Chapter 13: The Country Bumpkin

Translator: Krukist

A sour voice suddenly rang out, causing Lin Yu, who was preparing ingredients, to pause momentarily. His nose twitched slightly as he muttered in confusion, "Why does the air smell a bit sour?"

He cast a glance at Lin Ling’er. "Ling’er, go check the kitchen. Did a rat knock over our vinegar jar?"

Lin Ling’er was puzzled. "Brother, we don’t even have a vinegar jar at home."

Only then did Lin Yu remember—this wasn’t Earth. Many of his jokes wouldn’t make sense to others. He felt a bit melancholic, but his hands remained as steady as flowing water. With the special knife provided by Fire Phoenix, he swiftly cut the Red Jade Chicken into several pieces.

Lin Yu also deliberately separated the fattier parts, ensuring the dish would taste fresher and less greasy.

This was a fundamental kitchen technique, yet the onlookers—Nalan Zhan, Qin Caiyun, and the newly arrived Situ Deng—were all dumbfounded. In their world, chickens were always cooked whole; no one ever thought of cutting them into portions!

“This… this…” Situ Deng was momentarily speechless. If an elderly chef had done this, he might have attributed it to experience. But seeing Lin Yu, who was only in his twenties, perform such a technique ignited a fire of jealousy in his heart.

Was it Lin Yu’s cooking that made Nalan Ziyan vomit at the sight of my food? The image of Nalan Ziyan retching fueled Situ Deng’s anger, which eventually erupted in a cold snort. “Hmph, can’t even cook a chicken properly?”

“Is this really the chef who made Ziyan eat? I think it was just a fluke.” Situ Deng turned to Nalan Zhan and said, “Marquis, I’ve studied under many Culinary Kings and seen many new dishes, but I’ve never seen anyone cut a whole chicken into pieces like this.”

In this world, being a chef wasn’t a lowly profession—it was highly respected. However, no matter how precious the chicken was, it was still just chicken. Most chefs didn’t bother innovating with it, focusing instead on other ingredients.

So, cooking a whole chicken was the norm. After all, if it wasn’t finished, it could simply be thrown away.

Nalan Zhan frowned. He knew Situ Deng was resentful of Lin Yu. After all, Situ Deng had worked tirelessly for years to get Nalan Ziyan to eat, only to have Lin Yu swoop in and succeed where he had failed.

But Situ Deng’s words weren’t entirely wrong. What chef would cut a chicken into so many pieces? However, questioning Lin Yu directly might come off as disrespectful. What if Lin Yu truly was a once-in-a-generation culinary genius?

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Offending Lin Yu could have consequences. Nalan Zhan himself didn’t care, but the fact remained that Nalan Ziyan had only eaten Lin Yu’s food in years. Lin Yu couldn’t be provoked.

Meanwhile, Lin Yu paused briefly. He picked up two chicken legs, coated them in flour, then took the oyster-like ingredient and rolled it in flour as well. Next, he dipped them in egg wash and coated them again. Every movement was performed under the watchful eyes of the onlookers.

The Lin family’s kitchen was too small, and since Lin Yu was cooking for the marquis and his wife, he couldn’t be too secretive. After all, while the Southwestern Marquis was highly respected, he also had many enemies. Lin Yu might even be mistaken for a spy.

Though Lin Yu knew he wasn’t a spy, explaining himself would be difficult. So, he had the servants set up a makeshift stove outside.

The efficiency of the Southwestern Marquis Manor’s servants was impeccable. But what made Lin Yu envious was their decision to use Spirit Stone fragments as fuel—a display of extreme luxury.

Spirit Stone fragments, when polished, became Spirit Coins. Ten Spirit Coins equaled one Spirit Stone. For this single meal, dozens of Spirit Stone fragments were burned as fuel.

“Even in another world, poverty still limits my imagination,” Lin Yu sighed inwardly. His gaze then fell on Situ Deng, who was standing nearby. After a moment’s thought, Lin Yu said, “Young master, do you have a problem with me?”

The oil in the wok was just heating up, giving Lin Yu a moment to address the issue. Situ Deng had been staring at him since he entered, and while Lin Yu was preparing the ingredients, he felt as if someone was scrutinizing him under a magnifying glass. It was uncomfortable.

Only later did Lin Yu realize that Situ Deng harbored hostility toward him. The problem was, Lin Yu didn’t even know who Situ Deng was.

What’s this guy’s deal?

Situ Deng turned his head away arrogantly and snorted. “A country bumpkin who doesn’t even know how to cook a chicken. I have no opinion of you—you’re not worth it.”

His words dripped with the condescension of an upper-class noble looking down on a commoner. Even Nalan Zhan, who had risen from humble beginnings, felt a pang of discomfort. He said coolly, “Situ Deng, watch your tone.”

Qin Caiyun, however, smiled and said, “Marquis, Situ is still young. It’s normal for him to be a bit hot-headed. We shouldn’t blame him—after all, he’s only thinking of Ziyan.”

Though Situ Deng had failed to get Nalan Ziyan to eat after years of effort, Qin Caiyun appreciated his dedication. While Situ Deng was indeed a bit arrogant, she considered it a minor flaw.

Nalan Zhan frowned. “Just don’t anger Master Lin.”

Even he found Lin Yu’s methods a bit unconventional. While Lin Yu’s movements were smooth and precise, none of his steps matched what Nalan Zhan had seen before. He had witnessed many chefs at work, but Lin Yu was the only one he couldn’t figure out.

Yet, Lin Yu was their only hope. If Lin Yu truly had the skills, Nalan Zhan didn’t want to risk offending him.

These culinary masters always have the quirkiest personalities.

Qin Caiyun chuckled. “Master Lin is so talented and has such a good temperament. He probably won’t mind Situ’s words… Besides, a little rivalry between young people is normal.”

Situ Deng, initially nervous after seeing Nalan Zhan’s displeasure, felt emboldened by Qin Caiyun’s support. He declared proudly, “Madam is right! I’ll prove my skills with my cooking!”

“Ziyan will only eat my food. What happened earlier was just a fluke! Even if it wasn’t, it was just a coincidence. Ziyan would never eat the food of a country bumpkin!” Situ Deng’s words were dripping with disdain, directly labeling Lin Yu as a country bumpkin.

Lin Yu couldn’t help but frown…

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