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Princess Anle was amused by her words and felt her appetite surge, eating the remaining half of the dish as well.

Lao Fan and Xiao Linshuang had no interest in listening to their banter about happiness and laughter. As soon as Lin Yuan finished introducing the dishes, they couldn’t wait to start eating with their chopsticks, showing no regard for manners at all.

Just as Su Qiuyu was about to remind Xiao Linshuang to use the serving chopsticks, she saw Lao Fan across from her already snatch away a char siu bun with his chopsticks. And truly, he snatched it, boldly stabbing the bun in the middle with one chopstick and lifting it away.

While Su Qiuyu watched, dumbfounded, Lao Fan took a big bite of the char siu bun, his eyes lighting up with delight. Without even finishing the first one, he took another chopstick and skewered a second bun.

Su Qiuyu was completely speechless, bowing her head in silent resignation. She couldn’t believe that even the renowned Old Mr. Zhen from the Imperial Medical Bureau had forgotten what manners were.

Seeing Princess Anle enjoying the meal, Su Qiuyu couldn’t help but praise, "Is all this Miss Lin’s handiwork? It’s truly an eye-opener for Qiu Yu. I never thought Miss Lin, at such a young age, could possess such exceptional culinary skills. I am envious indeed."

Lin Yuan was in the middle of explaining the difference between Mapo tofu and sizzling tofu to Princess Anle when she was caught off guard by Su Qiuyu’s compliment.

"If Miss Su likes it, please have some more. You’ve just recovered, so you shouldn’t eat anything too spicy.

This Earthly Delight is very nice, you should try it.

And these Crystal shrimp dumplings can also be eaten without worry," she said, encouraging her to try more dishes while she continued to introduce them. Since you’re putting on an act, I’ll play along to the end.

Su Qiuyu did indeed take her advice, having Yaner serve her some Crystal shrimp dumplings and Earthly Delight.

Crystal shrimp dumplings, unfamiliar to her and unheard of before, looked very appetizing with their thin, translucent wrappers enclosing the tender pink shrimps inside.

Then there was the Earthly Delight, containing eggplant and bell peppers which she had tried before, but there was also another ingredient, soft in texture, that she couldn’t identify. Nonetheless, the taste was exquisite.

Princess Anle was also very interested in this Earthly Delight and asked with curiosity, "Earthly Delight, does that mean it has three things in it?"

Lin Yuan nodded, "Exactly, as the name suggests, it consists of three types of vegetables that grow on the ground. I’ve used eggplant and green peppers, which I believe Madam has already tasted."

Princess Anle nodded, "Then what is the third ingredient? It is soft, somewhat doughy, but it’s quite tasty."

Lin Yuan concealed a smile and tilted her chin towards Xia Zheng, "You’ll have to ask him for that."

Both Princess Anle and Su Qiuyu looked at Xia Zheng with a mixture of surprise and curiosity.

Xia Zheng, grinning, explained, "That would be a potato. I stumbled upon it accidentally while in the mountains. The locals there all said that people died from eating it, so I guessed it must be poisonous. But then, Yuanyuan managed to turn it into a dish that not only didn’t kill anyone but was also delicious. "

"Ah? So is this thing poisonous or not?" Su Qiuyu asked, biting her lip with a hint of fear.

Lin Yuan quickly reassured her, "Miss Su, please don’t worry, not all potatoes are poisonous, only those that have sprouted should not be eaten. The dishes I prepare are made from the best selections, there will definitely be no problem."

Despite her reassurance, Su Qiuyu was still somewhat apprehensive, but seeing that everyone else was fine after eating it, she gradually felt more at ease. However, she refrained from taking any more of the Earthly Delight for the rest of the meal.

Even so, Su Qiuyu managed to offer another complement for Lin Yuan, "I am amazed that not only is Miss Lin an excellent cook, but she also has a deep understanding of these unknown vegetables. I admire you. Where did you learn all this? Did a master specifically teach you?"

Lao Fan and Xia Zheng had both been suspicious before, thinking that a girl so young could not possibly know so many dishes without guidance from a master.

But after spending so much time together, with Xia Zheng getting particularly close to Lin Yuan, they knew nearly all her secrets.

There was no master, as Lin Yuan said herself, after working in the fields for so long, one would learn to cook by doing.

As for the potato and tofu, it was her boldness and imagination that led to success.

Now, as Su Qiuyu raised the question, her intention was clearly not the same as Lao Fan and Xia Zheng, who were genuinely curious. She, on the other hand, was deliberately trying to embarrass Lin Yuan.

Only moments ago, Lin Yuan was puzzled by Su Qiuyu’s sudden shift from critiquing to praising her.

In no time at all, her true colors were revealed.

That gleeful look in her eyes was simply to make Lin Yuan admit that she was a villager who, from a young age, could only have contact with these vegetables and the soil, right?

Well, if admitting that was all it took, there was no shame in that.

With a smile, Lin Yuan replied, "Actually, there was no specific master who taught me. Miss Su surely knows, I’m just a country girl who grew up in the fields, constantly dealing with eggplants and potatoes. Spend enough time with them and naturally, you get to know them well."

Su Qiuyu didn’t expect Lin Yuan to admit it so candidly, and she felt a sense of defeat. Looking at Lin Yuan’s straightforward and pure smile only fueled her frustration.

Princess Anle, however, nodded in agreement, "Yuanyuan is right. No matter what it is you do, as long as you persevere and devote enough time to it, you will surely excel."

"Yes, indeed," Su Qiuyu managed to force a smile and nodded along.

Lin Yuan, observing her thwarted demeanor, couldn’t help but shake her head.

This meal brought pure joy to Princess Anle, satisfying her with its delicious flavors and introducing her to dishes she had never tasted before, leading her to exclaim that she will definitely miss them when she goes back.