Yummy Yummy Yummy Episode 11 Recap
> Yummy Yummy Yummy Recap
Manager Feng of Yunlai Tavern instructed his chefs to taste the Agate Meat, but they were incredulous that such a delicious dish could be made from pork, and none could replicate it. One chef remarked, "How could pork be cooked to taste like this? I've tried for days, and I just can't do it." Manager Feng, frustrated, called them "good-for-nothings" for failing to even copy the dish.
Soon after, Lu Yun, the owner of Yunlai Tavern, arrived to review the accounts. He was displeased to find that their attempts to undermine the Shen family had not only failed but had resulted in significant financial losses. He issued a stern ultimatum to Manager Feng: "After a fierce battle, we failed to crush the Shen family and suffered a significant loss. They've made a comeback, and you have no new strategies at all.
You have seven days to shut Shen's Diner down, or you'll be kicked out of Yunlai." Meanwhile, Shen Jianshe, elated by the "Best Chef in Juxian" plaque he had received, presented a new ring to Li Fengxia. He proclaimed himself a good man who would not forget his roots after becoming successful, reminding her of when she pawned her ring for their livelihood.
However, the new ring was too small for Li Fengxia's fingers, which had thickened from years of hard work. Shen Jianshe dismissed this as the jeweler's mistake and continued to boast about his ability to earn money and his aspirations to become the "Best Chef in Yong'an" after winning a culinary competition. Li Fengxia, exasperated by his newfound arrogance and lack of contribution to the diner, admonished him for constantly bragging.
Shen Jianshe, in turn, argued that his social status and influence had grown, and the diner now depended entirely on him. Their heated argument was abruptly cut short by screams from the front hall, where several diners were suddenly vomiting and foaming at the mouth. Shen Shaoguang, already busy, instructed Shen Jianshe to call for a carriage and A Yuan to transport the poisoned guests to a clinic.
One guest immediately accused the diner of serving unclean food and threatened to report them. At the same time, Princess Fuhui, who had ignored numerous invitations since the Qixi Poetry Gathering, had accepted only Lin Yan's. Lin Yan's aide expressed a sense that something was amiss, but Lin Yan believed the meeting would be mutually beneficial. Princess Fuhui, appreciating his directness, remarked that she had expected him to "engage in a long game" before addressing the real issues.
Lin Yan, acknowledging her wisdom, directly inquired about the frequent changes in the Prefecture's leadership over the past decade. The Princess then spoke of the case of selling official positions from 17 years ago, revealing that Prefect Cui Ning had lost his life and family without gaining anything, while the true beneficiary "walked away unscathed" and might still be "hiding in court."
Lin Yan asked if she believed there was more to the case, to which she replied it was "just a guess" but assured him of her support should he face any trouble. She found his use of the word "favor" apt and noted how "newcomers who are favored in court are indeed more endearing than those old-timers," inviting him to visit her mansion often and bring friends.
Their conversation was interrupted by a Prefecture official, who reported the mass poisoning at Shen's Diner. Back at Shen's Diner, families of the poisoned guests had gathered, demanding its closure. Cheng Hu and his men tried to control the crowd, but instigators stirred the unrest, claiming the Shen family was related to Vice Prefect Lin, implying he was protecting them. One man declared, "Your family is related to Vice Prefect Lin. Right?
No wonder this evil shop has been able to stay open, and you've never been imprisoned. As it turns out, Prefect Lin has been protecting them." Shen Jianshe vehemently denied the accusations, suggesting the instigators were being manipulated. Manager Feng of Yunlai Tavern then arrived, staged a dramatic scene where he bit Shen Jianshe, then collapsed, pretending to be gravely injured and inciting the crowd to smash the diner.
Not to be outdone, Shen Jianshe also collapsed, wailing about his suffering. Upon Lin Yan's arrival, the crowd demanded justice and called for his recusal due to his alleged ties to the Shens. Facing the chaotic scene, Lin Yan ordered the diner "sealed for investigation," an action that left the Shen family bewildered and protesting. The Shen family retreated to Lin Yan's residence to strategize.
Shen Jianshe grumbled about his injury, while Shen Shaojie accused Lin Yan of abandoning them for his career, suggesting he had hastily ended their supposed engagement to distance himself. Li Fengxia reminded them of Lin Yan's previous help and their guest status. Shen Shaoguang, however, insisted they must rely on their own ingenuity to survive in Yong'an.
Shen Shaojie then pointed out that the same instigator had reported them and spread rumors, leading him to believe Yunlai Tavern was behind the plot. Shen Shaoguang concluded that they needed to take proactive measures. They devised a plan: Shen Shaoguang arranged for a physician to visit, publicly proclaiming Shen Shaojie was poisoned by their own food, with A Yuan spreading the terrifying news of his vomiting, diarrhea, and fainting spells.
Li Fengxia dramatically threatened suicide in the street, asserting that if their food was problematic, she would not have let her son eat it. Shen Jianshe paraded through the streets with a "Wronged" sign, wailing about his unjustly poisoned son. Later, when Lin Yan came to check on Shen Shaojie, Shen Shaoguang initially rebuffed him, accusing him of sealing their diner to protect his own reputation.
Lin Yan then explained his strategy: "The only way to make the poisoner let their guard down was to seal the diner first. During this time, I have found some clues." He revealed that the diners' symptoms indicated mushroom poisoning, and merchants in West Market confirmed Yunlai Tavern's steward, Liu Mo, had repeatedly inquired about their mushroom suppliers. Shen Shaoguang quickly deduced that Liu Mo must have secretly swapped their mushrooms with poisonous ones.
Realizing they had misjudged him, the Shen family profusely apologized. Shen Jianshe bowed deeply, admitting he had "cursed [Lin Yan] behind [his] back." Lin Yan accepted their apology, admitting his oversight in not explaining his actions sooner. Inspired by their success, Shen Shaojie proposed an audacious follow-up: he would continue to feign illness, even fake his death, and then they would dress up as ghosts to scare Liu Mo into confessing.
A Yuan confirmed that Manager Feng was highly superstitious and that Yunlai Tavern indeed had many shrines, further supporting the plan's viability. Lin Yan, agreeing that if they "believe in ghosts and spirits, it might be worth a try," gave his approval. That night, A Yuan meticulously applied "evil ghost" makeup to Shen Shaoguang, making Shen Yangyang exclaim, "Auntie, you look so ghostly!" Lin Yan accompanied Shen Shaoguang to Yunlai Tavern's back door.
Confident from rehearsals, Shen Shaoguang began her ascent to the roof, but in the dark, she slipped. Lin Yan swiftly caught her as she fell, bringing her safely to the ground. Thrilled by his display of lightness skills, Shen Shaoguang exclaimed, "Wow, there really is such a thing as lightness skills in this world. Vice Prefect, how did you just fly up? Can you take me for a spin?"
Lin Yan gently reminded her, "We haven't finished our business yet," before cautioning her to "Be careful" as she proceeded with her task. Entering Yunlai Tavern, Shen Shaoguang, in full ghostly attire, confronted Liu Mo, demanding, "Why did you poison me?" The terrified steward fled in panic. Suddenly, a group of noblewomen appeared, carrying portraits of the deceased Shen Shaojie, and collectively demanded, "You killed Handsome Shen! Who did it? Tell us the truth, or we'll die together."
Overwhelmed, Liu Mo broke down and confessed, "It wasn't me. It wasn't me. Manager Feng ordered it. I didn't want to kill anyone." The next day, Vice Minister Cao Rong of the Ministry of Justice, acting as an Inspector, presided over the court case. He found Steward Liu Mo guilty of poisoning people with mushrooms, sentencing him to three years of labor due to his confession.
A wanted notice was issued for the principal offender, Feng Li, who had "fled out of fear of punishment." The court officially cleared Shen's Diner, confirming it had been "framed and did not intentionally serve poisonous mushrooms," and ordered its immediate unsealing. The public lauded Vice Minister Cao for his "integrity and impartiality," confirming their belief in the Shen family's innocence. To celebrate their vindication and thank Lin Yan, the Shen family prepared a lavish meal.
During dinner, Shen Shaojie, following a "custom from our hometown," lit incense and bowed deeply to Lin Yan, calling it a fitting expression of gratitude. Shen Yangyang then tried to formally become Lin Yan's disciple for lightness skills, kneeling and pleading, "Master, please accept me as your disciple. I want to learn lightness skills from you." Her parents playfully scolded her for the unconventional request. After dinner, Shen Yangyang's persistence paid off.
Lin Yan carried her to the top of a pavilion, but she screamed in terror, realizing she, like her father Shen Shaojie, suffered from a fear of heights. She called Lin Yan "Ancestor," an exclamation Shen Shaoguang explained was a local term for fear or excitement. Lin Yan gently teased her about wanting to learn lightness skills but being scared, to which she admitted, "I forgot. I got vertigo from my father," before running off.
Shen Shaoguang, however, expressed her own curiosity about lightness skills. Lin Yan then gracefully carried her to a nearby rooftop. He playfully accused her of trying to scare him, which she denied, stating genuine curiosity. He then apologized for being "petty" earlier, to which she responded, "How could you be petty? As the dignified Vice Prefect, how could you be petty?" From the rooftop, they admired the beautiful, curfew-bound Yong'an night.
Perched together, Shen Shaoguang reflected that while she still missed her hometown, she was growing to like Yong'an. Lin Yan, observing her frequent mentions of her origins, pressed her for details. Shen Shaoguang described her hometown as a place where "everyone is equal," "life is convenient," with "no curfew" and "more freedom," where "marriages and funerals are all based on personal will."
Intrigued, Lin Yan recalled her earlier comment that her hometown wasn't Qingyang and inquired about its true location and unique governance. Shen Shaoguang vaguely called it "Future Village," a remote place he likely hadn't heard of. Lin Yan, seeing through her evasion, playfully accused her of making things up, suggesting her ability to "make things up" would make "even Zhuangzi consider you a kindred spirit."
Shen Shaoguang, amused, called his insult "sophisticated" and clarified that Future Village "just needs another thousand years or so for you to see." To her surprise, Lin Yan understood the underlying philosophy, stating that "equality can only be achieved when there is an abundance of resources" and pondered how expanding agriculture and commerce could bring society closer to her "Future Village" ideal. She was impressed by his grasp of how "economic base determines the superstructure."
Lin Yan then shared his personal tragedy: his father's rise to Prefect, their move to the Capital, and the subsequent implication in the "selling official positions" case, which led to his family's destruction. He and Liu Chang had barely escaped with their lives, but his parents and other family members perished.
He then gently suggested that this incident must have also impacted the Shen family, given their informal engagement, which might be why she created the "Future Village" narrative to hide their past hardships. Shen Shaoguang dismissed it as "all in the past" and playfully offered to "pay more respects" to him again. Lin Yan corrected her, saying, "Among friends, that's not necessary." Shen Shaoguang, recalling his previous aversion to friendship, asked if he had changed his mind.
He confirmed, "People can change," leading her to happily declare, "So, we are friends now." She then taught him a "Future Village" custom: shaking hands, which they did. As they gazed at the city, Shen Shaoguang reiterated her growing affection for Yong'an. Lin Yan, noting this, promised, "During the Lantern Festival, there is no curfew. The city with lights will be even more beautiful. Then, I will take you to see it again," an invitation she gratefully accepted.
