Why am I, a cook, always involved in cases?

At the first light of the next morning, Gao Zhongcheng brought an exquisite cookbook, which, like a scroll, displayed a dazzling array of delicacies prepared by the chef.

Every dish seems to come alive on paper, making you salivate.

"This is a copy of the dishes meticulously prepared by the chef. According to the servants, most of the delicacies enjoyed by the master are included here. The chef also insists that this is his own unique creation."

Gao Zhongcheng spoke slowly, with a hint of respect in his tone.

He gently spread out a notebook on the table and placed it in front of Lin Zhiruo.

The notebook described in detail how to blanch the fish in boiling water and how to make fish sashimi, with every step being explained in great detail.

Lin Zhiruo gently stroked her smooth chin, her eyes sharp as a torch, carefully studying every word in the recipe.

The recipe calls for blanching the fish lightly in boiling water, then quickly chilling it and serving it with shredded vegetables and vinegar.

The recipe of the vinegar sauce is quite unique. Although it is not a unique dish, it has its own flavor.

Vinegar recipes vary greatly, sometimes due to changes in seasons or ingredients.

As for the fish and vegetables used, their names are not detailed, leaving people with endless imagination.

Lin Zhiruo pondered for a moment, stroked her chin again, and frowned.

"So, we have no idea what the key ingredient is."

There was a hint of helplessness in Lin Zhiruo's voice.

"Indeed, it is an unresolved matter."

Gao Zhongcheng echoed.

Just as Lin Zhiruo was looking sideways at the recipe, Quan Wushuang came over with an unhappy look on his face.

She held a longan fruit tightly in her hand and skillfully peeled off the shell, revealing the shiny black dried fruit.

Longan fruit is shaped like a small lychee and is a great fruit to pick in summer.

Its dried fruit is also known as longan, and is sometimes used as medicine and is very valuable.

"Still nothing?"

There was a hint of urgency in Quan Wushuang's voice. She rested her elbows on the table and moved closer to Lin Zhiruo's face, as if wanting to join the discussion.

Gao Zhongcheng frowned but did not say anything to remind him. He just watched the scene silently.

(Perhaps she should be given a proper reprimand to prevent her from being so rude again.)

Gao Zhongcheng pondered in his heart.

Lin Zhiruo watched Quan Wushuang's rude behavior coldly, when suddenly a gentle hand took the longan from Quan Wushuang's hand.

"Disrespectful children, no snacks will be served."

Henghua stood behind Quan Wushuang, with a happy smile on his face, and spoke softly.

Her voice was soft and firm, flowing among the crowd like a clear spring.

In this situation, Lin Zhiruo always felt that there was an ominous cloud behind her, but she didn't want to speculate too much.

If we say that this maid Henghua has experienced the vicissitudes of life and has an outstanding temperament, wouldn’t that be a bit abrupt?

Lin Zhiruo pondered this in her heart but did not say it out loud.

"I understand."

Quan Wushuang lowered his eyes, stopped supporting the table with his elbows, and sat upright.

Seeing this, Henghua said "very good" and returned the longan to Quan Wushuang.

I had thought that this old lady doted on me exclusively, but I had never imagined that she was also picky about etiquette and paid much attention to everyone's words and actions.

The topic has deviated a bit, let’s get back to the point.

"This case happened recently, is that correct?"

Lin Zhiruo asked, with a hint of inquiry in her voice.

"About a week ago."

Gao Zhongcheng's answer was concise and clear.

In the cold winter, fish sashimi is often served with cucumber to relieve the greasiness.

However, at this time of year, other vegetables may have been replaced to adapt to seasonal changes.

"Could it be a white radish or a red radish?"

Lin Zhiruo guessed.

There are very few vegetables that can be eaten in winter. All ingredients are seasonal and have a limited shelf life.

Every ingredient carries the gift of the season and the rhythm of life.

"The other party mentioned seaweed."

When Gao Zhongcheng said this, Lin Zhiruo was stunned, as if she had heard something incredible.

“Seaweed?”

Lin Zhiruo asked again, with a hint of confusion and shock in her voice.

"It is definitely seaweed."

Gao Zhongcheng reiterated, his tone firm and forceful.

Seaweed is both edible and medicinal, and its uses are wide and varied.

It can probably also be used as an ingredient for fish sashimi, adding a unique flavor.

Hearing this, Lin Zhiruo nodded involuntarily, secretly pondering the mystery of this seaweed.

(This person loves gourmet food, which means he may have unique insights and pursuits on ingredients.

Perhaps he would spend a fortune to buy seaweed just to taste its rare flavor.)

Lin Zhiruo pondered this secretly in her heart.

Thinking of this, Lin Zhiruo raised the corners of her mouth slightly, and her canine teeth were faintly revealed in her half-open mouth, making her look playful and cute.

Quan Wushuang and others stared at Lin Zhiruo in a daze, secretly guessing her thoughts and ideas.

Lin Zhiruo narrowed her eyes and stared at Gao Zhongcheng, with a hint of expectation and pleading in her eyes.

"If possible, could you let me take a peek into that family's kitchen? Perhaps I can find some clues there."

Lin Zhiruo asked Gao Zhongcheng hopefully.

Gao Zhongcheng nodded slightly when he heard this and made arrangements very quickly.

Everything was ready the next day, allowing Lin Zhiruo to step into the chef's kitchen.

I heard that the officials in charge of this case had already determined that it was closed, so permission was very easy to obtain.

The official's residence is located in the northwest of the capital, surrounded by large mansions and courtyards, and is magnificent.

It is normal that high-ranking officials mostly live on the north side of the capital.

Inside the mansion, the lady became increasingly thin due to overwork and was bedridden.

A servant led the way to the kitchen. Although Lin Zhiruo had obtained the lady's permission, she still had doubts in her heart.

(The servants... do they know something? Are they hiding something?)

Lin Zhiruo pondered this secretly in her heart, but did not show it.

Lin Zhiruo was accompanied by an official sent by Gao Zhongcheng, but this official was wary of Lin Zhiruo and kept his eyes on her all the time.

This person doesn't seem to like Lin Zhiruo very much, but he should obey Gao Zhongcheng's orders, so there will be no problem for the time being.

Lin Zhiruo had no intention of making friends with this person, so she didn't care about his attitude.

She only cares about this case, hoping to find clues and answers from it.

This person may be a military officer. He is still young and his physique is not yet mature, but his movements are quite capable.

His brows were furrowed and his facial features looked a little immature, but his face was strong and revealed an extraordinary temperament.

Lin Zhiruo felt that he looked familiar, but she couldn't remember where she had seen him.

Fortunately, no one paid attention to the case after it was discovered because the kitchen had cooked poisonous food.

Everything here remains the same as it was at the time of the crime, as if time has frozen at this moment.

When Lin Zhiruo was about to slowly walk into the kitchen...

"What are you doing here?"

A man stared at Lin Zhiruo with a gloomy expression and approached quickly.

He was about thirty years old, dressed in gorgeous clothes, with a cold and majestic temperament.

"Who allowed you to trespass into this mansion? Leave this place immediately! Who led you here?"

The man tightly grasped the collar of the servant who led the way, his voice filled with anger and dissatisfaction.

When Lin Zhiruo opened her eyes slightly and stared, the official who was traveling with her stepped forward and stood in front of Lin Zhiruo.

"We have received Madam's permission and have come here with a heavy responsibility."

The official refuted the rude man's words in an earnest manner, with a firm and majestic tone.

Seeing the official's sincere words, Lin Zhiruo secretly admired him.

She knew that although this official was wary of Lin Zhiruo, he would stand up and protect her from harm at the critical moment.

"Sure?"

The man loosened his grip on the collar and glanced back and forth between Lin Zhiruo and the official.

The servant coughed and nodded in confirmation:

"May we go inside and take a look? Or is there any inconvenience?"

There was a hint of trembling and uneasiness in his voice.

Hearing what the official said, the man sighed lightly, but still said proudly:

"As you please."

There was a hint of disdain and contempt in his words, but he did not stop them.

Afterwards, the servants explained to them with apology that the person who was in charge of the unconscious official's wife was the official's younger brother, who seemed to be the man just now.

He was upset because his brother was seriously ill, so his words were a bit rude.

(I see……)

Lin Zhiruo felt that it was inappropriate to meddle in other people's affairs, so she just thought about it in her mind and let it go.

She didn't want to be distracted by these things anymore and just wanted to find clues and answers to the case as soon as possible.

Lin Zhiruo looked around the kitchen and saw that the kitchen utensils had been cleaned and arranged neatly by the chef.

Except for perishable fresh foods such as fish, all ingredients are placed on the shelves intact.

Lin Zhiruo carefully searched every corner of the kitchen, not missing any details.

Then, effortlessly, she found what she needed from the depths of the shelf—a jar of perfectly pickled seaweed.

Seeing the things pickled with salt in the small jar, Lin Zhiruo showed satisfaction.

She knew that this seaweed might be the key to solving the case.

"What is this?"

Lin Zhiruo asked the servant, with a hint of curiosity and inquiry in her tone.

The servant squinted his eyes and looked at the contents of the jar, his face showing confusion.

He obviously didn't recognize this seaweed, let alone its origin and use.

Because he looked confused, Lin Zhiruo grabbed a handful of seaweed and put it into the red water to show him.

The seaweed swayed gently in the water, as if telling its stories and secrets.

(Have you ever seen something like this?)

Lin Zhiruo asked tentatively.

"Oh, this is the food that the master loves very much."

The servant suddenly understood after hearing this.

He told Lin Zhiruo that this was what officials usually ate and there was no possibility that it was poisonous.

The lady seemed to trust this servant quite a bit, and Lin Zhiruo did not think he was lying.

"Did you hear that? Leave now."

The man urged impatiently.

He had obviously lost his patience and interest and just wanted to get rid of them as quickly as possible.