I Awakened to a Farming TALENT

## Chapter 17: A Mysterious Guest with a Picky Palate

Jiang Tingyun guessed that the bitterness and astringency in the pickled snow cabbage probably had something to do with this year’s weather. The winter and spring had been very cold, and then summer arrived with a sudden heatwave—likely the fermentation time had been off.

But she’d never pickled anything herself, so she didn’t want to speak out of turn. She decided not to comment further, thinking instead that she’d go home and try making it herself before discussing it with the plump master.

After finishing her noodles, she didn’t linger. She headed back the way she’d come. But she accidentally turned a corner too early, took a wrong turn, and ended up in a different set of side rooms.

The environment here was nicer than the previous area. Jasmine bushes grew along both sides. A gentle breeze carried their fragrance, refreshing the mind.

Suddenly, she saw a young man standing in the covered walkway by the side rooms. He didn’t look like a monk—no shaved head, no monastic robes. He was dressed in white.

The young man turned at the sound of her footsteps. Jiang Tingyun was momentarily stunned. He had delicate features, as if painted, so refined he didn’t look real. But his complexion was pale, his lips very light in color—yet this frailty added a touch of ethereal beauty to him.

*What kind of blessed place is Fenghuang Town?* Jiang Tingyun thought. She’d worked in a big city for years and hadn’t seen many good-looking men. But in just a few months here, every guy she met was handsome.

*Guess I came to the right place. It’s really a nice spot.*

The beautiful man looked at her with an icy stare and parted his thin lips.

“You’re dirty. Get out of my sight.”

Jiang Tingyun couldn’t believe it.

*Damn. How can someone so beautiful say something so cold with such gorgeous lips?*

But the man clearly came from wealth and status. Jiang Tingyun didn’t want to get into trouble. She forced a fake smile. “Sorry to disturb you. Wrong turn. Leaving now.”

---

On the other side, Master Zhengyuan was also troubled.

A very particular guest had recently arrived at Fenghuang Temple. He wasn’t an ordinary practitioner—he’d even brought an assistant to take care of his daily needs. His background seemed quite formidable.

Even the abbot had made numerous exceptions for him, specially instructing that because of his poor health, his meals should be prepared separately to ensure proper nutrition.

But this man’s palate was impossibly picky. The only thing he’d eaten a full bowl of was the vegetarian noodles on his first day. After that, he barely touched any other vegetarian dishes.

In a temple, every grain of rice and every dish came from hard work. Waste was not permitted. So the man gave his untouched food to his assistant. Whenever his room only ordered a single portion, Master Zhengyuan knew—the mysterious guest was unsatisfied again.

For a cook who had worked diligently for years and received nothing but praise, this was devastating.

He’d developed a new broth recipe, but the snow cabbage in the noodles hadn’t been pickled properly—it had a slightly bitter and sour taste. He hesitated, afraid that if he served it, the guest would reject it again.

Finally, he sighed. After much deliberation, he decided against making noodles. Just then, he recalled the vegetables donated by that young woman earlier—they looked very fresh. He took a few eggplants, planning to make steamed eggplant with a simple dipping sauce of light soy sauce, salt, and sugar.

Eggplants absorbed oil. If he stir-fried them, the guest would complain they were greasy.

He also took two tomatoes to make a cold dish. The weather had turned hot, and cold tomatoes might help stimulate the appetite.

When he cut the tomatoes open, the flesh was sandy and full, releasing a fresh, sweet-sour aroma right to his nose. Master Zhengyuan felt his own mouth watering. He didn’t know how that woman had grown them—they were simply beautiful.

He carefully sliced the tomatoes into even thin pieces and arranged them on a plate. Instead of sprinkling sugar right away, he chilled the plate over ice. He would add the sugar just before serving, to preserve the flavor.

---

Yun Tingyi was standing in the covered walkway, lost in thought, when his assistant Xiao Li returned with the meal.

He didn’t even glance at the dishes before saying flatly, “I have no appetite. You eat them.”

Xiao Li shook his head in disapproval. “Boss, you have to eat something. If you don’t, your face will soon be whiter than your clothes.”

Yun Tingyi lifted the corner of his mouth slightly. “That’s an exaggeration.”

He had been born with an illness—any slight agitation would cause chest pain. Yet all the medical tests came back normal.

And ever since he’d been able to eat solid food, he often found that meat carried a strong b****y taste. Gradually, he could no longer eat any meat at all.

His father had worried endlessly over his health all these years, seeking medical advice and consulting experts everywhere.

Not long ago, an old monk suggested that he spend some time each year practicing quiet cultivation in a temple. When his father heard that Fenghuang Temple was known for its vegetarian dishes, he sent him here.

But because the ingredients he usually ate were so carefully selected, his palate had become extremely demanding. He could taste the quality of an ingredient immediately—anything slightly off wouldn’t pass his lips.

The temple’s vegetarian dishes were decent, but the ingredients were mostly ordinary. To him, they carried a faint stale taste. The only thing he could eat half a bowl of was the plain noodles. But after several days in a row, even that began to feel heavy.

Today, however, when the two dishes were placed on the table, they looked surprisingly fresh to him. At Xiao Li’s insistence, he picked up his chopsticks and lazily took a slice of tomato, chewing slowly.

“These tomatoes are not bad,” he said. For once, he felt a rare hint of appetite. Truth be told, he was famished. Before he knew it, he had slowly eaten the entire plate.

Then he noticed the eggplants—plump and glossy. Steamed, they practically melted in his mouth. The dipping sauce was also light and refreshing. He ate most of the eggplants with his rice.

Xiao Li was barely containing his excitement. Smiling, he said, “The food today is really good. It’s rare to see you have such an appetite, Boss.”

Yun Tingyi, now full, felt his mood improve. A faint smile appeared at the corner of his mouth. “I ate all of today’s meal. You’ll need to get another portion for yourself.”

Then, remembering the sweet and sour taste of the tomatoes, he added, “And while you’re at it, ask the kitchen for a few more tomatoes. I really like that flavor.”

Xiao Li quickly nodded and left.

When he reached the kitchen, Master Zhengyuan was visibly excited to see the empty food container. *Finally, food that satisfied that picky guest.*

Hearing the request for more tomatoes, Zhengyuan carefully searched through the burlap sack again, picked out five or six fully ripe, large ones, and handed them to Xiao Li.

Xiao Li noticed that these vegetables looked different from the ones the temple usually grew. He couldn’t help asking, “These vegetables look so fresh. Did you grow them yourselves?”

Master Zhengyuan rubbed his head and chuckled. “The ones we grow aren’t this good. They were grown and donated by a kind-hearted person.”

Xiao Li made a mental note. The quality of these vegetables was excellent. If he could, he’d buy some more later to coax the young boss into eating a little more.