Shen Guofu's family of three didn't stay in the restaurant for long.

Because Shen Jiayue had already called her Grandma when she arrived, and her Grandma was still waiting at home for the dinner Yueyue was bringing.

Shen Guofu neatly packed up all the dishes on the table, including the dishes Lin Xu had packed for Grandma, and they took Yueyue's car to Grandma's place for dinner.

Well, they brought wine with them, so it doesn't matter where they drink.

They also had to give Grandma a heads-up.

Yueyue has a boyfriend now, and he's a fantastic guy.

"I told Grandma about it yesterday, and she told me to go ahead with the relationship, saying your opinions aren't important, because when you got married, you didn't listen to your parents either..."

Shen Jiayue repeated her Grandma's words while driving.

Hearing this completely deflated Shen Guofu, who had been about to assert his parental authority.

No wonder the girl visited Grandma yesterday; she was seeking her powerful support.

Sitting in the passenger seat, Han Shuzhen curiously asked her daughter, "What will Little Xu make for breakfast tomorrow?"

Back at the restaurant, her daughter had mentioned dishes like Pork Grease Buns. Though they sounded rather oily, Han Shuzhen couldn't help but want to try them.

While driving, Shen Jiayue shook her head. "He's very casual; he cooks whatever comes to mind... If you want to eat something specific, just say so. I'll tell him when we get back so he can prepare in advance."

"Isn't that too troublesome?"

"Not at all. He has to get up around four to buy groceries, and after he gets back, he starts preparing breakfast."

"He gets up that early?"

Han Shuzhen started to feel sorry for her son-in-law.

No wonder her daughter comes home early every day without going on dates. It must be because her son-in-law needs to rest early, right?

While she was feeling sympathetic, Shen Jiayue suddenly asked, "Just as we were leaving, I asked Xu Bao. He said Dad has been going to the restaurant every afternoon to pack a bunch of dishes and food... So, all that talk about coarse grains at home was just to trick me, right?"

Han Shuzhen fell silent. Shen Guofu had nothing to say. The air crackled with sudden, awkward silence.

Shen Guofu and his wife exchanged glances.

Maybe it's better to just give our daughter a good talking to, and while we're at it, ask her about secretly taking the household registration book to elope...

「In the restaurant.」

After seeing off his parents-in-law, the evening rush at Lin Ji's Food also officially began.

Lin Xu was incredibly busy.

The Perfect Level dessert raffle had to be postponed.

By his side, Senior Brother Xie Baomin hadn't left.

Instead, he stayed in the restaurant to help.

When he saw the duck dishes Lin Xu had made, he immediately leaned over to sniff them. "Did you adjust the seasoning? The base flavor seems a bit overpowering..."

Lin Xu said, "I made the marinade this morning. When Master came for lunch, he pointed out some shortcomings, so I tweaked it this afternoon. The flavor is gentler now."

Xie Baomin chuckled and said, "Master is an all-rounder; it's just a shame he loves to fool around so much... He was messing with live streaming at my place last night. Can that stuff even make money?"

Make money? Money is the least of his worries. Master is about to be sponsored by a wealthy woman!

Lin Xu recounted the whole complex love-hate relationship between Grandmaster Gao and the leopard-print lady.

Xie Baomin suddenly felt like he missed an excellent drama. "Ah, why didn't you tell me earlier, Junior Brother? Something like this, I'd skip an administrative meeting to see it! It's so rare to see Master get put in his place..."

He said, while inwardly muttering, The date for the competition has been set for next Wednesday, but how can I get Junior Brother to participate? It's a bit hard to bring up!

Lin Xu, too, was pondering. How can I subtly ask Senior Brother about making a name for myself at the Fishing Platform? This task is tied to a braised dish. The sooner it's done, the sooner the restaurant can feature a new braised dish. These types of dishes are usually great with rice and would definitely boost business.

The two of them, Senior Brother and Junior Brother, continued chatting, each lost in their own thoughts.

Finally, at seven in the evening, Xie Baomin took a deep breath and said to Lin Xu, "Junior Brother, I need you to do me a favor."

Lin Xu's mind raced. A favor? This is perfect! Now I'll have a chance to ask about making a name for myself at the Fishing Platform!

Lin Xu immediately said, "Senior Brother, just ask! If it's something I can do, I definitely won't refuse!"

Seeing his Junior Brother's enthusiasm, Xie Baomin felt a wave of relief. "It's like this: we at the Fishing Platform hold a culinary competition for young chefs every year. All chefs under the age of twenty-five can participate..."

Upon hearing this, Lin Xu's eyes immediately lit up.

A cooking competition? Isn't this the perfect opportunity for me to make a name for myself?

With that thought, he looked at Xie Baomin and asked, "Can I participate in this competition, Senior Brother?"

Xie Baomin was momentarily startled, then replied, "That's exactly what I was hoping! I want you to represent Building No. 2 in the competition. Our training in Building No. 2 is based on a master-apprentice system. It's very difficult for anyone to complete their apprenticeship before twenty-five, so they can't produce truly exquisite dishes. That's why we've been stuck in second place for the last few years... If the age limit were just a few years higher, Building No. 2 would undoubtedly dominate!"

The advantage of the master-apprentice system is meticulous instruction and a solid foundation. A master can flexibly adjust their teaching methods based on each apprentice's temperament, but the drawback is that apprentices take too long to complete their training.

Curious, Lin Xu asked, "Can I really represent you in the competition?"

Although he was very tempted, he had to be sure. He didn't want to become famous at the Fishing Platform for cheating rather than for his culinary skills.

"Yes, you can. Advisors are eligible to compete. Building No. 10 won the championship for two years straight thanks to their advisor. So, this time, Junior Brother, you absolutely have to help me!"

With things laid out like this, and the reward practically in his grasp, why not go for it? But if he went to the competition, what about the hand-pulled noodles at the shop?

Perhaps sensing Lin Xu's concerns, Xie Baomin said, "Don't worry about the shop. When the time comes, I'll send a few chefs from Building No. 2 to cover for you. Hand-pulled noodles, steamed fish—they can handle it all!"

Since that was settled, Lin Xu nodded. "Alright, I'll represent you in this culinary competition!"

After he finished speaking, he suddenly thought of a question. "Senior Brother, why is there a competition for young chefs but not for middle-aged ones?"

Xie Baomin said with a laugh, "There used to be one. But then one chef won the championship five years in a row. The leadership felt it was becoming meaningless, so they canceled the middle-aged category..."

Holy crap! That good? Lin Xu was astonished. "Who was that, Senior Brother? That's incredible!"

Xie Baomin pointed at himself. "Me!"

Lin Xu was dumbfounded. You've been waiting for me to ask that for ages, haven't you?

「After 8 PM.」

The customers in the shop gradually left.

Xie Baomin, who had helped out for a few hours, also said his goodbyes and left.

Lin Xu went to the storage room to change into a short-sleeved shirt, then came to the cashier's desk, picked up Dundun in one swoop, and carried the cat on his shoulder to the entrance to look at the night scene for a while.

When he returned to the shop, he rubbed the little cat's head and silently commanded in his mind, Lottery draw!

A lottery wheel immediately appeared on the screen in his mind.

As the lottery wheel spun rapidly, Lin Xu pressed the draw button.

"Congratulations to the host for obtaining Perfect Level Chinese dessert—Almond Tofu."

Almond Tofu?

He was not unfamiliar with this dessert at all.

Because during the summer vacation of his freshman year, before his mom, Chen Meijuan, became obsessed with taking out loans to develop tourist attractions, she had experimented endlessly to make delicious Almond Tofu. She had filled the refrigerator's cold compartment with it so many times that Lin Xu practically burped almond fragrance.

Unexpectedly, he had drawn this dessert.

He'd have to make it for Mom soon and let her taste what Perfect Level Almond Tofu was like.

While he was mulling this over, Lin Xu saw his Master, Gao Daye, push open the shop door. Gao Daye looked somewhat listless, carrying his live-streaming bag, and sporting a bright red lipstick mark on his face.

Huh? What's this...? Lin Xu wondered.

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