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"However, these dishes are still not perfect."

Not perfect?

The man in the cloak next door almost spat out when he heard that. This little girl actually said his cooking wasn’t perfect, haha, could there be a funnier joke?

That being said, the cloaked man still sneered and enjoyed the show. He really wanted to see what imperfections this little girl could point out!

Lin Yuan picked up her chopsticks and pointed at each dish on the table.

"First, this National Beauty and Heavenly Fragrance is exquisitely shaped, and the fish is smooth and tender. The only flaw is that, while the peony shape looks like one, it lacks spirit. If the stamens were made a bit more delicate and the petals’ colors a bit more vivid, I believe it would be better. "

"This peony..."

Not giving Tang Ruyan a chance to speak, Lin Yuan continued, "Furthermore, this black fish should have been soaked in saltwater before cooking, to clean out all the impurities from its body. Only then would the fish flesh be firmer and more delicious."

"All the filth in the fish’s belly has been cleaned out. What more is there to purge? You’re nitpicking!" Having learned her lesson, Tang Ruyan spoke very quickly, fearing Lin Yuan would cut her off again.

Lin Yuan looked at Tang Ruyan with a smile, and in that look, Tang Ruyan felt as if it conveyed a sense of "don’t pretend to understand if you don’t."

Lin Yuan spoke softly, "Doesn’t Miss Tang know that it’s not only the belly that is dirty inside a fish? It also has gills and air bladders!"

This...

Tang Ruyan’s mouth twitched. Was she really suggesting that fish needed to purge dirty air from their system? This was the first she’d heard of such a thing!

Not only Tang Ruyan, but also Zhao Hongsheng and the cloaked man next door were stunned. This was truly unheard of.

Discussing only this National Beauty and Heavenly Fragrance was nearly enough to make Zhao Hongsheng and the cloaked man vomit blood. And there were still ten dishes left on the table—what if she criticized them all, wouldn’t they end up vomiting buckets?

Sure enough, after Lin Yuan, holding her chopsticks, finished commenting on the remaining dishes one by one, Zhao Hongsheng only had one thought: Who could shut this girl’s mouth for him?

The cloaked man next door had already been supporting himself against the wall with weak knees, unable to stand. This girl’s brazenness—nobody in the Capital city’s elite, nor even the Consort Guiren from the palace, could compare to her!

Zhao Hongde watched his little sister with amusement. Seeing Xia Zheng tenderly offering her hot tea, Zhao Hongde chuckled, "Seeing how much my little sister enjoyed the food just now, I thought she really liked these dishes. Now, it seems, well..."

So she was just picking on other people’s faults! This girl has the gall to criticize after eating their food, what a pitfall!

Has she never heard of the saying ’bite the hand that feeds you’? Ah, this little girl really doesn’t play by the rules. But he liked that.

"Of course, did you think any ordinary dishes could catch her eye? Do you not see whose woman she is? She has to be choosy, how else would she match up to her Lord’s status?"

"Oh?" Remembering the rumors he had heard during his days in Yecheng, Zhao Hongde couldn’t help but lean in a little and smile flattering, "I’ve been hearing all about how the Boss of Fragrant Full Building is a culinary genius who cooks marvelous dishes. When will you show me your skills?"

Speaking of this, Lin Yuan felt somewhat guilty towards this newly acknowledged elder brother.

She had obtained a house from him for nothing in return, which really didn’t sit right.

Moreover, she had been busy with the business of Fragrant Full Building these days and even allowed Zhao Hongsheng to steal the limelight with the banquet that she was supposed to host.

"Sure, big brother. I’ll cook for you myself tonight and make you a nice dinner."

"Good!" Zhao Hongde burst into delighted laughter.

Xia Zheng couldn’t help but start teasing again, "Don’t worry, how could anything made by this Lord’s woman not be excellent?"

Upon hearing this, Tang Ruyan finally reacted. The village girl had been talking her head off just now, so let her show her own skills! Let’s see if the dish she makes is truly perfect!

Tang Ruyan couldn’t help but smirk to herself. As long as Lin Yuan dared to cook, she could critique just as articulately. Wasn’t it just about finding faults? Who couldn’t do that?

"Miss Lin speaks very sensibly. But, I wonder how Miss Lin’s own cooking skills are. Could you prepare for us a dish that could be deemed perfect, and enlighten our eyesight?"

Lin Yuan gave the woman a look. She had felt the woman’s sense of superiority and hostility from the moment she entered.

Could it be she considered her a rival in love?

But Lin Yuan was quite certain that there was no affection between herself and Zhao Hongsheng, nor from him towards her. So where could hostility stem from?