Chapter 417: He Should Be Thanking Us

Chapter 417 -207: He Should Be Thanking Us

Zhou Yan sat in the lounge chair by the entrance, reading the article from start to finish.

Shen Shaohua was a truly gifted writer. The article opened with Qian Siyuan’s inspection of the Jiazhou Textile Factory, revealing his status as an overseas Chinese and the chairman of a multinational corporation. Then, it described how a plate of fish-fragrant pork evoked memories of his mother’s cooking. The story continued, detailing how Zhou Yan patiently questioned and guided him, using tiny clues to deduce the dish was Linjiang Shanshi, and how he then invited his master, Xiao Lei, to prepare it. The narrative flowed methodically, hitting all the right notes.

A journey to trace his roots had become a journey of flavor.

And in an even bigger coincidence, Qian Siyuan had found his family. His maternal uncle turned out to be Grandmaster Kong Huafeng of the Kong Sect—Zhou Yan’s own grandmaster.

From there, the article delved into the legacy of the Kong Sect. It told the story of how Grandmaster Kong Huafeng, deeply moved after witnessing the sudden death of Arhat’s father and the subsequent loss of the Luo Family’s culinary heritage, decided to abandon the tradition of only passing skills down within the family. Instead, he began holding classes and teaching openly, allowing the Kong Sect to flourish.

Then, at the banquet celebrating Qian Siyuan’s family reunion, Zhou Yan had recreated Snowflake Chicken Porridge, the signature dish of Arhat’s father. He astonished everyone present and moved Arhat to tears on the spot. It was like an echo across time, bringing the story of this culinary legacy to a perfect close while also inspiring endless hope for the future.

The article was accompanied by a large group photo. On one side stood the disciples of the Kong Sect, and on the other, the relatives of the Kong Family, creating a rather interesting scene.

At the end, it even made a point to include the address of Zhou Yan Restaurant.

‘Do I get the feeling I’m the main character of this article?’ Zhou Yan stroked his chin, unable to stop himself from smiling.

In a way, it was a perfect piece of sponsored content.

Fish-fragrant pork, braised dishes, Snowflake Chicken Porridge… several of Zhou Yan’s dishes were mentioned in the article, and all received extremely high praise.

‘This is great.’

‘Maybe this article will even help me complete my breakthrough mission.’

Zhou Yan looked up at his sign: Zhou Erwa Restaurant. It had a very rustic feel, a common naming style in Sichuan.

The nickname “Zhou Erwa” came about because he was the second son; he’d had an older brother, a year and a half his senior, who died at the age of five.

The name was perfectly fine for a restaurant in town; its main appeal was its familiar, friendly charm.

It was just that when it appeared in newspapers and magazines, it seemed a little *too* plain and simple.

If he ever opened a branch in the city, he would definitely have to come up with a better name.

Otherwise, imagine the future introductions: “And now, let’s welcome the head chef of the renowned Zhou Erwa Restaurant, Zhou Yan!”

‘A little awkward.’

‘I’ll have to pick a classier, catchier name. I’ll aim to build a century-old establishment, to make my career in this industry truly count.’

…

The main hall of Feiyan Restaurant.

Huang He sat behind the counter, reading today’s Jiazhou Daily with a slight furrow in his brow.

Huang Ying sat across from him and said with a grin, “Dad, isn’t Zhou Yan incredible? First a magazine, and now the newspaper. The last time Feiyan Restaurant was in the paper was for our grand reopening a few years ago, wasn’t it?”

“Yan is really something else. Talk about prestige,” Huang Bing added in admiration.

They had heard from Director Lin at lunch that Zhou Yan was in the newspaper, so they picked up two copies of the Jiazhou Daily on their way back.

It wasn’t just Zhou Yan who was featured in the Jiazhou Daily; the Kong Sect also received in-depth coverage.

The Kong Sect’s stronghold in Jiazhou was Le Ming Restaurant. Since Le Ming and Feiyan Restaurant targeted a similar market, they had been bitter rivals for a century.

That was why they brought the newspaper back for their father to see.

Huang He set the newspaper down and sighed. “Thirty years ago, Snowflake Chicken Porridge and Pottery Pork were Le Ming Restaurant’s signature dishes. Ever since old Luo passed away, the Luo Family’s culinary line was broken.”

“Le Ming removed those two dishes from their menu and never found a chef who could do them justice. Originally, the Luo Sect and the Kong Sect were the twin stars of Le Ming Restaurant, giving them a definitive edge over us at Feiyan Restaurant.”

“Later, the Kong Sect became the sole power. Kong and Second Master Kong rose to fame one after another, becoming Jiazhou’s most celebrated chefs and still keeping Feiyan Restaurant a step below.”

“Now, Kong has passed away and Second Master Kong has retired. Of the most talented third-generation disciples, Fang Yifei went to the Capital Sichuan Restaurant, and Song Bo went abroad with a high-ranking official.”

“Xu Yunliang is a decent chef. He has a wide repertoire, but his skills are average; his dishes lack that ‘wow’ factor. Xiao Lei went down a similar path, but with even less natural talent. He’s another jack-of-all-trades, master of none, with no signature dish to draw customers in on reputation alone.”

“With the winds of reform blowing, this should be our time for Feiyan Restaurant to finally shine. But I never expected the Kong Sect to have a star fall from the heavens—a genius like Zhou Yan! Does this mean Feiyan Restaurant will truly never get its moment in the spotlight?”

“In all our decades of running a restaurant, we’ve never seen a second talent like him,” Zhao Shulan added with a soft sigh.

Huang Ying laughed when she heard this. She shook her head and said, “Dad, I think you’re worrying for nothing. Zhou Yan would never go work at Le Ming Restaurant. And his skills aren’t something the other Kong Sect members can just pick up.”

“But I’ve seen him attending a lot of Kong Sect events recently, haven’t I? His grandmaster is Kong Huafeng. With his current fame and skills, Le Ming Restaurant will definitely try to poach him.” Huang He’s brow furrowed. “They’ll send Kong Qingfeng to make an appeal, have Xiao Lei whisper in his ear… If he feels obligated and can’t refuse, he might just end up as Le Ming’s head chef. And if Le Ming Restaurant can bring back Snowflake Chicken Porridge, who knows how many of their old customers will flock back.”

Huang Ying grinned. “Dad, what kind of social obligation do you think is worth more than an income of five or six thousand a month?”

The room instantly fell silent.