Chapter 76: The First Signature Dish

It was less than an hour before Wen Wang and his daughter returned to the antique shop. Upon hearing the news, Jiang Kui put down his work and rushed out of the kitchen.
“M-Master…”
Jiang Kui stammered, his voice suppressed to the lowest level yet still an octave higher than normal.
“What is it?” Lin Dong stopped chasing the silver rabbit and pretended to be puzzled.
Jiang Kui hesitated. Over the past month or so, aside from initial discomfort with the rough demeanor of Wang Liuze and the others, he had found life at Lin’s Inn extremely comfortable and easy. The owner not only spent a lot of money buying various spirit beast meats from Qiufeng City to improve himself but also, despite initially agreeing not to pay wages, gave him ten taels of silver per month. Moreover, though the other workers often joked about his loud voice, Jiang Kui could sense no mockery in it—instead, there was a hint of envy, as if his loud voice were something remarkable.
If he could see Wen Ying every day, Jiang Kui would not only ask to leave but would even beg to stay at Lin’s Inn as a chef.
“Do you want to go back to Shili Street?” Lin Dong asked.
Jiang Kui nodded awkwardly.
Lin Dong smiled. “Continue living a life where you’re satisfied just with a distant glance at Wen Ying?”
Jiang Kui was stunned and scratched his head, forcing a laugh.
Lin Dong was both amused and exasperated. Now that Jiang Kui could see Wen Ying every day and even talk to her occasionally, any normal person should have higher aspirations!
“Wen Ying is almost seventeen, right?” Lin Dong organized his thoughts before speaking. “If early, she might already be married; if late, it’ll be within two or three years. Have you thought about what you’ll do once she gets married?”
Jiang Kui froze. He had thought about it before but dared not anymore.
“How does Wen Ying treat you now?” Lin Dong asked slowly.
Jiang Kui grinned widely. “She’s not as afraid of me as before. When she’s bored, she comes to the kitchen to watch me cook. Once, she even asked me to accompany her to the market, saying she was afraid of meeting some young masters.”
“You never dared to think about such things before, did you?” Lin Dong said with a smile.
Jiang Kui’s head bobbed like a rattle. How could he have dared to think such things before? At most, he hoped it wouldn’t rain so Wen Ying could go out every day.
“Even if you have no other plans, you surely don’t want Wen Ying to look down on you, right?” Lin Dong tempted.
Jiang Kui shook his head vigorously.

“That’s simple then. Going back to open a small noodle stall isn’t a problem, but losing money every day—who would respect such a man?” Lin Dong said leisurely, “Stay honestly in the inn. You’ll always be the head chef at Lin’s Inn. Ten taels of silver a month—surely that’s not worse than anywhere else in Xilan City. Besides, you’ve seen how busy Lin’s Inn is. Opening a branch is only a matter of time. You should know my personality by now—how can Lin’s Inn grow without you as its top chef? Trust me, one day you’ll surpass Jiang Yichu!”
“Jiang Yichu?” Jiang Kui grinned. He was an almost legendary figure! The innkeeper really dared to say that.
“What’s wrong with Jiang Yichu?” Lin Dong asked irritably. “He also started out as a junior chef.”
Although Jiang Kui felt a surge of anger, Wen Ying was still the most important thing to him. After thinking for a while, he shook his head and mumbled, “I can’t stand staying in the inn all day.”
“You can’t stand not seeing Wen Ying, right?” Lin Dong shook his head and smiled. “The inn is busy, but you’re not the only chef. From now on, you’ll get one or two hours of rest time every day. You can go wherever you want.”
“But…” Jiang Kui was still hesitant.
Lin Dong said meaningfully, “Won’t you wait outside for Wen Ying to go out shopping just to take a look? Besides, with ten taels of silver a month, you can buy things directly from home, which is closer. If you’re afraid Wen Ying will be annoyed, just don’t approach her.”
With a snap, Jiang Kui slapped his own forehead hard.
He had initially wanted to agree right away, but after thinking it over, he looked troubled again. “Innkeeper, Xilan City is so small. If Lin’s Inn opens branches, it will definitely be elsewhere. By then…”
“Don’t worry. Even if it opens in the sky, I guarantee you can come to Xilan City every day,” Lin Dong said confidently. “If not, you can stay in Xilan City.”
Jiang Kui nodded eagerly.
Lin Dong breathed a sigh of relief. The top chef was temporarily secured.
Watching Jiang Kui happily return to the kitchen, Lin Dong’s gaze shifted to the Silver Rabbit, who was calmly munching on a carrot. Just as he was about to continue, a ding sound appeared in his ears: “Congratulations! You’ve completed the task ‘Wen’s Antique Shop Reopens.’ You’ve received the reward: Medicinal Stew Recipe—Sword Turtle Stewed with Maple Leaves.”
Lin Dong was delighted. He thought Wen Wangzhong would open the shop the next day, but it turned out to be so soon. Judging by the timeline, it seemed they had cleaned and prepared the shop right after returning and then opened it immediately.
He hurried back to his room, closed the door, and decided to claim his reward.

Stewed Turtle with Maple Leaf: 5 qian of maple leaves, one turtle, and 2 liang of garlic. Consuming it can enhance physical strength by 1%, but the effect does not accumulate; it costs 0.1 unit of spiritual energy. (It is only effective on the first consumption per day, and the enhanced strength remains the same as after the first use.)

Lin Dong was overjoyed. Although the stewed turtle with maple leaf wasn’t particularly effective and its enhancement multiplier couldn’t be adjusted, precisely because of this, it could serve as Lin’s Inn’s first signature dish. If it were a top-tier medicinal recipe like braised Wind Spirit Grass, few people in the Great Han Kingdom could afford it, given that it required seventh-tier spiritual materials.

But the stewed turtle with maple leaf was different. Though Lin Dong didn’t know what tier the maple leaves belonged to, since it wasn’t a top-tier medicinal recipe, it surely couldn’t be high-tier either. As long as it was below third tier, combined with the costs of spiritual stones, turtles, and labor, the total cost would definitely not exceed 300 coins.

If sold for 2–3 liang of silver per dish, just for its ability to enhance physical strength, many wealthy families in Xilan City alone would be willing to order it from time to time. For those who were wealthy but in poor health, they might even visit frequently.

Lower-tier spiritual materials might be available in the pharmacies of Xilan City. After assigning the medicinal recipe for stewed turtle with maple leaf to the inn’s system, Lin Dong quickly went to the lobby and called Wang Liuzhi over.

“Xiao Liu, send a few people to the pharmacies in Xilan City to inquire if there’s a spiritual material called maple leaf. If it exists and the price is right, buy all of it. Also, buy some turtles.”

“What does this maple leaf look like?” Wang Liuzhi asked.

“What does it look like?” Lin Dong hesitated. “It should be the leaf of a tree called the maple tree. It’s a lower-tier spiritual material.”

It’s like saying nothing at all… Wang Liuzhi thought to himself before nodding. “Alright, I’ll send people to look for it. If we find it, we can buy some to check first.”

“That’s good. If it’s available, make sure to ask about its effects and any contraindications!” With this reminder, Lin Dong realized he had been too hasty.

Even if the maple leaf really existed, he still needed to give Jiang Kui and the other two chefs some time to study it. After all, if the stewed turtle with maple leaf didn’t taste good, its appeal would be greatly reduced. Buying too much at once would be a loss if the maple leaves couldn’t be stored for long.

The first signature dish had to be excellent in terms of appearance, taste, and aroma!