yue'e, presumably the daughter of the Wei family.

Lin Yue'e had just been picked up by the Wei family when she went out for a stroll. Coincidentally, she appeared near Shuangfuji again. It really proves the saying that enemies are destined to meet!

"It's not a good solution."

The appearance of the three men put Lin Yuesha in a dilemma: continuing to undress was problematic, but changing into men's clothing was also problematic.

Bai Cha was so nervous she could hardly breathe. She covered her mouth with her hand, trying her best not to make a sound.

Outside the carriage, the coachman blocked the three of them from Lin Yuesha's way, and said, "Ladies, Young Master Luo is not in the carriage."

"But I clearly heard a noise coming from inside the carriage!"

As everyone knows, the Prince of Luo only travels in one carriage. Even if the carriage is changed, Wei Lan recognizes the Akhal-Teke horse that pulls it.

She had just made a boast to Bai Youran, but the driver's refusal left her feeling very embarrassed.

“My young master is indeed not in the carriage; it is his… friend inside.”

The coachman initially wanted to address her as a woman, but then he realized that Miss Lin was currently dressed in men's clothing, and he wasn't sure if she had changed properly. Caught in a dilemma, he opted for a more appropriate form of address.

The young ladies in the capital are really troublesome; every time Prince Luo goes out, he encounters these persistent pests.