Lin Dan had his own store to open, so of course he couldn't stay. He cooked for ten tables in a row, and when he saw that it was almost time for dinner, he washed his hands and face and prepared to leave. The dried goods that had been fermented using the secret method she taught them were now ready to use. Although Chef Qiu had only learned three-tenths of the cooking skills, he was able to make the food very delicious, which won unanimous praise from everyone.

When Lin Dan was leaving, he handed over two recipes and said gratefully, "Shopkeeper Lin, this is my Qiu family's secret recipe, please keep it." He originally wanted to buy Shopkeeper Lin's signature dishes with silver, but he felt that the other party might not like them, so it would be better to barter, which would appear more sincere.

Lin Dan originally thought that the two pieces of paper were banknotes and wanted to push them away, but after hearing clearly, he immediately took them, glanced at them hastily, and his attitude became softer and softer: "Thank you very much, I will come here every day at 5 pm to teach you how to cook golden lionfish, and leave at 3 pm until you can master it. If Yan's Restaurant has a new signature dish, I will teach you another dish, also until you can master it. Whatever his restaurant has, I will teach you, and I promise that you will learn it until you can."

Little Chef Qiu showed an expression of disbelief and guessed, "Boss Lin, do you have a grudge against Yan's Restaurant?"

"I originally wanted to open a Shandong cuisine restaurant across from Yan's Restaurant, but they maliciously ruined it. Do you think there is any grudge?"

"Well, it's a good thing they ruined your plan, otherwise you would have taken away all the business on the whole street!" Chef Qiu was outspoken and he shouted "Oops" in his heart as soon as he finished speaking, with a pleading look in his eyes.

Lin Dan pointed at him with a finger and said with a smile: "I'll take it as you praising me. If others ask, just say that you have found a master. Don't tell me my name." After saying that, he left through the back door.

Chef Qiu quickly agreed. He also knew that the Yan family was very dirty and was used to using unfair means of competition. But what can they do no matter how dirty they are? Cooking skills cannot be faked. If it tastes good, it tastes good. If it tastes bad, it tastes bad. Diners can tell the difference themselves and it cannot be easily fooled. He hid behind the screen and observed the situation in the front hall. He found that the two princes were ready to leave and asked their attendants to pack up the unfinished dishes and take them away. The royal family loved extravagance and waste, and it was rare to see a scene where every grain of rice was cherished like this.

"No, I have to meet the new chef and ask her how she makes that Hericium erinaceus dish. There's no way that boy Qiu can make it taste this good." When he reached the door, Prince Cheng changed his mind and asked the old shopkeeper to call the chef out.

Chef Qiu had no choice but to run out and apologize, saying that the chef had left and would not be back until tomorrow afternoon, and that he would not cook at the Qiaoyuan Restaurant on a regular basis, so it all depended on luck.

"Then when will she come?" Prince Cheng asked persistently.

"Come at noon, leave at noon."

"It's already past lunchtime!"

"She just came to teach me how to cook. She is not the chef at Qiaoyuan Restaurant." Chef Qiu answered cautiously.

"Forget it, forget it. It doesn't matter if it's past mealtime. At worst, I can just postpone lunch. Wei Hour, right? I'll come back tomorrow!" Prince Cheng walked away with a food box in his hand and a bulging belly. The other diners pricked up their ears to eavesdrop on the two people's conversation, all planning to come back at Wei Hour tomorrow. Good food is worth waiting for, so it doesn’t matter if it’s later.

Chef Qiu respectfully sent the two princes away. By chance, he noticed that the owner of Yan's Restaurant was hiding in the corner to check on the situation in his own restaurant, but his restaurant was deserted and business was very slow.

Chef Qiu raised his head and snorted coldly. The heart that had been hanging in the air since his father's death finally settled down.

…………

It was already evening when Lin Dan and Tang Jiu returned to South City. The sky was filled with fiery clouds, which made people's faces look red, and there was a sense of warm tranquility. Neither of them spoke a word, just walking one after the other, into the depths of the alley, and when they arrived at the door of their own shop, they saw a middle-aged woman dressed quite seductively talking to Xiao Zhu, making gestures to her from time to time and with a frivolous attitude.

Seeing Lin Dan, Xiao Zhuzi finally breathed a sigh of relief and said anxiously, "Our boss is here, you talk to her!" After saying that, he ran away as if there was a ghost chasing him.

The middle-aged woman stared at his back and laughed, then looked at Lin Dan and said, "I'll give you ten taels of silver, please sell this shop to me." Without waiting for Lin Dan to answer, she continued, "I heard that you spent twenty taels of silver to buy this shop. You must be unhappy to sell it to me for ten taels of silver. But don't you think about it? Your shop is hidden in such a deep alley, who can find it? If you sell it now, you can at least save some of your family assets. If you sell it later, I'm afraid you will lose a lot."

"Aren't you afraid of losing money if I sell it to you?" Lin Dan walked over slowly.

"I'm in the flesh trade, can you compare with me? As long as my girls spread their legs, my customers will know where to go. Unlike you, you opened your shop here, how can customers find the door?" The middle-aged woman spoke very rudely. Even though Lin Dan had a good temper, he couldn't help but frowned.

Tang Jiu took a step forward, wanting to throw the other person out of the alley, but Lin Dan gently pulled his sleeve. She said gently, "Sorry, we don't sell it in this store. Please go look somewhere else." In business, harmony brings wealth. No matter how bad the other party's attitude is or how unpleasant the words are, Lin Dan will not get angry. Her mood rarely fluctuates because of certain people or things, as if she was born with fewer emotions than others.

The middle-aged woman seemed to be frightened by Tang Jiu's eagle eyes. She hurriedly walked out, walked a few steps and turned back and said: "I have a brothel at the intersection of the street in front, it's called Cuihongju. If you regret it, come to me. My name is Qin Erniang. But I tell you in advance, I won't offer such a high price when I sell it to you!" She got two courtesans from Jiangnan, who were very beautiful. She planned to keep them in a deep alley and rent them out to others as mistresses for a long time, so that she could earn more. Lin Dan's place is the most quiet and peaceful, and she fell in love with it at first sight, but it's a pity that the place is not for sale.

If you don’t want to sell it, then don’t sell it. If you open a restaurant in a deep alley, you will lose a lot of money! Thinking of this, the middle-aged woman finally felt relieved and waited happily for Lin Dan to come and beg for help.

Lin Dan didn't take her words to heart and just smiled and let it go. Tang Jiu said worriedly, "Why don't you open a shop in West City? I have a few shops that I can sell or rent to you. The Yan family will never dare to make trouble."

"Thank you for your kindness," Lin Dan turned to look at him, and said in a low and soft voice: "Brother Tang Jiu, what do you think is the most delicious dish in the world?"

This question stumped the gourmet Tang Jiu. He has eaten all over the world and loves all kinds of food, but if you force him to rank them, he can't do it. Each cuisine has its own characteristics and strengths, as well as its own fans. Even the imperial cuisine is not liked by everyone. Some say it is good while others say it is bad. It is really difficult to satisfy everyone.

Seeing that he didn't answer for a long time, Lin Dan pointed to the sign on the door and said, "Since I can make the most delicious dishes in the world, why should I worry about other things?"

Tang Jiu looked up and suddenly realized. On the brand new plaque, there were three big characters written in regular script - Hometown Cuisine. Without a doubt, this is the most delicious dish in the world. No matter where you go, no matter what delicacies you have eaten, when you dream of the middle of the night, in the lonely high mountains, what you miss most and what you can’t forget is still the taste of your childhood and the homesickness in your bones. Especially in this southern city, everyone is a stranger and a wanderer. The more they are accustomed to Beijing cuisine, the more they yearn for hometown food.

Lin Dan spent ten years traveling all over the Great Chu State, learning the most authentic folk dishes. How could he lose money by opening a restaurant like this?

Seeing that Tang Jiu had figured it out, Lin Dan chuckled, "If I were in West City, I would open a Shandong restaurant; if I were in East City, I would open a Huaiyang restaurant; if I were in North City, I would open a noodle shop. No matter where the store is, I will always have business to do." Because she believes in her craft, she is always more confident and calm than others when doing things.

West City is full of dignitaries, so the Shandong cuisine, which is known as official cuisine, is cooked here; East City is full of wealthy people who are well-informed, extravagant and pretentious, so the Huaiyang cuisine is cooked here. Huaiyang cuisine is about artistic conception, about pleasing all tastes, and about elegance and taste. Almost every famous dish has an allusion, which is most suitable for the temperament of the rich. Most of the people in North City are local poor, so they only open a small noodle shop, selling a few bowls of Yangchun noodles, mixed noodles, etc. every day, and they can also make money; not to mention this hometown restaurant in South City... How could the sneaky tricks of the Yan family cause trouble to Lin Dan?

Tang Jiu thought about these business principles as he walked, and couldn't help but get to know Lin Dan better.

"It seems that I worried for nothing." He sighed with a complicated tone.

"But I still have to thank you for your kindness." Lin Dan walked into the back kitchen, moved the three pots of soup into a large earthenware pot, and continued to simmer over low heat. When he was done, he picked up a kitchen knife and cut the cabbage stalks. She used different knife skills to cut the cabbage stalks into different shapes, including centipede flower cuts, peony flower cuts, wheat ear flower cuts, etc. After putting them into the water, they slowly stretched out and the flowers bloomed in different ways.

Tang Jiu stared at her amazing knife skills for a long time, then pointed at the wok filled with sand and asked, "Are you going to make sugar-roasted chestnuts?"

Lin Dan shook his head. "After practicing knife skills, I still have to practice flipping the wok. How can I develop wrist strength if there is no weight in the pot? If I don't practice for a day, my knife skills will become rusty, and my strength will fade. Then I won't be able to cook the same taste as before when I cook on the stove."

Tang Jiu couldn't help but sigh: "Practicing cooking for you is not any easier than practicing martial arts for us."

"Every skill is developed this way. It's not surprising." Lin Dan put down the kitchen knife, walked into the kitchen, opened the lid of the large earthenware jar containing the marinade, and slowly stirred it with a long spoon. When he was done, he took out the already boiled whole chicken, duck, pig's trotter, pork belly and other ingredients, and then put in the newly slaughtered whole chicken, duck, pig's trotter, pork belly, pig skin and other ingredients, and continued to boil. Finally, he covered the lid, blocked the gaps around it with a wet towel, and pressed a stone slab on top to prevent the smell from escaping.

The moment the lid was opened, Tang Jiu was nearly suffocated, not because of the stench, but because of the fragrance. It was so fragrant, so fragrant, so alluring!