After finishing the squirrel fish, Wen Mingtang made garlic ribs and two cold vegetarian dishes before heading to the counter to prepare the main course and desserts to be served at the end of the banquet.

Meanwhile, Chef Xing still had many dishes to finish. Watching Chef Xing ladle the braised pork from the casserole, Wen Mingtang thought for a moment and said, “Chef Xing, if you need help, remember to call me. Chef Xing already had the lion’s share today, and he had much more work to do than I did.”

Chef Xing hummed in agreement and nodded, saying, “Okay.” Although he said “Okay,” he remained focused on ladling the braised pork from the casserole.

Wen Mingtang didn’t press the matter further. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught a glimpse of Chef Xing placing the braised pork on a clean, square plate. Her gaze sharpened slightly. The square-shaped pork, tied with bamboo leaves, had been transferred from the casserole to the plate. Chef Xing’s skill was undeniable; this dish required considerable effort, and for Chef Xing, whose hands and feet were not as mobile as those of someone who could make dishes like spicy chicken, it was far superior. The red sauce drizzled over the pork, making it incredibly tempting.

However… looking at the steaming pieces of braised pork on the white porcelain plate, Wen Mingtang glanced at the casserole beside her. Out of a chef’s instinct, she felt something was amiss.

It wasn’t that Chef Xing’s plating was wrong; the braised pork was placed in the center of the white porcelain plate, surrounded by vibrant green vegetables—a common arrangement at banquets.

However… now that winter has arrived, earthenware pots retain heat better than white porcelain plates, making them the preferred choice for serving hot dishes in winter. Serving braised pork directly in an earthenware pot wouldn’t look bad either; in the palace, after winter arrived, braised pork was always served directly in an earthenware pot.

Abandoning the earthenware pot for a white porcelain plate seemed to serve no other purpose than making the braised pork, with its added red yeast rice, appear even more vibrant against the backdrop of green vegetables.

Chef Xing, however, seemed oblivious. After arranging the dish, he handed the braised pork to the maid who came to serve the dish and turned to prepare other dishes.

Hot dishes cool quickly in winter, so the maid dared not be negligent, quickly taking the braised pork to the banquet.

At the banquet, Hou Furen and Lady Lu, among others, were talking, the aroma of the previous dish, garlic ribs, still lingering on their breath.

The pork ribs were incredibly flavorful, crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. Holding the bone, you could easily remove all the meat by gnawing on the ribs. They had fried pork ribs before, and they were not unfamiliar with chefs who could fry them to this perfection. But this garlic pork rib dish stood out, disappearing quickly thanks to its unique and rich garlic aroma. The original spiciness of the garlic was transformed into an unforgettable fragrance after frying.

Besides the ribs, there were also crispy fried garlic bits and peanut crumbs mixed in, creating a slightly grainy texture that blended perfectly with the crispy exterior and tender interior of the ribs, making it irresistible.

Although both were fried, like the squirrel fish, they lacked the greasiness often associated with fried foods. The former was balanced by the garlic flavor, while the latter was neutralized by a sweet and sour sauce, making it truly hard to put down your chopsticks.

Hou Furen nodded repeatedly as she ate, glancing at the dishes that had been served: although Chef Wen was assisting as the sous chef today and hadn’t prepared many dishes, each one was quite excellent, and almost all of them were completely devoured. On the other hand, Chef Xing seemed to be doing poorly today, with several dishes falling far short of expectations. While he might still be considered good compared to the other chefs, compared to Chef Wen, who was serving the dishes at the same time, it was clear that Chef Xing was “absent-minded” today.

Upon seeing the braised pork, which was now almost completely devoid of steam, Hou Furen couldn’t help but gasp. When she picked up a piece of the brightly colored pork with her chopsticks and put it in her mouth, she frowned. To be fair, this braised pork was significantly better than the spicy chicken and other dishes from before, but… When her tongue tasted the side of the pork that was now cool against the porcelain plate, Hou Furen shook her head. She looked up, about to greet Madam Lu and the others and explain that the family cook had “injured his hand,” when she heard a sound of dry heaving.

Startled, Hou Furen saw that it was Madam Lu who was retching. She quickly got up and went to Madam Lu’s side, ordering a maid to bring a wooden bucket and a cloth. Together with the Lu family, she patted Madam Lu’s back. Once Madam Lu’s reaction had subsided slightly, she called for the steward to fetch a doctor.

However, Madam Lu stopped her.

After calming down a bit, Madam Lu, whose face was pale, raised her hand to stop Hou Furen’s actions, shaking her head and saying, “I haven’t eaten meat for a long time, and there was too much meat today, so the smell is a bit unpleasant. I’ll be fine after a short rest.”

Upon hearing this, Hou Furen’s expression remained tense, and she turned to look at the Lu family members beside her.

The meaning behind that look was quite clear. Seeing this, Madam Lu’s daughter, Qian Niang, immediately nodded and said, “That’s right! Mother is a vegetarian and hasn’t smelled meat for a long time, so the smell is a bit unpleasant. She’ll be fine after a short rest. Second Miss, don’t worry, it’s nothing!”

Since Qian Niang had said so, and seeing that Madam Lu’s complexion had indeed eased considerably after covering her mouth and nose with a handkerchief, Hou Furen did not insist any further, but instead helped Madam Lu back to rest with Qian Niang.

Once Madam Lu had left, the younger generation of the Lu family did not dare to neglect her. Even though the two children had not yet finished eating, they put down their chopsticks and followed her.

After a period of noise, only Lin Fei remained at the banquet.

Although he hadn’t left yet, Lin Fei put down his chopsticks and glanced at the braised pork that had just been served: the braised pork, with a lot of red yeast rice added, was an astonishingly red color. It was true that Madam Lu was a vegetarian; among the dishes served, she only encountered a few vegetarian dishes and Wen Mingtang’s “Soft Heart.” But as for the meat dishes: fried meats like squirrel fish, garlic ribs, and spicy chicken, while fragrant, had a much stronger aroma, and Madam Lu seemed perfectly fine smelling them. On the contrary, the braised pork was already somewhat cold when it was served, and its aroma wasn’t very noticeable. So why did it cause Madam Lu to gag?

Was Madam Lu’s gag truly caused by the smell of the braised pork? Or…? Lin Fei’s gaze fell on the overly vibrant color of the braised pork, and he lowered his eyes, remaining silent.

After sitting at the table for a while, when Madam Lu returned and saw Lin Fei sitting alone, drinking tea and waiting for the dishes, she fell silent. “Fei, you…”

Lin Fei called out “Mother” and then said seriously, “There are still a few desserts that haven’t been served.”

Hou Furen was speechless. This was the first time she had noticed her second son being so particular about food.

After a pause, seeing Lin Fei’s serious expression, Hou Furen thought for a moment and said, “Desserts aren’t meat, so they’re not greasy. I’ll bring some to the guest quarters later!”

The banquet wasn’t over yet, and everyone had only eaten a few bites before leaving, so it seemed that no one was quite full.

Of course, more importantly… glancing at the many untouched dishes on the table, Hou Furen shook her head: Chef Xing’s cooking was far below par today; Chef Wen’s dishes were much more reliable. She remembered that Chef Wen had made those desserts.

(End of Chapter)

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