Chang’an Small Restaurant Chapter 56 (Part 2)
Translated by Pure
Chapter 56.2 Deputy Magistrate’s Scheme
"Chef’s special buttermilk—" Lin Yan raised his eyebrow ever so slightly, not bothering to look at Shen Shaoguang as he inquired, "Is there a paired allusion?"
Shen Shaoguang arched her own eyebrows. Well! Has Deputy Magistrate Lin acquired a taste for teasing? What’s the harm in creating a tale alongside the Tanhua Envoy’s Floral Cakes? After all, it was a genuine incident, albeit with a touch of artistic embellishment.
"If Deputy Magistrate comes to savor a bowl each day, we can craft an allusion to accompany this dish. This buttermilk could be named 'Tanhua Envoy’s Sweetened Bean in Buttermilk' or 'Deputy Magistrate’s Sweetened Bean in Buttermilk'. Which one do you find more fitting, Sir Lin?" Shen Shaoguang suggested with a smile.
Lin Yan glanced at her and pursed his lips.
Shen Shaoguang chuckled inwardly. This man is way too earnest!
"The latter is preferable." Lin Yan lifted the bowl, taking another spoonful of sweetened beans into his mouth.
Shen Shaoguang was momentarily taken aback, it took her a second to smile and reply, "Certainly."
Lin Yan lifted the corners of his lips in response.
Observing his lips once more, Shen Shaoguang quipped, "Sir Lin, take your time to enjoy," and turned around to attend to her tasks. Good looks can be lethal! Good looks can be lethal! I still have work to finish!
Before he could completely finish his food, Lin Yan's chamberlain sought him out. Rising from his seat, Lin Yan exchanged a few words with the chamberlain, offered a slight nod to Shen Shaoguang, and departed from the shop.
Liu Chang approached Shen Shaoguang with a smile and remarked, "Miss, your pastry-making skills are truly praiseworthy. My Master enjoys each one of them. If it's convenient, could we arrange to settle the total bill on a specific date each month, or perhaps pay in advance? This way, our Master won't need to carry his purse every time."
Besides his aversion to personally placing orders, Deputy Magistrate Lin also disdains carrying money when venturing outside? Truly an aristocratic temperament. Though inwardly cursing, Shen Shaoguang maintained a pleasant smile and agreed.
After expressing his gratitude with a respectful ceremony and bidding farewell to Miss Shen, Liu Chang exited the establishment. He then shook his head and sighed. Alas, Master... Alas, men...
Liu Chang’s lament was fleeting, but the Lin Residence private kitchen was genuinely concerned. Despite their Master's usual silence, he typically consumed a variety of dishes without complaint. However, his recent decrease in appetite, especially his avoidance of evening snacks, raised questions. Was their Master losing interest in food? Had he also found the consumption of meals too troublesome?
Elder Madam Jiang shared a similar observation. "A’Yan, you're eating so little... Is something not to your liking?"
"It's just a bit of summertime appetite loss," Lin Yan reassured with a smile.
Elder Madam Jiang frowned and remarked, "It's only the start of summer, and you're already having trouble with eating. How will you endure the peak of the summer heat?" She scrutinized Lin Yan's face, noting, "You seem a bit paler than usual."
Lin Yan responded with a smile, "If I feel hungry in between, I'll compensate with some snacks."
After serving his grandmother half a bowl of vegetable porridge, Lin Yan casually added, "Shen Indelible's pastries and cakes are quite delicious."
Elder Madam Jiang chuckled and remarked, "Don't you usually dislike sweets?" Without giving Lin Yan a chance to respond, she continued, "Miss Shen's floral cakes are truly delicious, with a wide variety to choose from. It's no wonder you've taken a liking to them."
Lin Yan smiled faintly, lowered his eyes, and sipped the porridge slowly with a spoon.
"Miss Shen's wisdom and skill surpass those of ordinary women," Elder Madam Jiang remarked, reminiscing about the Lixia cakes she had enjoyed in the past two days.
"Befitting a descendant from a renowned clan," Lin Yan stated calmly.
Elder Madam Jiang nodded in agreement.
A’Su, the maidservant by Elder Madam Jiang, glanced at Lin Yan. Master is acting very strange, he usually never responds when the topic revolves around maidens…
No matter what his family member thought, Lin Yan continued his disciplined diet of eating several small meals.
Yu San completely disapproved of Deputy Magistrate Lin's approach of treating their tavern as his own personal kitchen. He never bothered to order food when he came, and he never paid when he left. Did he think of himself as our Master?
Yu San suddenly grasped Deputy Magistrate Lin's intention. After a moment, he inwardly scoffed again. Men...
Observing their Miss diligently serving Lin Yan rice, sides, buttermilk, and snacks daily, Yu San pursed his lips and headed to the kitchen to attend to his own tasks.
If Lin Yan arrived in the afternoon, Shen Shaoguang would offer him light snacks, buttermilk, or sometimes even a fruit salad. If he came in the evening, she would serve light porridge and side dishes such as vegetable congee, lean meat congee, red bean and adlay millet porridge, or husked rice and mung bean porridge. These would be paired with cucumber and dried beans, stir-fried bean sprouts and cured sausage, or occasionally include raw fish slices if she was in a good mood.
No matter what was served, Deputy Magistrate Lin ate everything with utmost seriousness, without being selective. Shen Shaoguang couldn't help but feel a sense of pride. It was her skilled craftsmanship and thoughtful combinations that consistently satisfied this privileged guest.
Deputy Magistrate Lin was a guest, so his meals were usually prepared separately. However, on this particular day, he arrived just as all the employees of Shen Indelible were about to have dinner.
Those employed in a restaurant often have irregular meal times. When it's actually time to eat, they are usually serving customers. If they manage to find a moment to eat, it's either taken in shifts or at unconventional hours.
Due to the late sunset and the daytime heat, the staff at Shen Indelible preferred to wait until all the guests had departed before having their own meals.
Just as the food was being laid out on the table, Deputy Magistrate Lin walked in.
Shen Shaoguang stood up to greet him and then inquired with a smile, "What would Sir Lin like to have today?" As she was about to suggest the fresh mandarin fish and the possibility of making fish filet porridge, Deputy Magistrate Lin surprised her by saying, "I'll have a portion of your tree leaf cold wash, Miss."
Shen Shaoguang looked up and suddenly recalled the incident from last year when he had taken away her and A’Yuan's porridge. Did he find other people's food more delectable? Well, this Deputy Magistrate Lin had a rather… childish and adorable side. Very good, very good.
The quartet of Shen Indelible typically dined together at the same table in the lobby, consolidating all the table trays. However, with a guest present, A’Chang swiftly grabbed his bowl and headed to the kitchen first. Yu San cast a glance at Lin Yan and then at Shen Shaoguang before rising expressionlessly. A’Yuan remained comfortably seated, but Yu San seized her collar and pulled her into the kitchen.
Lin Yan didn't take his usual window seat but instead sat opposite Shen Shaoguang's seat, patiently waiting for her to serve him a bowl of cold wash.
Shen Shaoguang smiled and took her seat, placing a bowl of noodles in front of him. "Please help yourself to any topping, Sir."
"Okay." Lin Yan nodded.
Shen Shaoguang proceeded to mix her own cold noodles and started eating while sitting across from Lin Yan.
The candlelight flickered subtly. Lin Yan glanced at the young woman seated opposite him as they shared a simple, homely meal and the corners of his eyes curved into faint crescents.
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The author has something to say: Alongside Yu San, we bemoan Deputy Magistrate Lin's cunning ways.
