Yummy Yummy Yummy Episode 16 Recap
> Yummy Yummy Yummy Recap
Shen Jianshe, still unwelcome in the family's main quarters, implored Li Fengxia to let him return home, complaining about the cold and lonely diner. Li Fengxia agreed but presented stringent terms: she would control all restaurant earnings, providing him with a monthly allowance of ten qian, and would reduce his pay if he showed off about his culinary skills. Having recently enjoyed financial freedom, Shen Jianshe balked at the meager sum.
Li Fengxia stood firm, offering him the alternative of continuing to sleep at the diner if he disagreed. Unable to accept her conditions, he was once again sent away. That night, Lin Yan was on his way to Shen Shaoguang's room to discuss Prince Zhao's recent conversation with Shen Jianshe when Liu Chang intercepted him. Liu Chang reported an urgent matter: a messenger from Chengzhou had arrived, relaying news of a tragedy of 32 deaths in the region.
As Chengzhou was formerly under Lin Yan's jurisdiction, he was obligated to investigate. Lin Yan immediately departed for Chengzhou. Meanwhile, Shen Shaoguang, restless with worry, confided in A Yuan about her suspicions regarding Prince Zhao's insistence that her family relocate to Sushui City. She questioned why Prince Zhao would go to such lengths if he merely considered them a burden to Lin Yan, fearing he intended to hold them hostage.
She sought out Lin Yan, but he was nowhere to be found. The next morning, she learned from the Capital Prefecture staff that he had left for Chengzhou overnight on urgent official business. Shen Jianshe, having secretly spent the night in Shen Shaojie's room, was startled awake by Shen Shaojie, who mistook him for an intruder and kicked him out of bed.
Their argument was interrupted by a knock, and Prince Zhao's eunuch, Zhonggui, announced it was time for them to depart for Sushui City. Prince Zhao had already left the previous night and instructed Zhonggui to escort the Shen men. Shen Jianshe initially hesitated, wanting to consult his family, but Shen Shaojie, excited by the prospect, urged him to go, fearing they would offend Prince Zhao if they refused.
He enthusiastically described the lavish treatment, likening Prince Zhao's carriage to a "Bentley." Li Fengxia, though concerned about their impulsive decision, eventually agreed to join them. Before leaving, the three left a letter for Shen Shaoguang and boarded Prince Zhao's luxurious carriage. When Shen Shaoguang returned from the Capital Prefecture, she discovered the letter and was dismayed by her family's hasty departure. Entrusting A Yuan with the diner, she immediately set off in pursuit, determined to bring them back.
In Chengzhou, Lin Yan discovered that the reported "tragedy of 32 deaths" referred to oxen, not people. The Chengzhou Prefect, overwhelmed by the crisis, explained that 32 revered plowing oxen had died, a loss that would devastate several local families. He confessed he had received an anonymous letter advising him to seek Lin Yan's expertise from the Capital Prefecture for such a predicament.
Lin Yan promptly offered a solution: investigate the water sources and feed for poisoning, implement disease prevention for a potential livestock illness, consult experienced farmers, and conduct a ritual for the deceased oxen. He then inquired about the anonymous tipster, but the Prefect stated the person had left no name. Shen Shaoguang intercepted the carriage in the suburbs and implored her family to return. Attendant Xu, overseeing the journey, insisted she board, but Shen Shaoguang resisted.
She chided her family for their impulsiveness and joked about the possibility of "kidney harvesting." Shen Jianshe, however, remained resolute, arguing it would be shameful to turn back halfway. As Shen Shaoguang attempted to physically pull Shen Shaojie from the carriage, Attendant Xu commanded the driver to accelerate, and Shen Shaoguang was forced to board to avoid being left behind.
Upon arrival in Sushui City, the Shen family was momentarily impressed by the grand, yet deserted, manor provided by Prince Zhao. Their excitement quickly turned to alarm when the gates abruptly closed, and they were surrounded by mysterious black-clad figures who promptly imprisoned them. Inside the cell, Shen Jianshe loudly declared his perceived kinship with Prince Zhao, but Li Fengxia sharply rebuked him, recognizing they had fallen into a trap.
She chastised both Shen Jianshe and Shen Shaojie for their gullibility and led them through a mock family "reflection" session. Shen Shaojie suggested they portray themselves as "useless freeloaders" with no true connection to Lin Yan to avoid being manipulated, but Li Fengxia dismissed this as unrealistic, given their long association with him. Shen Shaoguang then revealed her trip to the Capital Prefecture, where she had learned of Lin Yan's sudden assignment to Chengzhou, finding the timing suspiciously convenient.
Their dire situation worsened when Prince Zhao's third son, Li Xun, entered their cell accompanied by various torture instruments. Li Xun proposed a cruel game: he would spin a spoon, and whoever it pointed to would answer a question. A correct answer meant choosing a torture device, while a wrong one meant drinking poisoned soup. Shen Jianshe protested the unfairness, but Shen Shaoguang, attempting to protect her family, volunteered to participate.
However, Li Xun ignored her, first targeting Shen Yangyang, which caused Shen Jianshe to desperately object. Li Xun then turned to Shen Shaojie, demanding his secrets. Shen Shaojie, attempting to appear trivial and useless, confessed that his ex-wife had found a better man, and he had even driven her to her lover's grand mansion. This infuriated Shen Jianshe, who accused his son of disgracing the family name, prompting Li Xun to mock Shen Shaojie's perceived spinelessness.
Frustrated by their antics, Li Xun seized Shen Yangyang, threatening her life. To save Shen Yangyang, Shen Shaoguang quickly intervened. Remembering Lin Yan's earlier advice to avoid discussing official matters with Prince Zhao, she offered to disclose Lin Yan's personal secrets. She revealed that Lin Yan's true name was Cui Che, and he was the sole survivor of the Cui clan, which had been executed for grave crimes, forcing him to change his name and identity to survive.
Li Xun, unfazed, indicated he was already aware of this. Shen Shaoguang then added that Lin Yan had broken off their engagement to align himself with the Princess, seeking her patronage to better conceal his identity. The Shen family, eager to secure their freedom, then pledged their loyalty to Li Xun, offering to help him investigate Lin Yan.
Li Xun reported his interrogation findings to Prince Zhao, detailing Shen Shaoguang's claims about Lin Yan's true identity, his broken engagement, and his supposed ambition to align with the Princess. Prince Zhao, however, saw through the Shen family's deception, remarking that they genuinely cared for Anran (Lin Yan) and that the story about Lin Yan and the Princess was "less believable." He ordered the family to be starved for a while, intending to question them himself.
Li Xun, feeling constantly overshadowed and unappreciated by his father compared to Lin Yan, expressed his frustration. Prince Zhao then explained to Li Xun that Lin Yan's continued protection of the Shen family, despite the broken engagement, indicated they were Lin Yan's weakness. Meanwhile, the Shen family, unfed for two days, grew increasingly agitated while watching the jailers feast. Shen Jianshe confronted the guards, accusing them of trying to starve them, especially with a child present.
A guard mockingly offered food if they "barked like a dog." Shen Shaojie, enraged, attempted to fight a guard, and Li Fengxia rallied the family to create a distraction and search for keys, but they found nothing.
Shen Jianshe later noticed moss on the cell wall, and Shen Shaojie speculated that such flaws were unusual for an official prison and might indicate it was a converted private residence, which sparked Shen Jianshe's interest in finding an escape route from the poorly constructed wooden window frames. Upon Lin Yan's return to the Capital Prefecture, Liu Chang immediately informed him of the Shen family's abduction to Sushui City. Realizing Prince Zhao's manipulation, Lin Yan quickly rode to Sushui City.
He was intercepted by a palace eunuch sent by the Emperor to summon him. Liu Chang, thinking quickly, fabricated a story about Lin Yan suffering from a "heart disease" and urgently needing a physician, thereby buying Lin Yan valuable time. Confronting Prince Zhao, Lin Yan accused him of misleading the Chengzhou Prefect to draw him away and demanded to know the Shen family's whereabouts. Prince Zhao attempted to justify his actions, claiming everything was for Lin Yan's protection.
Lin Yan remained unyielding, insisting, "Your Highness, please let them go." Seeing Lin Yan's resolve, Prince Zhao seemingly conceded, instructing his steward to lead Lin Yan to the Shen family. However, Prince Zhao secretly ordered Li Xun to preemptively move the Shen family to an annex, intending to keep them hidden.
As Lin Yan was being led to the cell, the steward attempted to delay him further by recalling Lin Yan's past at Fuyi Manor and questioning his loyalty, suggesting he had deliberately mimicked Prince Zhao's deceased eldest son to gain favor. Lin Yan cut him short, demanding to be taken to the cell. Upon arrival, to Li Xun's surprise, the Shen family was gone. It was revealed that Shen Jianshe, having observed the poor construction of the cell's wooden window with its mortise-and-tenon joints, had successfully identified a key joint, enabling their escape.
