After transmigrating, I made a name for myself through my culinary skills.

Wanwan was quick; she returned in less than fifteen minutes. Ye Lan hadn't even figured out how to deal with her when they had dinner later.

Everyone looked at her. A hint of embarrassment appeared on her pretty face, as if she was struggling with how to start the conversation. She hesitated before saying, "I have good news and bad news. Which would you like to hear first?"

Jiang Nan, being rather impatient, immediately chose the first option: "Let's talk about the good news first."

"The good news is that Fu Niang is willing to see you, but only this Young Master Jiang," Wanwan said, pointing to Jiang Ning.

What she said was true. Fu Niang said she was only willing to meet the person who asked Sang Yu for help. Just now, Jiang Ning told her that he had something to ask Sang Yu for help with.

After hearing this, Jiang Nan asked her, "And what's the bad news?"

When delivering the bad news, Wanwan looked at Ye Lan and said with a wronged expression, "The bad news is that the balut I wanted to eat today is no longer available. I was originally planning to treat you to that."

Her tone carried a hint of regret; anyone who didn't know better would have thought these balut (fertilized duck egg) were some kind of exquisite delicacy.

Jiang Ning and the other two were speechless after hearing this. This was hardly bad news. They never expected that she would ask them what they wanted to eat in such a short time.

Surprisingly, Yao Yao, who usually doesn't talk much, also said, "That's a real pity. These hairy eggs are very famous in our Tibetan incense hall. Usually, we have to limit the number of customers who order them. Today, they've sold out so quickly."

She clearly wanted to eat it too.

Ye Lan said somewhat helplessly, "I'm not very interested in this."

The other two had never heard of this thing before. Jiang Nan secretly used her divine sense to ask Ye Lan what this hairy egg was and whether it was really as delicious as they said.

The three of them communicated mostly through their spiritual senses. Ye Lan explained to him that the hairy egg was a live egg. After hearing Ye Lan's explanation, Jiang Nan lost all interest and even said that this Wanwan girl had too heavy a taste.

Unable to empathize with the two girls' regret at not having balut to eat, Jiang Ning said directly to them, "I would like to trouble you two to have someone show me the way."

Seeing Fu Niang was more important than eating.

Upon hearing this, Wanwan said to Liu'er, "Liu'er, why don't you take Young Master Jiang to find Fu Niang first?"

After saying that, he turned to the woman beside Yao Yao and said, "Qing'er, have the kitchen prepare some of my favorite dishes. Today, I'd like to have a few drinks with Sister Yao Yao and these two gentlemen."

Just as Jiang Ning and Liu'er were leaving, Jiang Ning didn't forget to use his divine sense to remind Jiang Nan: "You must stay by Ye Lan's side and don't leave."

Jiang Nan agreed in his mind, promising not to let Ye Lan out of his sight.

Fu Niang is not usually in this building where guests are entertained. Unlike other madams, she does not need to greet guests. Instead, she is the one in charge here, managing the entire Tibetan Incense Courtyard.

These courtesans all lived in the back courtyard. Fu Niang usually stayed in the back courtyard as well. She would only appear when a guest of particularly high status came and needed her. So Liu'er took Jiang Ning to the back courtyard.

While Jiang Ning and Liu'er were out, the kitchen staff quickly served all the wine and dishes.

These dishes filled the entire table, with a clay pot placed in the very center. Qing'er helped lift the lid of the clay pot, and a strong aroma immediately wafted out.

Once the steam dissipated, everyone could see the contents of the casserole dish clearly; it turned out to be a chicken and oyster stew.

The glistening chicken and oysters are sprinkled with a layer of finely chopped garlic and ginger, making them look very appetizing. Moreover, the casserole doesn't cool down too quickly, and you can even see the juices bubbling under the chicken.

Wanwan used clean chopsticks to pick up a piece of oyster meat for Ye Lan and put it in the bowl in front of him: "Come on, try the oysters in this oyster and chicken stew first. The chicken and oyster meat are freshly killed and made today."

This oyster and chicken stew is made by stewing chicken and oysters together, but there are some tricks to it.

First, sauté scallions, ginger, and garlic in a clay pot until fragrant, then add chicken marinated with sand ginger. Sand ginger is the most special part of this dish; its aroma is unique and people who are used to it will love it.

After adding the chicken, cover the pot and pour a small bowl of white wine around the edge of the lid. This white wine helps to enhance the aroma and remove any fishy smell. Once the chicken is cooked through, add fresh oysters and sprinkle the sauce evenly over the oysters. Simmer for two minutes before serving. Do not add any water during the process to preserve the original freshness of the chicken and oysters.

Despite the delicious aroma, Ye Lan didn't dare to put the food directly into her mouth. As if to dispel any suspicions from Ye Lan and the other woman, Wanwan used her chopsticks to take a bite of each dish and tasted it herself first. She said, "In broad daylight, with so many people watching you enter this Cangxiang Courtyard, are you afraid I'll harm you?"

Yao Yao started eating at this time. Seeing that the two of them were not acting strangely, Ye Lan slowly replied, "Miss Wanwan, you are too kind. I just feel a little embarrassed because I have never been so close to other women before."

It's understandable that they were suspicious; it's just that in this unfamiliar place, someone was suddenly being so attentive to them, and they had been misled and tricked by others before, so they had to be wary.

Wanwan seemed to enjoy teasing him. After hearing Ye Lan's words, she asked him again, "Oh, so that means I'm the woman closest to you?"

Ye Lan smiled slightly, but didn't reply. She chewed on the oyster meat in her mouth, and the oyster flavor mixed with sand ginger had a unique freshness.

Jiang Nan wanted to eat when the dishes were being served, but he didn't dare to eat since Ye Lan hadn't touched her chopsticks. Now that he saw Ye Lan eating, he quickly picked up a chicken wing. There were only two chicken wings in this pot of chicken, and if he missed them, they would be gone.

The chicken wings were incredibly tender and juicy, and the meat attached to the skin was quickly separated from the bone, preserving the freshest and most fragrant flavor of the chicken. As Jiangnan ate, he couldn't help but praise Ye Lan in his mind, "This way of cooking is really delicious."

Wanwan, who was next to Ye Lan, continued to serve her food with clean serving chopsticks: "Try this spicy fish slices again. It's cold outside, so eating something hot and spicy is just right."

Ye Lan refused, saying, "I can do it myself."

These spicy fish fillets have been completely deboned, so you can eat them whole without worrying about bones. The fish fillets are deep-fried until golden brown and then stir-fried with Sichuan peppercorns and dried chilies, resulting in a fragrant and numbing flavor.

Worried that he might be thirsty, Wanwan poured him a glass of wine. She raised her glass to Ye Lan and said, "Young Master Ye, to our first pleasant meeting."

She readily finished her drink, and Ye Lan put down his chopsticks and toasted her in return. However, she didn't take Ye Lan's words to heart and instead picked up a piece of braised mutton for him.

She introduced the braised mutton: "This mutton was braised by our chef starting early this morning. It's tender and flavorful, and it's the most nourishing to eat in winter. You should try it."

The mutton is a bright red color, and it even jiggles when you pick it up with chopsticks, which means it has been braised for a certain amount of time. It's not gamey or dry, and it's very flavorful, which is the greatest affirmation of this mutton.

This shows that the chef is indeed quite skilled. The Cangxiang Courtyard did not only make its fortune by relying on women; their dishes and wines are also among the best in Beigong City. With beautiful women as company and delicious food and wine, the business is naturally booming.

Ye Lan had only eaten a few bites of the dishes when he started to feel a bit hot. But when he looked at the three people next to him, they all looked normal, and Jiang Nan showed no change at all. He then drank his second glass of wine, pretending that he was just feeling hot from eating spicy fish slices.

Meanwhile, when Jiang Ning was taken to the backyard, Fu Niang was already waiting in the hall.

Unlike the women outside, Fu Niang was dressed in a white dress, completely covered up. Jiang Ning saw her sitting in a chair with her eyes closed, holding a string of Buddhist beads and chanting scriptures. She was very calm, creating an eerie harmony between the Buddhist scriptures and the brothel.

Qing'er brought him here and then left, so Jiang Ning could only greet Fu Niang himself: "Junior Jiang Ning, I have something to say to Fu Niang."

Fu Niang continued to fiddle with her prayer beads, but instead of chanting Buddhist scriptures, she asked him, "Where did you come from, Southern Continent?"

Jiang Ning didn't intend to hide it from Fu Niang and replied, "That's right."

She asked, "Who is Jiang Mian of the Green Mountain Sect to you?"

“He’s my uncle.” Jiang Ning’s uncle doesn’t often stay in the Green Mountain Sect. Instead, he travels all over the country, living a carefree life. When he was a child, he told Jiang Ning some interesting stories about the continents. So, Jiang Ning wasn’t surprised that someone outside knew him.

Fu Niang then stopped playing with her prayer beads. She opened her eyes, looked at Jiang Ning for a moment, and said, "Take off your mask."

Jiang Ning did as she was told without hesitation. He had already heard that she was at the Nascent Soul stage, so it would be strange if she couldn't see through his facade.

When he revealed his true face, Fu Niang stared at his face for a long time before speaking: "You're looking for Sang Yu, but you're a little late. He just left here."

"Just left?" Jiang Ning was a little annoyed. Were they really that unlucky?

"Hmm," Fu Niang asked him again, "What do you want with him?"

Jiang Ning replied, "I need his help with something."

"Have you heard about his rules?"

"I had heard about it before."

"Did you bring enough money for the reward?"

"That should be enough. If it's not enough, we can make up the difference."

Jiang Ning couldn't guarantee it 100%, but if Sang Yu asked for a higher price, they should be able to raise the money.

"Then come here and wait for him three days later with the reward."

Knowing that she could help find Sang Yu, Jiang Ning quickly thanked her, "Thank you, Fu Niang."

Fu Niang closed her eyes again, and while fiddling with her Buddhist prayer beads, she said to Jiang Ning, "Go and save your friend."

Jiang Ning was shocked to hear this. Without saying goodbye, he quickly ran to the private room where Ye Lan and the others were. He only had two friends there.

Inside the private room, Ye Lan felt hot all over, wondering if it was because of the oysters and mutton she had eaten.

Wanwan deliberately moved closer to him, her perfume wafting over him. He felt a little embarrassed because he had actually become aroused. Luckily, he was wearing many layers and sitting down, so his outer robe covered him.

Ye Lan pushed her away, preventing her from getting close enough to notice his abnormality. He couldn't help but cry out for help in his heart. Could it be true that what people jokingly said, "Drinking Chinese medicine can regulate sexual orientation"? Had he really become straight because he took too many pills?

Jiang Nan was so focused on eating that he drank the wine Yao Yao poured for him when he was thirsty that he didn't notice anything amiss.

Jiang Ning flew directly from the first floor to the door of the private room. He tried to push it open, but it was locked from the inside. He then kicked it open.

When he kicked open the door, everyone inside was taken aback. Jiang Nan was so startled that she forgot to swallow the mutton in her mouth.

Yao Yao stood up and asked him, "What does Young Master Jiang mean by this?"

Jiang Ning ignored her and looked directly at Ye Lan. Ye Lan sat quietly at the table, his face slightly flushed. He pushed Wanwan away with one hand and gripped the chopsticks tightly with the other.

Jiang Nan was clearly only focused on eating and had no idea what had happened. He was completely bewildered when Jiang Ning came in.

At this moment, many people came over wanting to join in the fun. Jiang Ning closed the door and walked up to Ye Lan, trying to pull him away, but he couldn't move him.

Jiang Ning had no choice but to turn to Wanwan and ask, "Where's the antidote?"

Wanwan feigned ignorance: "What antidote?"

Jiang Ning didn't bother with beating around the bush: "Fu Niang sent me to rescue people, what do you say?"

Just then, someone else came in. The person leaned close to Wanwan's ear and whispered a few words. After hearing them, she looked somewhat disdainful, but the person said something else to her, so she could only compose herself. She took out a bottle of potion from the spatial ring on her hand, poured the potion into a cup, and handed it to Ye Lan: "Drink this and you'll be fine in a quarter of an hour."

Jiang Nan finally came to his senses and realized that they had been drugged. He was terrified, but he couldn't vomit up what he had eaten, and he looked like he was about to die.

Seeing his appearance, Wanwan mocked him, saying, "Don't worry, someone like you isn't worth me drugging."

Ye Lan didn't know he should drink the antidote. His expression was already somewhat dazed and confused. Jiang Ning took the medicine directly and made him drink it in one gulp.

As Jiang Ning put down the cup, Ye Lan grabbed his hand and pressed it against her face, as if his cold palm could soothe the heat in her heart. Jiang Ning didn't want others to see him like this, so she said to Wanwan and the others, "Get out."

Her tone was so cold it could freeze someone to death. Wanwan left with a dark face. Seeing this, Yaoyao took her pipa and followed her. Before leaving, she made sure to close the door behind her.

"What happened? When was Ye Lan poisoned?" Jiang Nan asked Jiang Ning in confusion. He had eaten and drunk the same things Ye Lan ate and drank, so why was he completely unharmed?

It's no wonder Jiang Nan didn't keep a close eye on them. Jiang Ning could only suppress his temper and explain to him, "This is probably a drug that requires cooperation between the two people. We were being watched from the beginning."

He suspected that he had been drugged the moment Wanwan danced in front of Ye Lan upon entering, and that the drug was then combined with other substances to make it effective.