With two large buckets of perilla drink no longer to carry, the three of them walked much faster on the road and arrived at their stall considerably earlier.
As soon as they reached the dock, a regular customer appeared at their stall. "Why didn't you bring any drinks today, miss?" Xu Zhiheng asked, fanning himself.
Lin Yao looked up and saw it was the scholar.
Today, the scholar was wearing a pink robe, looking much more subdued compared to his flamboyant appearance last time, though the color did make his complexion appear somewhat darker.
Lin Yao pushed aside her thoughts and replied, "Sir, as the weather is gradually turning cooler, the drinks aren't really suitable for sale anymore. However, I've come up with a new dish—sizzling iron plate pork belly fried rice. It smells absolutely delicious. Would you like to try some?" As she spoke, Lin Yao pointed to the gleaming iron plate and the prepared ingredients nearby.
"What a pity. My child at home really liked the drinks from your stall," Xu Zhiheng frowned slightly, his tone carrying a hint of regret. "Last time, he kept asking for more after drinking it."
Lin Yao wore an apologetic expression. "I'm truly sorry. Next summer, I'll be sure to prepare a variety of drinks carefully, guaranteed to satisfy you. For today, why not try our iron plate fried rice? It has a unique cooking technique and a distinctive flavor."
Xu Zhiheng raised an eyebrow, a flicker of curiosity in his eyes. "Iron plate fried rice?"
Seeing his interest, Lin Yao enthusiastically explained, "Mr. Xu, this fried rice uses premium pork belly and white rice, along with our homemade lard. Cooking it on the iron plate brings out the aroma of the pork belly and rice to the fullest. We have large, medium, and small portions. A small portion costs three coins, a medium portion eight coins, and a large portion only ten coins. You could start with a small portion to try it. If you like it, you can always come back for a large portion next time."
"I've already tasted your skills, miss, so I naturally trust them," Xu Zhiheng smiled faintly, his eyes scanning the prices of the three different portion sizes. "Give me two large portions of fried rice, two jin of Lu Zhu Xia Shui, and two 'Full House Blessing' buns. Please deliver them to the congee shop next door."
With that, Xu Zhiheng and Jin Yu sat down in the congee shop, ordered two bowls of fish congee, and began eating while they waited.
Hearing Xu Zhiheng order one dish after another, the smile on Lin Yao's face grew increasingly genuine, and her heart swelled with joy.
This customer was truly generous today, spending sixty coins on a single meal. She immediately set to work efficiently, and soon the enticing sizzling sound echoed from the iron plate again. The pork belly quickly changed color on the hot surface, releasing a rich, savory aroma.
Meanwhile, Lin Cheng hurried to prepare the Lu Zhu Xia Shui and the "Full House Blessing" buns.
Lin Yao skillfully stir-fried the rice, and in no time, two steaming large portions of fried rice were ready. Lin Song took one large bowl of fried rice and followed his sister to deliver the food to the congee shop.
In the congee shop, many diners' eyes were drawn to the food Lin Song brought over.
"That rice looks incredibly fragrant!" a young man couldn't help but exclaim.
Xu Zhiheng announced loudly, "This is the new iron plate pork belly fried rice from next door, along with Lu Zhu Xia Shui and 'Full House Blessing' buns. The fried rice is made with premium pork belly and white rice, cooked with lard—it's simply aromatic!" He opened one portion of the fried rice, and instantly, the rich fragrance filled the air.
Then, he picked up another piece of Lu Zhu Xia Shui. "This Lu Zhu Xia Shui is also incredibly delicious. The offal is thoroughly cleaned, the braised flavor is rich and mellow, and it has a perfect chewiness when you bite into it. And this 'Family Blessing' bun, packed with ingredients and full of flavor—there's braised meat, fried eggs, and this secret braising sauce. One bite fills your mouth completely—I've never tasted such delicious braised meat!" As he spoke, he picked up another piece of Lu Zhu Xia Shui and put it in his mouth, his face full of bliss.
An elderly man couldn't help but say, "Hearing you talk like that, even I want to try it."
A woman nearby chimed in, "Yes, it looks so delicious. I'll bring some back for my family too."
With everyone chiming in one after another, more and more people gathered at the stall to order the fried rice with pork belly.
The sudden influx of customers instantly kept Lin Yao busy. She had originally prepared herself to spend a lot of effort promoting the fried rice with pork belly, but now, in less than an hour, the rice in the pot was already running low.
Lin Yao was puzzled. This person had only come to buy food a few times before. Although he always bought in large quantities, he had always left in a hurry after purchasing. Today, however, he sat down nearby and openly praised their food. This behavior was undeniably strange.
But her usual approach was to stop thinking about things she couldn't figure out. After all, he was just praising their dishes, which could only benefit them.
Lin Yao withdrew her gaze and focused on frying the rice. Her spatula moved up and down so vigorously it seemed as if sparks might fly. Today's situation had completely exceeded her expectations—surprisingly many people were ordering large portions of fried rice.
It turned out that many people were pairing up to share a large portion. This way, each person only had to pay five coins to get half of a large portion. This amount was more than a small portion, and the price was more affordable than a medium portion, naturally attracting more people to choose this option.
Just as the siblings had sold out all the food, packed up, and were about to head home, a sharp female voice rang in their ears. "Everyone, come and see! These three siblings have secretly taken their family's secret recipe to set up a stall. How unfilial and disobedient!"
People turned to look and saw a plump, sharp-faced middle-aged woman storming over. She pointed at Lin Yao and her siblings, her face filled with anger and dissatisfaction.
Lin Yao's heart sank. She recognized her as Hu Shi from the eldest branch of the Lin family, who had always enjoyed bullying the second branch. Now, she wondered what trouble Hu Shi was about to stir up.
Lin Yao had known this day would come when she decided to set up the stall. They couldn't keep operating in secret forever. As the saying goes, "A thief may steal for a thousand days, but no one can guard against theft for a thousand days." They would simply face whatever challenges came their way.
Bystanders around them cast curious glances and began whispering among themselves.
"What's going on? What secret recipe?"
"Didn't that young lady from the Lin family say the Lu Zhu Xia Shui was made using a family heirloom secret recipe? Could it really have been stolen?"
Seeing that she had captured everyone's attention, Hu Shi intensified her performance, continuing to shout loudly, "The Lu Zhu Xia Shui they're selling uses our Lin family's ancestral secret recipe. They took it without the eldest branch's permission—isn't that stealing?"
Lin Yao furrowed her brows and was about to speak when Lin Cheng stepped in front of his younger siblings, his face flushed with anger. "Aunt, don't you dare make false accusations! We've already separated from the family and have nothing to do with your branch of the Lin family. Stop twisting the truth!"
Hu Shi pretended to be heartbroken. "Cheng, how can you say such things? Your Lu Zhu Xia Shui uses the Lin family's ancestral secret recipe. We're not forbidding you from using it, but how can you children take what our ancestors left behind without permission? With your parents gone and no one to discipline you, I must step in today on their behalf. Using the ancestral secret recipe without authorization is theft!"
Lin Cheng understood Hu Shi's veiled insults toward their parents and burned with rage, his clenched fists trembling slightly.
Lin Yao stopped Lin Cheng and pinched her own thigh hard, bringing tears to her eyes from the pain. "Aunt, why must you touch our deepest wounds? Everyone in Huaihua Village knows our father went to war in our uncle's place and never returned. The very next day the news reached the village, our branch was forced to separate—this is all documented with the authorities."
She spoke through tears, while Lin Song beside her also began crying, a pitiful sight indeed. "After the separation, our mother struggled alone to raise the three of us. If you truly cared about our family, Aunt, why did you refuse to even open your door when we begged for just some rice soup while our mother was gravely ill? Before she died, our mother didn't even get one full meal!"
"I admit I lied to everyone—this isn't the Lin family's ancestral secret recipe, though it is indeed made from a secret recipe."
Lin Yao wiped her tears harshly and continued, "When we three siblings went to bury our mother, we met a wandering Taoist priest. We were starving and exhausted, and the priest took pity on us. He gave us a silk pouch, saying it contained a way for us to survive. That's how we started making Lu Zhu Xia Shui following the priest's recipe and built this business. We've been honest and hardworking, earning our living through our own hands—no stealing, no robbing. Why must you slander us like this, Aunt? Do you truly want to drive us to our deaths?"
Hu Shi spat. "You ill-omened brat who brought death upon your parents—since when does your word count for anything? A Taoist priest giving you a recipe? Do you even have such fortune?"
Suddenly, Lin Song shot out like a little cannonball, wailing, "Don't you dare insult my second sister! Don't you dare! My father isn't dead—he's still finding his way home!"
Seeing Lin Song charging toward her, Hu Shi raised her hand to push him away.
But Wang Daye, who had rushed over at the commotion and stayed by the food stall fearing the Lin siblings might be bullied, swiftly caught Lin Song.
As the child sobbed uncontrollably, Wang Daye patted his back, worried the boy might cry himself into a fit. "You truly have a cruel heart," he said to Hu Shi. "You're pushing these children toward destruction."
In these times, many families had loved ones conscripted for military service or corvée labor who never returned, some even dying far from home. The plight of the three Lin siblings stirred buried sorrows in many, evoking profound grief.
A middle-aged man in the crowd, his eyes rimmed red, declared loudly, "These children have it so hard—making a living on their own, yet being bullied like this."
Lin Yao composed herself and said, "Since Aunt insists this is the Lin family's secret recipe, let us take this matter to the authorities."
Old Woman Li, who had long been unable to stand by idly, couldn't hold back any longer and scolded, "I say, are you simply jealous of others' success? Seeing these three children earn a bit of hard-won money through their own skills, you grow envious and try to seize their secret recipe? And you have the audacity to claim it's your Lin family's recipe? If you're so confident, stop making a scene here and go with Miss Ye to the authorities—let the law decide what's right!"
In ancient times, secret recipes were extremely precious. A single recipe could be passed down through generations of a small family, serving as the foundation of their livelihood. Thus, stealing a secret recipe was no trivial matter.
Lin Yao knew that if this issue wasn't resolved today, their business might not survive.
In this era, the authorities represented unquestionable authority. By proposing to settle the dispute officially, Lin Yao aimed to demonstrate her clear conscience and upright conduct. Whether the conflict actually reached the courts or not, her willingness to seek impartial judgment alone was enough to prove their innocence.