The shimmering waters reflected the scene across the pavilion, where the opera on the stage had already reached its midpoint.
In the past, such a splendid performance would have elicited enthusiastic applause from the guests, who would toss flowers, fresh fruits, and even gold and silk onto the stage.
But today was different.
The guests first buried themselves in their meals, then couldn’t stop praising the dishes to their neighbors, especially the rich and spicy Hot and Sour soup, which had the color of amber.
After finishing a bowl, some guests even exclaimed to Feng Yuan,
“Such exquisite flavors! I’ve never tasted anything like this before. Has your family changed chefs?”
No one seemed to pay attention to the clear and melodious singing on the stage.
Before Feng Yuan could respond, another guest chimed in,
“Dr. Feng, where did you find such a skilled chef? Their craftsmanship is truly remarkable. I must invite them for my family’s future banquets.”
Another guest, still savoring the Hot and Sour soup, added,
“This soup… at first, it didn’t seem extraordinary, but after finishing it, I realized I’d emptied the bowl. It’s a pity that pepper is so expensive; only at the Feng household can one taste such a dish.”
Although the Feng family had fallen from grace, their ancestors were once royalty of the Northern Yan Dynasty.
It was said that during the late Tang period, the Feng family’s estates had stored tens of thousands of pounds of pepper, all of which were later looted by Huang Chao’s army.
Nevertheless, as a centuries-old aristocratic family, the Fengs still maintained a certain level of prestige.
Though they lived modestly in the outer city, their banquets always featured rare delicacies like abalone, sea cucumber, venison, and bear paws, hinting at their once-great wealth.
Unfortunately, the Feng family’s chefs had never been particularly skilled, often wasting such precious ingredients.
Today’s banquet, however, was a different story.
Though it lacked the usual extravagance, the flavors were far superior.
It was clear that this was entirely due to the chef’s expertise.
Feng Yuan scratched his head, feeling a bit overwhelmed by the guests’ questions.
As the head of the Feng family, he hadn’t been home for quite some time; he had arrived almost at the same time as the guests.
If it weren’t for his mother’s birthday, he would still be buried in his studies at the Piyong Academy.
Therefore, he had no idea whether the family had changed chefs or who the new chef might be.
But it was certain that the chef had been replaced; this was not the work of Feng Twenty-Five, the family’s long-time chef.
Feng Twenty-Five was a family servant, passed down through generations, but due to wars and dynastic changes, many of the Feng family’s recipes had been lost.
The once- glorious culinary skills of the royal chefs had also faded.
Feng Twenty-Five was merely the best of a mediocre bunch, and his cooking was heavily reliant on sugar—a habit he had developed because the Feng family had a sweet tooth.
He would add a spoonful of sugar to stir-fried vegetables, scrambled eggs, and even braised beef.
Without sugar, he struggled to cook.
The Feng family had grown accustomed to this, never finding it particularly unpleasant-after all, how could something sweet be bad?
But outsiders had always criticized the Feng family’s banquets, and Feng Yuan had heard some of these complaints.
He had previously dismissed them, thinking that those people simply lacked sophistication and didn’t understand the art of cooking.
But today, after tasting the vastly different flavors, he realized that dishes could be delicious without relying on sugar.
The natural flavors of the ingredients could shine through on their own.
It was only after tasting today’s dishes that he understood the stark difference in culinary skill between chefs.
The past criticisms of the Feng family’s banquets being “tasteless” were not slander-they were simply the truth.
He began to speculate that today’s chef must be a seasoned veteran with decades of experience.
He wondered where his wife had found such a talent -perhaps it was the head chef from Fanlou Restaurant?
Curious, he whispered to a servant, instructing them to bring the chef to meet him.
Feng Qiniang was also curious about the chef.
She was perhaps the only member of the Feng family whose taste buds hadn’t been dulled by years of mediocre meals.
She had never held high hopes for the family’s daily meals, let alone banquets.
Recently, she had been preoccupied with thoughts of the calligraphy she had seen at Shen’s Noodle Shop.
Calligraphy reflects a person’s character.
The way someone writes can reveal their temperament and even their mood at the time of writing.
When agitated, the strokes are hasty; when distracted, the endings are careless; when calm, the characters are neat; and when joyful, the lines flow with lightness and grace.
Her cousin, Ninth Brother, practiced the calligraphy of Zhong Yao, which was natural and unforced, without any deliberate embellishments.
She had originally studied the Wei style but later switched to Zhong’s style, spending her days copying the “Xuan Shi Biao.”
Thus, she was deeply familiar with the characteristics of Ninth Brother’s handwriting.
She… actually knew.
Ninth Brother had been betrothed since childhood to a noblewoman from the Cui family.
But she couldn’t suppress her admiration for him, so she could only watch from afar, keeping her bittersweet feelings to herself.
Recently, however, her mother had mentioned that Ninth Brother’s engagement had been called off because the Cui family’s daughter had fallen seriously ill and might not live much longer.
Her mother lamented Ninth Brother’s unfortunate romantic fate, but Feng Qiniang couldn’t help but feel a surge of hope and joy.
She began visiting the academy more frequently to see him.
But he treated her the same as always, showing no change in behavior despite the dissolution of his engagement.
Feng Qiniang thought she should feel sorry for Ninth Brother, but the overwhelming joy in her heart was undeniable.
She felt that she no longer needed to feel guilty for secretly admiring him.
Perhaps, given time, Ninth Brother would come to see her virtues?
The Feng and Xie families were well-matched in status and had a long-standing friendship.
She believed that this connection brought her closer to him.
But the two pieces of calligraphy she had seen shattered her self-deception.
The characters hanging in Shen’s Noodle Shop were written with such ease and fluidity, indicating that Ninth Brother’s heart had been filled with joy when he wrote them.
Without his engagement, Ninth Brother could now fall in love with someone else, even a commoner selling noodles on the street-but it would never be her.
These days, Feng Qiniang has been consumed by this disappointment, unable to eat or drink properly.
She often buried herself in her blankets, silently grieving, afraid that her mother or maids would notice her tears.
Only her quilt and pillow knew the depth of her sorrow.
Today, at her grandmother’s birthday banquet, she had no interest in the festivities or the food.
She had dressed up carefully, hoping to see the Ninth Brother, but only the Xie family’s eldest daughter had come, dashing her only hope.
She sat listlessly beside her grandmother, her appetite gone, feeling like a wooden doll.
Then, as the dishes were served one by one, the aromas wafted into her nose.
Even her usually critical grandmother became unusually quiet, eating everything served without complaint a rare occurrence.
Feng Qiniang reluctantly took a sip of the soup, and the intense spiciness caught her off guard, making her cough and bringing tears to her eyes.
She lowered her head, muttering, “It’s so spicy,” but finally allowed herself to cry freely.
The soup opened her appetite, and she found herself enjoying every dish that followed.
By the time she realized she had eaten a bowl of soup, a bowl of noodles, a whole fish, a pancake, two emerald rolls, and even the two desserts, she was already full to the point of discomfort.
She immediately regretted it—she had promised her cousin, Eleventh Sister, that she would control her diet so she could fit into her new winter clothes and look slender and graceful during the New Year celebrations.
She had broken her promise again!
At that moment, a man and a woman were led down the corridor by a servant.
They were escorted to the pavilion by Feng Yuan’s personal attendant.
Feng Qiniang overheard the guests murmuring,
“Dr. Feng has invited today’s chef to meet us.”
“Really? I must see who this remarkable person is! Their skill is truly worth witnessing!”
“Make way, I want to see too. Who has the ability to turn the ordinary into the extraordinary?”
Though the Feng family’s usual dishes were not as delicious as today’s, calling them “ordinary” was a bit harsh!
Feng Qiniang felt indignant and used her fan to partially cover her face as she peeked out from behind the screen.
The man was unremarkable-square-faced and sturdy-but behind him was a graceful woman.
She wore a simple green narrow-sleeved jacket tied with a green silk sash and a plain pleated skirt.
Her hair was adorned with only a silver hairpin, but her modest attire made her look naturally elegant.
As she approached, Feng Qiniang noticed that she was exceptionally beautiful, with delicate features, a small and charming nose, and lips that seemed to naturally curve into a smile, making her appear approachable.
Her slender shoulders and waist made even her simple clothes look attractive.
Feng Qiniang was stunned, as were the other guests.
Many recovered from their surprise and began whispering to each other:
“Such incredible skill-I thought it would be an old man with a white beard…”
“And it’s a woman…”
“She’s so beautiful! Her movements are as light as a swallow’s, and her demeanor is so refined. Perhaps she’s a chef trained by a noble family?”
“She looks familiar…”
As the guests murmured, one of them suddenly stood up in excitement and exclaimed,
“It’s Madam Shen! Madam Shen from Shen’s Noodle Shop on Willow East Lane! I knew it! The lamb noodle soup today tasted just like Madam Shen’s cooking! I was right! Ha! Ha!”
The man was so thrilled that he almost danced, pulling his friend’s arm and spraying saliva in his excitement.
“Madam Shen’s cooking is unparalleled! I’ve been craving it day and night! Sometimes I wish I could move to Willow East Lane just to be closer to her shop! But there’s no available housing there!”
“I’ve told you before, but you didn’t believe me! Seeing and tasting it for yourself is better than hearing it a thousand times, right? I wasn’t lying, was I? Isn’t it delicious? Ha! Ha!”
Feng Qiniang was stunned again.
Willow East Lane?
Shen’s Noodle Shop?
Why… why did that sound so familiar?
She felt dizzy-could such a coincidence really exist?
Madam Feng and Madam Xi stood up and calmly introduced Madam Shen to the guests, explaining that the Feng family’s chef had fallen ill, so they had borrowed a chef from the Xie family, who had recommended Madam Shen.
This explanation satisfied everyone.
Many guests secretly thought that the Feng family’s chef had fallen ill at just the right time—if he hadn’t, they would have been stuck with another table of overly sweet dishes instead of enjoying such a feast!
Among aristocratic families, it was common to borrow chefs from each other for banquets.
Each family’s matriarch knew which family had a good chef and what dishes they excelled at.
Of course, no one had ever thought to borrow a chef from the Feng family before.
But today, they all made a mental note: Willow East Lane, Shen’s Noodle Shop, Madam Shen!
Madam Shen stood there with a professional smile, calmly accepting the guests’ praise, curiosity, and admiration without saying much.
She knew that her presence spoke for itself.
The guests were merely impressed by the delicious meal, but she didn’t let their attention go to her head.
Madam Feng sincerely praised Madam Shen in front of everyone,
“Madam Shen’s culinary skills are truly extraordinary. Today’s banquet was greatly enhanced by her efforts. Thank you, Madam Shen, for your hard work.”
She also gave a nod to the overlooked male chef.
Madam Shen modestly replied, “It was my pleasure.”
Then, with a twinkle in her eye, she added,
“If Madam Feng ever needs a chef for future banquets, please feel free to call on me again.”
Madam Feng smiled and agreed.
The other guests overheard this and began to consider the possibility of hiring Madam Shen for their own events.
Madam Shen’s words were aimed at them, and she noticed the thoughtful expressions on the matriarchs’ faces, feeling confident that her plan was working.
Earlier, while eating with the other kitchen staff, she had been thinking about this catering for banquets could become a steady side business!
She could take on two events a month without neglecting her own shop.
Her ultimate goal was to open her own grand restaurant, so she needed to carefully manage her current noodle shop, gradually building her reputation and resources.
Afterward, she and the male chef left.
The Feng family’s banquet had ended, but the guests would continue to enjoy the opera, tea, and garden strolls, socializing and networking.
None of that concerned Madam Shen-she and the male chef were now free to collect their payment and leave.
As they reached the end of the corridor, a maid from Madam Feng’s entourage approached with their payment.
The Feng family’s gold ingots were two taels each, stamped with the Feng family’s seal.
To their surprise, they received two extra ingots, totaling twelve taels of gold.
The Feng family’s wealth was indeed impressive!
Madam Shen’s professional smile instantly turned into a genuine one as she tightly clutched the lacquered box containing the gold ingots.
She thought to herself, “Even though Song Dynasty gold isn’t polished, it still shines-heavy in the hand and dazzling to the eye. How wonderful!”
The male chef also received twelve taels of gold, which he accepted with some embarrassment.
After all, Madam Shen had done most of the work- he had only assisted with minor tasks.
If it weren’t for his connection to the Xie family, the Fengs might not have been so generous.
He owed this windfall to Madam Shen.