Chapter 351: Poor Cooking Skills Don’t Necessarily Mean Lack of Talent

After discussing the urgent matters, the next topic was undoubtedly whether Hua Wuyue could join Lin’s Inn. Given Hua Wuyue’s background, the chances were low, but with gradual efforts, there was still hope.
After a brief pause and some thought, Lin Dong smiled and nodded at the incomplete “artwork” on the table, asking, “Young Master Hua, your skills are quite good.”
“Whereas!” Hua Wuyue shook his head politely. “I hope Manager Lin won’t mind my poor cooking skills.”
“Just these twenty-seven dishes on the table,” Lin Dong said with a smile. “If they could only be seen and not touched, each one could be sold as exquisite gold, silver, or jade artifacts. To be honest, the first thing that came to mind when I saw them was whether I could invite you to work as a chef at Lin’s Inn. With such skills, if you became our chef, Lin’s Inn’s strength could surely rise to match that of Fenglin Restaurant and Hongfu Restaurant.”
Hua Wuyue stared at Lin Dong, his expression puzzled.
What did this mean? A joke, or the truth? If it was a joke, a few casual replies would suffice. But if it were true, things would get complicated. This man was not only the owner of Lin’s Inn but also someone on the verge of becoming a powerful figure. Moreover, his enthusiasm for Lin’s Inn seemed even greater than his passion for cultivation.
If he really were chosen and spoke carelessly, it might bring powerful enemies to his Hua family.
Lin Dong noticed Hua Wuyue’s expression and realized the situation was uncertain. Otherwise, if Hua Wuyue were truly interested, he would have immediately asked whether it was a joke or a serious offer, rather than worrying about gains and losses first.
Of course, though uncertain, Hua Wuyue’s reaction was within Lin Dong’s expectations. With his skills and as the heir of the Hua family, no matter how much he liked cooking, he would never consider becoming a full-time chef. Such an idea had likely been suppressed by his family since he was young.
Lin Dong didn’t take this as a major obstacle. A smile slowly appeared on his face. “Young Master Hua, you come from a distinguished family. I certainly can’t afford to pay you in silver, and I don’t have many Wanhong Fruits left. I was wondering if you’re interested in spiritual techniques?”
“Well…” Hua Wuyue was naturally interested in spiritual techniques, but the idea of becoming a chef at Lin’s Inn made him refuse on the spot. In his view, it was absolutely impossible.

Seeing Lin Dong smiling cheerfully and not giving off the impression of someone who might explode at the slightest provocation, Hua Wuyue gritted her teeth and forced a smile, saying, “Shopkeeper Lin is really good at joking. With my cooking skills, I’m probably not even as good as the street vendors. If I really went to Lin’s Inn, people would laugh at me.”

Realizing that a few words from her would unlikely arouse his interest in being a chef, Lin Dong stopped pressing her and asked, “Young Master Hua, you must have practiced arranging dishes for many years, right?”

“Over a decade,” Hua Wuyue replied, staring at Lin Dong carefully. Seeing that he wasn’t pretending to be casual, she sighed in relief and explained, “I became interested in cooking at the age of ten. I often sneaked into the kitchen to learn from the chefs. But because I was afraid of the smoke, I didn’t learn much cooking skills. Instead, I became better at arranging dishes.”

“Afraid of smoke?” Something flashed in Lin Dong’s mind. Hua Wuyue rarely went to the kitchen under the Peach Blossom Building because of her fear of smoke. Only recently, after getting the Spirit Stone Fan, had she started coming here more often. He had heard Ma Chun mention this before.

But the problem was, why did he feel like he was missing something?

“To be honest with you, Shopkeeper Lin…” Hua Wuyue said awkwardly, “In our Hua family, for a hundred years, there have always been more females than males. I have six older brothers and sisters, and it wasn’t until my fifth sister that there was a brother. Growing up surrounded by aunts, I’ve always been sensitive to dirt and smoke.”

A germaphobe?

Lin Dong’s gaze involuntarily drifted to the three peach blossoms on Hua Wuyue’s pink robe.

Hua Wuyue’s face turned as red as a pig’s liver. That look clearly suspected her of being effeminate. If it were anyone else, she would have drawn her sword right away, leaving an indelible mark on them, no matter who they were.

But not Lin Dong!

Hua Wuyue kept reminding herself that if she really drew her sword and angered this shopkeeper, who seemed gentle by intuition but whose true character was still unknown, the consequences would be beyond her bearing. Even if he had a master backing him, the entire Hua family wouldn’t be able to handle it.

Bang!

A loud noise startled Hua Wuyue and pulled her back to reality. Looking up, she saw Lin Dong’s hand pressed on the table, his face filled with joy.

“Shopkeeper Lin, you…”

Hua Wuyue looked at Lin Dong confusedly. Was that expression and gesture joy or anger? To think, she hadn’t shown any displeasure at him staring at the peach blossoms on her chest just now.

“Young Master Hua!” Lin Dong took a deep breath. His expression and actions were all due to the vague feeling in his mind. Seeing Hua Wuyue’s gaze gradually focus, clearly listening to what he said, Lin Dong asked in a low voice, “Apart from arranging the menu, Young Master Hua rarely cooks himself?” Hua Wuyue nodded and replied instinctively, “Over the past few years, aside from customers at Peach Blossom Pavilion ordering my dishes, I’ve hardly cooked at all.” This answer wasn’t very detailed, but Lin Dong’s originally frustrated mood suddenly cleared up. Poor cooking skills could stem not only from a lack of talent but also from rarely cooking. No matter how talented a chef might be, if they haven’t put in effort to learn or practice cooking, their skills won’t be very good either. If the dishes they’ve made over the years are even worse than those of a housewife, yet they still have skills comparable to those of a small tavern chef, then their talent is actually quite high. Even if they don’t meet the standards of an elite chef, just a year or two of training in an inn would be enough to reach the level Lin Dong was willing to pay a high price for. “It’s a shame Young Master Hua has such skills yet doesn’t become a chef!” Lin Dong said half-jokingly. Hua Wuyue opened his mouth but had no reply. It was a shame not to become a chef, but could it be more regrettable than giving up his right to inherit the Hua family? Even if Hua Wuyue’s cooking skills were poor, Lin Dong didn’t intend to push him too hard. Now that his skills might not be bad, just lacking practice, he certainly wouldn’t rush things. They needed to plan carefully. At the very least, they had to obtain information about the entire Hua family first to figure out a strategy. “Young Master Hua, with our hunger satisfied and the task completed successfully, I should leave now.” Lin Dong stood up, bowing with a smile. “I heard from the staff that you seem to have something to attend to. If I don’t bid farewell now, I might end up getting kicked out by you, which would be embarrassing.” “No, no!” Hua Wuyue quickly stood up, shaking his head. “With Manager Lin visiting, even the most important matters must be put aside, let alone such a trivial issue as my sisters arguing.” “This isn’t a trivial matter. You’d better go quickly, Young Master Hua. I won’t keep you any longer.” Lin Dong moved to leave his seat. “In that case, Manager Lin, let me see you out.” Hua Wuyue didn’t insist and nodded, stepping forward. “Thank you, Young Master Hua.” Lin Dong smiled as he opened the private room, asking as he walked, “How many days do you need to get ready?”

The words sounded a bit confusing, but Hua Wu Yue quickly understood their meaning and said confidently, “It’s better to act immediately rather than wait for the right day. How about this afternoon? Would Manager Lin like to join in the fun?”
“Of course, it’s great to be part of the excitement,” Lin Dong replied without hesitation. He knew he had to be present from start to finish when dealing with the various gambling houses. Otherwise, if those houses refused to accept defeat and thought Lin’s Inn had only gotten lucky by befriending Hua Wu Yue, they might send people to cause trouble at Lin’s Inn, leading to bigger problems.
A day or two couldn’t be wasted. Being there in person could at least prove that the owner of Lin’s Inn wasn’t someone who avoided trouble. If he could appear even more imposing, the bosses of the gambling houses might think twice before taking their anger out on Lin’s Inn.
“Since Manager Lin also wants to join in the fun… I wonder if you’re interested in visiting our Hua family?” Hua Wu Yue asked.
“It’s better not to disturb you. Coming without any gifts could lead to ridicule for being rude. I think it’s better if Young Master Hua prepares someone to send a message to Lin’s Inn. Let’s start with Tianlai Gambling House and meet at their entrance,” Lin Dong said, shaking his head. The fact that Hua Wu Yue agreed at noon and could mobilize people in the afternoon showed his status in the Hua family. But no matter how high his status was, this matter could be resolved quickly or take time—definitely within two hours.
Every extra two hours of practice was valuable. Building a relationship with Hua Wu Yue was important, but rushing to Tianjian Sect two hours earlier was even more crucial.
“It would be an honor for our Hua family if Manager Lin visited…” Hua Wu Yue politely replied.
“Don’t forget, Young Master Hua. As just an owner of a small inn, if I don’t bring a gift worth tens of thousands of silver taels, you’ll surely be scolded by the head of the Hua family for choosing bad friends and having poor judgment.” Relationships couldn’t be built in just a day or two. Seeing Hua Wu Yue’s politeness, Lin Dong tried to lighten the mood with jokes: “If I get driven out of the Hua family, it’s one thing, but even you’ll be implicated.”
“Even without showing off his strength, Manager Lin’s extraordinary demeanor is enough to impress anyone…”
Hua Wu Yue added a few more polite remarks. Seeing that Lin Dong was determined, he didn’t insist any further. After leaving Peach Blossom Tower, the two parted with a bow at the street corner.
Walking back to the inn at a fast pace, Lin Dong called Ma Chun and gave him instructions before rushing back to his room to practice.
As Lin Dong had expected, it wasn’t until two hours later, when the scorching sun began to show signs of fatigue and seemed to be falling faster toward the west, that Ma Chun came running to knock on the back door.

Hua Wu Yue sent someone to inform that they had assembled the necessary personnel and were on their way. Without hesitation, Lin Dong headed straight to Tianlai Gambling House, which was on the same street as Lin Ji Inn.