Chapter 117 Enrollment at the Culinary Academy
Meanwhile, Lin Yao was busy preparing for her cooking school, keeping herself extremely occupied.
The address was set in a two-courtyard house facing the street in the west of the city, with the front yard converted into an open kitchen for practicing basic skills.
She transformed the backyard rooms one by one into small kitchens, providing relatively independent learning and practice spaces for apprentices who chose different categories.
On the other side, Xu Zhiheng, whom Lin Yao had forgotten, was sitting by the window sighing.
On the table was the imperial edict summoning him back to the capital, and next to it was the jade hairpin he had prepared to give to Lin Yao, with several small peach blossoms carved on the head of the hairpin.
He had thought that once the world was at peace, he could bring the betrothal gifts he had prepared to the Lin family to propose marriage, but these past few days Lin Yao had been busy preparing for the opening of her restaurant and the chef's school, and hadn't even had time to see him.
Seeing that he was absent-minded all day, Jin Yu couldn't help but advise him, "Young master, why don't you just go and propose to Miss Lin? The betrothal gifts have all been prepared, so why are you so hesitant now?"
Xu Zhiheng shook his head.
He wasn't sure if it was just his imagination, but he felt that Lin Yao was acting as if nothing had happened, and the tender feelings they had shared in the mountains had vanished.
What worries him even more is that the deadline for returning to Beijing is getting closer and closer.
This trip back is a vacation granted by the new emperor, and I will be setting off soon.
The new emperor was never groomed as the heir apparent; the late emperor was the eldest son of the legitimate wife, so it was only natural for him to ascend the throne.
Therefore, even though the new emperor was learned and had the talent to govern the country, he only submitted memorials and offered suggestions, and never had the slightest intention of disloyalty.
Now that the new emperor has ascended the throne, the men he brought from his fiefdom are all his old subordinates from the local areas, and they have no foothold in the capital.
The high-ranking officials in the court looked down on their background, and powerful families disdained to associate with them, privately calling them "southern barbarians."
To win over the hearts of the people, the new emperor will surely reward those who have made contributions, and the General's Mansion will naturally be among those rewarded.
The new emperor intended to win over the General of the State's Mansion.
Although the old general harbored doubts about the late emperor's death and could not shake off his resentment, the dead were gone and the new emperor's throne was already secure.
At this grand ceremony to reward meritorious service, the General's Mansion not only had to attend, but also had to show submission and support for the new emperor during the ceremony. Otherwise, it would be considered defying fate and being ungrateful, which would only bring undeserved disaster upon the family.
As the saying goes, "When the birds are all gone, the good bow is put away; when the rabbit is dead, the dog is cooked," Xu Zhiheng could even foresee that after returning to the capital this time, he would most likely be given a sinecure and left to stay in the capital.
The new emperor needed to both utilize him and guard against his collusion with local forces, so keeping him in the capital for close control was the safest approach.
At that time, he would no longer be able to stay in Jiangnan as he is now, let alone stay by Lin Yao's side.
Just as Xu Zhiheng had feared, Lin Yao, once she calmed down, did indeed turn her back on him.
Lin Yao attributed her sudden attraction to the special circumstances of that period.
She had never experienced war, and during those days of fear and uncertainty, no one knew what the future held, or even what tomorrow would bring.
Enveloped by such a vast unknown, all emotions are amplified infinitely.
Her fear was magnified, her bewilderment was magnified, and the subtle stirring in her heart seemed to be magnified as well, becoming an unmissable light in that dark time.
But after life returned to normal, she couldn't help but ask herself, what kind of relationship is this? Is she really ready?
These problems bothered Lin Yao so much that she simply stopped thinking about them and devoted herself entirely to her career.
As the saying goes, nothing beats me but real gold and silver.
The news of Lin's Culinary School's enrollment caused a stir throughout Qingquan Town and even the surrounding villages and towns.
That day, Ah Zhu and Ah Fu posted the enrollment notice at the shop entrance and started promoting it while banging on gongs and drums.
"Lin's Culinary Academy is now enrolling! Manager Lin will provide hands-on instruction!"
"Outstanding apprentices will even have the opportunity to follow the shopkeeper to Lin'an Prefecture to open a shop!"
As soon as these words were spoken, a crowd quickly gathered at the entrance of Lin's Restaurant, their chatter drowning out the two people's promotional voices.
"My goodness, is Lady Lin going crazy? Teaching the secret recipe to others, isn't she afraid of ruining her own livelihood?" An old man carrying a shoulder pole passed by and couldn't help but interject, his tone full of disbelief.
These words struck a chord with everyone.
Nowadays, restaurant recipes are like family heirlooms. Many restaurants rely on a single signature dish to pass down from grandfather to grandson, keeping it tightly guarded. Even their own sons have to wait until they are adults before they are slowly taught how to make it.
To say nothing of the distant past, there's Old Li's Wonton in the west of the town. They've been in business for thirty years with just one secret soup recipe. Every day before dawn, Old Li goes into the kitchen alone to make the soup, and he doesn't even allow his wife to come near him.
“That’s right. Last time I went to Lin’s Restaurant for braised pork, it was absolutely delicious. If other restaurants could learn how to make it, would her restaurant still have so many customers?” A man in a short jacket stroked his chin, looking puzzled.
"What do you know?" A voice suddenly rang out from the crowd. It was Zhang Er, who often helped pick out vegetables at Lin's Restaurant.
He said with pride, "Miss Lin must have more than just one or two recipes. She dares to open a school; she must have the resources to back it up!"
Upon hearing this, many people nodded in agreement, recalling that Lin's Restaurant used to introduce new dishes every few days, which greatly reduced their doubts.
At the edge of the crowd, two strangers carrying bundles were peeking out.
One of the men, who looked like a pale-faced scholar, frowned and asked his companion, "Who is this Miss Lin? How dare she have such audacity?"
My companion, a local, quickly explained, "Miss Lin runs two restaurants in town, and the food is absolutely delicious! Before the chaos, people would line up before dawn every day, and if you went late, you couldn't even get a seat."
But the outsider didn't take it seriously, and snorted lightly: "There are plenty of restaurants with good business. Juxianlou in the capital is a hundred times better than this, but I've never seen them dare to open a school to teach secret recipes. I think she's just trying to attract attention and make some tuition fees by recruiting students." After saying that, he shook his head, pulled his companion away, and walked away with his steps full of disdain.
As soon as he left, Wang Si, who had been standing silently beside him, spat at his retreating figure and said, "You blind fool!"
Wang Si used to be a regular customer of Lin's Restaurant. He became a regular customer not long after the restaurant opened, and he tried every dish, from the initial home-style dishes to the later signature dishes.
In his opinion, anyone who learns even a fraction of Lin Xiaoniangzi's skills will never have to worry about anything for the rest of their life.
After his anger subsided, a thought suddenly popped into Wang Si's mind: he worked himself to the bone as a carpenter and could barely support his family. If he sent his daughter to learn cooking, maybe she could become as successful as Lin Xiaoniangzi and bring a better life to the family!
The more he thought about it, the more feasible it seemed. Learning cooking skills would provide him with a means of livelihood. Even if his daughter got married in the future, her excellent cooking skills would allow her to hold her head high in her husband's family, unlike other women in the village who had to put up with their husband's family's attitude and suffer mistreatment.
Thinking of this, Wang Si could no longer restrain himself and hurried towards the Lin family's culinary school.
When I arrived at the culinary school, there were already quite a few people standing at the entrance, all there to inquire about enrollment.
Lin Yao was standing at the door, patiently explaining the admission regulations to everyone.
Wang Si pushed through the crowd and stepped forward, his expression excited: "Miss Lin, I want to send my daughter to school. She's fifteen this year, very quick and efficient, she can even chop vegetables and start a fire!"
He rubbed his hands together. "I just don't know what the admission requirements are? How much is the tuition? We parents want to prepare in advance."
Seeing his anxious expression and glancing at the crowd gathered around him, Lin Yao raised her voice and said, "Uncle Wang, please don't worry, and please let me explain in detail. The tuition for our school isn't a lump sum, but five hundred coins for each secret recipe. These recipes aren't just for ordinary dishes; they're the kind of signature dishes that can support a street stall. I guarantee that everyone can use them right away after learning them."
These words immediately caused a stir in the crowd, with some whispering, "Is five hundred coins for a secret recipe expensive?"
Lin Yao heard this and continued, "Don't rush to calculate the accounts, let me explain all the rules. If you want to open a shop after learning this dish, there are two requirements: First, the core ingredients in the shop must be purchased from the workshops under my company, so as to ensure the consistent taste and let diners recognize our flavor. Second, you must hand over 20% of your monthly income as a secret recipe usage fee."
She paused, then added, "In addition, all apprentices must go with me to the government office to sign a contract, clearly writing down these rules in black and white to avoid future disputes."
Upon hearing this request, the murmurs among the crowd immediately subsided.
Lin Yao noticed their changes. "Of course, there are benefits too. The academy will select outstanding apprentices to come with me to open shops in Lin'an Prefecture. I have already taken over two restaurants there, which will open soon. Apprentices going there will only need to pay a monthly rent of one hundred coins, which will save them a lot of effort compared to finding a shop in Lin'an Prefecture on their own."
After saying that, she glanced at everyone and said, "Let me make this clear from the start: if you can accept these requirements, then sign up. If you think it's not worth it, you can leave now."
Wang Si was shocked. Although five hundred coins was not a small amount, the thought of learning a signature dish that could support a business and having the opportunity to open a shop in Lin'an Prefecture made it all worthwhile!
He quickly said, "Miss Lin, I can accept it! My daughter will definitely be willing to learn it too!"
The people around him had different expressions. Some were still hesitating and weighing the pros and cons, while others, like Wang Si, quickly figured out the pros and cons and signed up immediately.
Seeing this, Lin Yao asked Su Niang to bring out the registration book: "Those who wish to register, come here and register your name and address. Classes will start in three days. Just bring your tuition fee."
Wang Si squeezed to the front of the register. He was illiterate, so he dictated his daughter's name. His dark face was flushed with excitement.
Lin Yao's requirements were quite strict, and many families, after careful consideration, ultimately chose to give up. In the end, the number of people who signed up was less than half of those who inquired on-site.
Even so, she glanced at the crooked names in the register and found more than thirty people. That was certainly enough staff for the food court to open.
Lin Yao was in high spirits when Su Niang gently nudged her arm with her elbow, signaling her to look up ahead.
She looked up in the direction Su Niang indicated and saw Xu Zhiheng standing quietly in the open space not far away, his gaze fixed on her, and she didn't know how long he had been watching her.
The afterglow of the setting sun bathed him, casting a long, lonely shadow that stretched across the ground, giving him an inexplicable air of grievance, like an abandoned puppy.
Lin Yao's heart skipped a beat, and she inexplicably felt a little guilty.
-----------------------
Author's Note: Xu Zhiheng, the "Green Tea" character, is coming soon! [doge][Good luck!]
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
