My whole family sucked my blood; after being reborn, the little cook went on a killing spree.

The old ancestor knew that Li Yun had gone to the small kitchen today, and upon seeing the bland food on the table, he knew what had happened.

Not wanting her child to suffer a loss, she deliberately brought it up, "Didn't we agree to mix it with chili oil? Sprinkle a layer of bird's eye chilies on top, then pour hot oil over it, that's how it tastes."

Su Wan Ning understood immediately, and she didn't intend to just put up with Li Jun's difficult behavior.

He immediately laughed and said, "It was because Madam Yun was worried about my great-grandmother, afraid that eating too much spicy or oily food would upset her stomach, so she asked me to change a few dishes. However, I was reluctant to part with those ingredients, so I changed the cooking method. I hope that my great-grandmother will not blame me for taking matters into my own hands."

That's a very apt statement.

Li Jun was using this seemingly legitimate excuse to avoid revealing that he was deliberately making things difficult for Su Wan Ning.

But if he just said it so casually, everyone present would see through it.

Her face flushed, and she was annoyed by Su Wan Ning's loose tongue. She quickly forced a smile and apologized, "It was my fault for being nosy. I was only thinking about my great-grandmother and forgot that so many ingredients had already been prepared. It's so hot today, and it would be difficult to preserve them if we changed them. It's really such a waste."

"How can I blame you?"

Madam Li held her hand and called her "my darling" repeatedly, saying, "It's because I'm old and always causing trouble for others."

"Come on, are you going to eat or not? If not, go back to your own yard and rest."

The old woman tapped her head with her chopsticks, saying, "What's the big deal about eating what you like for your first meal here? When it comes to health, what matters is long-term conditioning. If you're so concerned about it, you might as well give it up later."

"elder sister!"

Madam Li cried out in pain as she was hit, "I'm so old, why are you hitting me!"

"My child went to great lengths to prepare this for you, and even remade it according to your wife's requirements. What, you're still not satisfied? Eat up, and shut your mouth!"

The old ancestor gave her a sidelong glance.

Madam Li immediately fell silent. Her sister was right; it was fine to have it once in a while. Unfortunately, the menu had changed, so she could only hold back for now.

He secretly regretted it, but had no choice but to pull Li Jun down to sit. He reluctantly picked up a piece of fish with his chopsticks and stuffed it into his mouth, "Mmm, okay..."

She paused, glanced at Su Wan Ning, and quickly chewed and swallowed the fish slice.

"It's delicious! How did you make it?"

The old ancestor looked at her in surprise. The fish slices were supposed to be topped with chopped chili peppers, but now they looked like snow-white fish slices. The soup was clear and bright, and it looked bland. My sister-in-law, who usually has such a strong palate, actually said it was delicious.

She tried a piece too, and her eyes lit up immediately.

Su Wan Ning pointed to the chili peppers displayed on one side of the flower hall, "Replying to Madam, the spiciness of the dishes you tasted this afternoon mostly came from chili peppers. It's a new seasoning that Miss Lingxi found."

"But the chili peppers in your cold dish this afternoon were red!"

Madam Li felt the spiciness on her tongue, not understanding what the chili peppers and fish slices had to do with each other.

"Sichuan chili peppers are extremely spicy, so I only used the juice and did not make chili oil. I then used a light cornstarch slurry to pour over the fish, which resulted in snow-white and tender fish with a refreshing and slightly spicy flavor that wouldn't put too much strain on the throat or stomach."

Su Wanning then pointed to the Snow Mountain Green Sprouts, "This dish also uses the same sauce, and also adds Sichuan peppercorns, Sichuan peppercorn oil, and rice vinegar. In fact, the flavor is a bit stronger and richer than that of the fish slices."

Before she could finish speaking, Madam Li had already taken a large bite.

The shredded chicken is fragrant and chewy, and the bamboo shoots are fresh and crisp. It has both a rich, spicy flavor and a refreshing crunch, and it's not greasy at all. The taste lingers on your lips and teeth after you finish eating. It's delicious!

Li Jun felt dizzy.

She knew her great-grandmother's expression all too well!

How could that be? My great-grandmother actually liked such bland fish slices and mixed bamboo shoots?

It's just a change of scenery from Nanlin to Jizhou, has the taste changed so much? Could it be that my great-grandmother was possessed by a ghost?!

The old lady started eating, and Xu Lingxi didn't stand on ceremony either. After a few bites, she was already enjoying it. Seeing Li Yun's expression change repeatedly, she was in a great mood. "Yun'er, why aren't you eating? You should try some! It's absolutely delicious!"

Xu Lingxi's smile was genuine.

Li Jun laughed so hard her skin seemed to split open, "Yes, I'll try it right away."

"Is this Li family ham? It's not oily at all, and it smells amazing!"

Madam Li had already tried the third cold dish, the spicy and numbing Yunnan ham, and she couldn't believe that her family's ham could produce such a taste.

"Sit down, ignore her, explain each dish to her, and then ask her if you're even going to eat it yourself?"

The matriarch pressed Su Wan Ning down to sit, saying, "You eat your food. You'll be busy tomorrow. Go back and rest after you've finished eating."

"Yes, thank you, Ancestor."

Su Wan Ning sat down, and Zhou's mother immediately came over to serve her food.

The matriarch glared at Madam Li, "Just eat! Why so much talk? Did you think Ning was the family cook last night? This is a treasure I hired at a high price!"

If she is the cook in the household, then she should answer whatever is asked and should not hide anything.

But these dishes were improved by Lady Su, why should I tell you?

The old lady also realized that her family was in the food business, so of course she understood the importance of the secret recipe. No matter how much she was racking her brains, she could only taste and figure it out herself.

She then instructed someone to serve Li Jun some food, whispering, "Try it all. We'll try making it ourselves later. It's really delicious. Your great-grandmother isn't lying to you."

What was meant to comfort Li Jun ended up making Li Jun laugh even more awkwardly.

She had to try a slice of ham.

My heart sank.

It's not that it's not delicious, it's that it's too delicious!

She was very familiar with the ham she made at home, and while the base flavor of the ham remained unchanged, it was completely free of greasiness. Paired with the numbing and spicy aroma, it was simply the perfect balance of salty, fresh, numbing, and spicy.

The tender lettuce at the bottom had already absorbed the aroma of ham.

But it is crispy on its own, and has a unique, crisp aroma of herbs and wood. It is tempting enough to eat on its own, and when eaten with ham, the flavors complement each other even more.

Looking at the simple ingredients, with just the addition of a novel side dish like chili peppers, and with only a slight change in the cooking method, she has achieved such deliciousness. This lady Su is indeed very skilled.

It seems that what that person said meant that Lady Su was kicked out of the Imperial Kitchen.

Nine are fake, one is real.

With such a talented cook by the old matriarch's side, I'm afraid my trip will have been in vain.

Li Jun became increasingly silent as he ate, while Madam Li became increasingly cheerful as she ate.

She had expected the dishes to be bland, but to her surprise, every single one suited her taste!

Not only were there three cold dishes, but the hot dishes were also incredibly delicious.

Lamb ribs and yams are stewed together. All the lamb fat, blood foam and other impurities are skimmed off, leaving the soup base clean. One bite of lamb is tender, spicy and flavorful, and one bite of yam is smooth and refreshing.

She also knew some medicinal properties, and this yam was just right to neutralize the heat of mutton and chili peppers.

Braised pork hock is not made in the usual way. The fat is tender and melts in the mouth, with a subtle and mellow citrus aroma. It seems that dried tangerine peel has been added, which can help regulate qi and reduce fat.

Lotus seeds were also added to the venison to balance its spiciness and heat.

The look in Madam Li's eyes when she looked at Su Wan Ning was no longer one of scrutiny and displeasure, but genuine appreciation. "Miss Su is not only a skilled cook, but she has also specialized in medicinal cuisine?"

"I haven't studied it specifically; I've only read some books."

Su Wan Ning repeated the same excuse she used to deal with Old Master Zhao, then got up and served Madam Li a bowl of soup. "You've already tasted all the dishes, why don't you try Wan Ning's Jade Cream Soup?"

At first glance, Yuzhi soup is just an ordinary bowl of tofu soup.

But when she scooped it up with her spoon, everyone gasped.