He Tiantian waved her hand dismissively. It was already predetermined in the plot that Ye Chen would start a private dining business.
And Ye Chen had the conditions to open a private dining business—the He Family had an Imperial Chef among their ancestors, and a fragment of a cookbook was still preserved at home!
However, during times of war, the He Family’s business had fallen into decline.
Those who survived died or fled. Only the great-great-grandfather of He Thian, the sole inheritor of the cookbook, lacked the culinary talent.
Thus, beginning from the generation of He Thian’s great-grandfather, the He Family had become just another ordinary peasant household.
Nevertheless, the ancestors of He Thian always remembered their family’s once-glorious past. Even if only a fragment of the cookbook remained, they carefully preserved it as a family heirloom and passed it down through the generations.
Unfortunately, in the generation of He Thian, the lineage was broken.
Old Master He mourned the loss of his son in his old age, and his grandson had vanished, thanks to his daughter-in-law.
He lay on his sickbed, unable to close his eyes.
In the end, he saw his grandson bustling about to take care of him. He thought about how, although his grandson did not bear the He surname, he still carried the He Family blood in his veins.
In the moment before his eyes closed for the final time, Old Master He reluctantly and unwillingly informed Ye Chen of the fragmentary cookbook. He asked him to seize any opportunity to restore the glory of the He Family’s "Linxian Building."
Ye Chen had promised his grandfather, but back then, he was still in college, and his mind was filled with ambitions of succeeding in the corporate world after graduation.
Opening a restaurant?
Ha, he had studied for over a decade, graduating from a top 211 university. Was it all just to become a chef?!
It was only after graduation, when Ye Chen failed to find a suitable job, that he realized that even society’s chosen few face various difficulties upon entering the workforce.
After stumbling around and wasting nearly a year, Ye Chen finally faced reality and re-planned his direction.
Running a private dining business, being both a boss and a chef, didn’t seem so bad after all.
After all, he held the He Family’s inheritance in his hands.
And Mrs. Ye had often recounted the stories told by her ancestors with a tone of nostalgia—
"Our He Family ancestors once served as Imperial Chefs."
"The ’Linxian Building,’ founded by the He Family, was the top establishment in the Capital City. Countless dignitaries and nobles queued up, eager to taste the He Family’s signature dishes."
Ye Chen began to study the fragmentary cookbook.
Perhaps it was his intelligence; if he understood one thing, he understood them all, and even learning cooking was no problem.
Or perhaps Ye Chen was destined for the cook’s path. In just a few short months, he mastered the basic skills.
Moreover, Ye Chen, based on the limited records in the cookbook fragment, recreated one of the Linxian Building’s signature dishes—the Mandarin Duck Five Treasures Stew!
This was a delicacy exclusively enjoyed by the Royal Family in ancient times.
Back then, the He Family had made their name and earned the title of the top establishment in the Capital City with dishes including the Mandarin Duck Five Treasures Stew!
And Ye Chen, as the grandson of the He Family from outside the direct bloodline, had perfectly inherited the He Family’s top-grade talent and skills.
He was confident that he could use his cooking skills to forge his own realm!
"Yes, Grandpa passed the He Family cookbook down to me and even allowed me to use the ’Linxian Building’ trademark!"
When mentioning the late Old Master He, Ye Chen spoke with a tone of gratitude and reverence, "During this time, I have been preparing to reopen Linxian Building!"
Of course, with Ye Chen’s current abilities, he couldn’t afford to open a big restaurant spanning over three floors.
But, to open a private dining business and gradually develop his own culinary empire was certainly within reach.
"Sure, then go ahead and open it!"
He Tiantian seemed to have misunderstood Ye Chen’s point, replying thoughtlessly.
After saying this, she seemed to suddenly remember something and looked at Ye Chen, "Ah! I get it now, Brother—are you short on capital for your restaurant? That’s why—" you’ve got your eye on the remaining 250,000 yuan.
He Tiantian did not say the last part of her sentence out loud, but both siblings understood what she meant.
Ye Chen did not rush to refute, just quietly looked at He Tiantian.
He Tiantian knew that the male lead was waiting for her to make a declaration.
Perhaps this was the male lead’s final test for "He Thian," her exceptionally gifted cousin.
If He Tiantian passed, from then on, "He Thian" would be included in the circle of "one of us" by her big brother, the male lead.
"Alright, if you want to use it, take it! I can do archery after all, and Young Master Su already knows what I’m capable of. Plus, I’ll be able to make even more money in the future!"
He Tiantian replied without much hesitation.
"Are you giving it to me straight away? Aren’t you afraid I’ll squander all your money?" Ye Chen’s demeanor remained calm, his face unreadable, betraying neither joy nor anger.