I Awakened to a Farming TALENT

## Chapter 27: An All-Vegetarian Birthday Dinner (Part 1)

Jiang Tingyun happily went to greet them. *Finally, just in time!*

The list she’d given them was quite demanding—nine types of bamboo shoots alone. Qi Xiyuan was indeed resourceful; he’d managed to find everything.

Qi Xiyuan wiped his sweat. “Boss Jiang, these items were extremely hard to buy. You can’t find them at the market. I had to ask around at several private kitchens and scrape them together from their cold storage.”

Jiang Tingyun laughed. “Smart! Haha, these are indeed things that only high-end restaurants keep in stock.”

These unusual, hard-to-find ingredients were mostly for Dinghu Vegetarian Delicacy, the main course.

The name “Dinghu” referred to a place, while “Shangsu” literally meant “high-end vegetarian dish.”

Legend had it that this dish required spring water from Dinghu Mountain to reach perfection. Unfazed, Jiang Tingyun calmly took out two bottles of Evian. She couldn’t get mountain spring water, so Evian would have to do.

The ingredients for this dish were also quite complex: three types of mushrooms, six varieties of wood ear fungi, nine kinds of bamboo shoots, and one type of bamboo fungus.

The three mushrooms were button mushrooms, straw mushrooms, and shiitake mushrooms. The six wood ear fungi were golden ear, silver ear, black wood ear, elm ear, stone ear, and osmanthus ear.

The nine bamboo shoots included bamboo shoot, golden shoot, asparagus shoot, vegetable shoot, hairy tail shoot, brush shoot, ginger shoot, hanging silk shoot, and pig tripe shoot.

The one bamboo fungus was, of course, bamboo fungus.

A dish made with so many rare, premium ingredients looked incredibly high-end and impressive. It perfectly suited the requirements of a main course and satisfied the wealthy family’s curiosity for exotic delicacies.

As for how all these ingredients would taste together, Jiang Tingyun admitted she’d never actually eaten it. But she was confident that anything she made wouldn’t turn out badly.

She thoroughly soaked and rinsed the ingredients for the main course, then cut them into pieces. Because the ingredients were so varied and uneven, achieving the best flavor required high knife skills.

By then, time was running out. Guests were arriving one by one. Jiang Tingyun finally finished all the ingredient preparation.

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By the time the second sister’s family had all arrived, the Qi family was finally gathered together at the table.

With the support of his two sons, Qi Xiyuan and Qi Boyuan, the old man slowly came down the stairs. Everyone stood up.

“Please, sit down. I’m sorry to take up your time for an old man like me.” Although the old man was not yet seventy, his health wasn’t great. His words were polite, but his face carried a certain authority.

Qi Boyuan quickly said, “Father, what are you saying? In my opinion, even sixty tables wouldn’t be too much for your birthday.”

Qi Cong rolled his eyes silently. This year’s birthday dinner was being handled by his father, Qi Xiyuan. His grandfather had specifically requested a small family dinner. His uncle’s words made it sound like his father was being unfilial and deliberately thrifty. *How annoying.*

Qi Boyuan’s wife chimed in with a fawning smile, “Father, I heard that my younger brother and his wife put a lot of effort into this year’s dinner. They even looked down on Chef Sun from Boti Garden, the one you usually go to. I wonder which chef they ended up hiring?”

Qi Cong’s mother could clearly hear the barbed sarcasm. She simply smiled and said, “Chef Sun wasn’t feeling well. This time we’ve hired Chef Jiang. She specializes in Chinese vegetarian dishes.”

The old man nodded. “Very good. I think Chinese-style cooking is excellent.”

The younger generation paid no attention to the undercurrents at the table. They kept their opinions to themselves, secretly wishing this torturous family dinner would end quickly.

“What young person wants to eat vegetarian nowadays? No matter how well it’s made, it’s still just bland. If we didn’t have to be here, we wouldn’t be in this t*****e chamber,” many thought.

After everyone had said some auspicious words congratulating the old man on his birthday, the kitchen began serving.

The Qi family ate in individual portions. And since vegetarian food to preserve its freshness and original flavor couldn’t use pre-made dishes—everything had to be cooked on the spot—the dishes didn’t come out all at once like at a typical banquet. Instead, they were served course by course: soup, appetizers, main courses, then staple dishes.

The Qi family custom was to serve soup before the meal. Typically, soup in a vegetarian banquet was made with various mushrooms to fully bring out their umami.

But if the soup was too intensely savory right at the start, it would dull the palate, and the subsequent dishes would taste bland by comparison.

So for the first soup course, Jiang Tingyun served a simple, light broth in small cups.

“*Qingcai* and tofu soup?” Qi Boyuan couldn’t hide the smirk on his face. *The very first course, and it’s this meager, petty—a chef from such a small, humble operation, truly not fit for a high-end table.*

Many of the younger generation were also surprised by this dish. There was some quiet murmuring around the table.

The old man’s expression didn’t waver. He calmly picked up his spoon and took a sip.

The soup was sweet and refreshing, smooth on the palate. The *qingcai* were crisp and clean, the tofu tender. Very little seasoning was used, no cornstarch to thicken it—truly tasting the ingredients in their purest form. *How interesting.*

Seeing the old man drink several sips in a row, the others reluctantly picked up their spoons. To their surprise, the soup was quite good. *So the chef they hired really does have some skill after all.*

Only Qi Boyuan and his wife looked displeased. *Wasn’t she supposed to be a farmhouse cook? This must be beginner’s luck. She won’t be able to make anything decent for the other courses.*

While everyone was drinking their soup, the second course arrived: a vegetable platter.

The plating was decent—four compartments, each containing: chilled tomatoes, cold cucumbers, pickled lettuce in chili brine, and pickled Buddha’s Hand slices (*fo shou*).

But no matter how nicely it was plated, this dish was far too ordinary!

Cucumbers and tomatoes? You could buy a truckload of them for pocket change in the summer. *This chef is really cutting corners.*

But no matter how many complaints filled their heads, the younger generation swallowed them and dared not voice them openly.

The old man, however, was intrigued. He liked dishes where he could clearly see the original ingredients. He picked up a piece of tomato and put it in his mouth.

“Mm.” *So sweet and sour, such a pleasant taste.*

His family had access to the best sources for fruits and vegetables, yet even those didn’t taste this good. Was it the quality of the ingredients themselves, or had the chef done something special? He couldn’t tell.

The old man happily sampled each dish, nodding in approval. Whether cold or pickled, each preserved the original flavor of the ingredients while adding a unique twist. Truly delicious.

The younger generation looked down on such simple dishes. They only meant to taste them perfunctorily. But bite after bite, they found the cucumbers refreshing and palate-cleansing, the pickled lettuce spicy and satisfying. Several of them unknowingly finished their entire portion.

Soon, the servants cleared the plates and brought out the third course: jam and yam cake.

The yam cake contained no flour at all—pure yam, with only a dusting of cooked glutinous rice flour on the outside. The jam on top was the cluster fig jam Jiang Tingyun had made earlier.

The old man took a piece of yam cake. It was dense, rich, and fragrant. The jam on top had an unknown origin—refreshingly sweet with a hint of violet-like fragrance, very unique. The combination was perfectly harmonious.

“What jam is this?” The old man asked directly.

The servant serving couldn’t answer. Qi Cong’s mother quickly replied, “Father, it’s made from cluster figs. It’s a wild fruit commonly found in the mountains now, very similar to figs.”

Qi Boyuan’s wife rolled her eyes. *Wild fruit used in a dish, and she’s not embarrassed to brag about it.*

The old man nodded and praised, “Delicious. I never expected wild fruit could taste like this.”

The old man wasn’t an especially picky eater, but he rarely gave compliments. Earning such praise was truly rare.

The younger generation’s interest was piqued. They started trying the unassuming yam cake.

When they put it in their mouths, they were struck by its delicate smoothness—every bite filled with a clean, fruity fragrance. That tiny piece was nowhere near enough!

Even Qi Yue, the girl who had confronted Jiang Tingyun earlier outside the kitchen, finished every last bit on her plate.