Yummy Yummy Yummy Episode 27 Recap
> Yummy Yummy Yummy Recap
Councilor Kang announced the winner of the Culinary Master Competition for the Year of Bingchen was Hermit Suxin. Despite Shen Jianshe not winning, he was content. His granddaughter, Shen Yangyang, affectionately told him that he was the Culinary Master in her heart, a sentiment echoed by the family. They then urged him to quickly visit a clinic for his injured hand, though he initially resisted due to the cost.
Meanwhile, Prince Zhao’s efforts to appoint Li Ang as the heir apparent were causing complications. Chancellor Meng, who had been asked to return to the palace and thus missed the competition, organized a dinner for Shen Shaoguang and Lin Yan, hoping to foster a connection between them. During the meal, the two, along with Liu Feng, felt awkward, finding Chancellor Meng’s matchmaking attempts heavy-handed and questioning his judgment. Later that evening, Shen Shaojie stealthily returned to his family’s diner.
His family, including Shen Yangyang, Li Fengxia, and Shen Jianshe, were already waiting for him, and Lin Yan also arrived. Shen Shaojie began to boast about his supposed undercover work. His family, however, remained skeptical of his grand tales. Lin Yan then asked Shen Shaojie if he had noticed anything unusual while working at Yunlai Tavern. Shen Shaojie described large, abnormal quantities of goods being moved in and out daily.
He noted that some wooden boxes were tightly sealed and bore a distinctive totem-like design, which he drew for them. Shen Shaoguang speculated that Prince Zhao might be involved and that this could be connected to Lin Yan’s old case. Excited by the prospect of "punishing the wicked," Shen Shaojie volunteered to help Lin Yan investigate Yunlai Tavern further.
Lin Yan accepted, asking Shen Shaojie to help him infiltrate Yunlai the next day and promising his complete detachment from the tavern once the mission was accomplished. Unbeknownst to them, Yu San was listening outside and quickly reported the plan to Lu Yun. The next day, as Shen Shaojie tried to assist in moving goods, he was promptly apprehended by Lu Yun’s men. That night, Lin Yan secretly infiltrated Yunlai Tavern as planned but fell into Lu Yun’s trap.
Lin Yan offered himself as a hostage in exchange for Shen Shaojie. During the exchange, Lin Yan ingeniously pressed a blade to Lu Yun’s throat, allowing him to strategically retreat and safely escape with Shen Shaojie from Yunlai Tavern. While at Yunlai Tavern earlier, Shen Shaojie had noticed Lu Yun's men hastily moving cargo.
Taking the initiative, he went to the kitchen and gathered strong-smelling spices, which he combined with quicklime in sachets and soaked in water, creating a "self-heating pot" effect. As he "helped" with the moving, he discreetly tossed these sachets into the wooden boxes, knowing that the heat would cause the spices to emit a strong, traceable scent. Lin Yan, impressed by this clever ruse, immediately understood the plan.
He instructed Liu Chang to escort Shen Shaojie home safely while he set off to various warehouses across Yong'an to follow the lingering scent. He soon located a clandestine warehouse filled with weapons. Back home, Shen Shaojie enthusiastically recounted his heroic deeds to his family, who initially dismissed his stories. However, when Lin Yan returned and corroborated Shen Shaojie’s account, the family's disbelief turned to pride.
Shen Yangyang joyfully declared her father a "great hero," a moment of admiration Shen Shaojie savored for the first time. Later that night, as the family helped Shen Shaojie shave his beard, Yu San walked past, claiming he was going to the toilet. He mentioned the return of "Young Master Shen," which instantly raised Shen Shaoguang’s suspicion, as Yu San should not have known her brother had returned, let alone his identity. Li Fengxia also felt something was amiss.
They concluded that Yu San must have overheard their plan to infiltrate Yunlai Tavern and subsequently leaked the information, leading to Shen Shaojie's capture. Over the next few days, Shen Jianshe and Li Fengxia began to speak to Yu San with pointed remarks, and Shen Yangyang and A Yuan also made subtle, accusatory comments.
Feeling increasingly uncomfortable, Yu San sought out Shen Shaoguang, explaining that as a slave, only the Shen family had ever treated him with dignity, a kindness he had not experienced from anyone else except his mother. Shen Shaoguang suggested he take a couple of days off to visit his mother, but Yu San replied, "There is someone at home, making it inconvenient to visit," and also expressed concern about the diner being short-staffed.
The Shen family analyzed his words, deducing that his parents might be held captive, forcing him to act as an informant. They then hatched a plan to get him to reveal the truth. On Yu San's birthday, the Shen family plunged his room into darkness. Fearing an attack, Yu San drew a cleaver from behind him. The family then entered, holding a birthday cake and singing. Yu San initially suspected it was a tactic to manipulate him.
Shen Jianshe earnestly offered to help Yu San overcome his slave status, regardless of the financial cost. He also pledged to help Yu San appeal to the Capital Prefecture if he was being coerced by Prince Zhao. After making the family swear an oath, Yu San finally confessed. He admitted to betraying Lin Yan and Shen Shaojie because he feared Prince Zhao’s agents would kill his parents if he failed to provide information.
Overwhelmed with guilt, he apologized repeatedly, but Li Fengxia reassured him that it was all in the past. Meanwhile, Li Ang reported to Prince Zhao that Lu Yun had successfully moved the salt and iron to a secure location, but Yunlai Tavern was compromised as a transit point. Li Ang suggested killing Lin Yan to eliminate the problem. Prince Zhao, however, reprimanded him for his rashness.
He explained that Lin Yan, a Rank III official in Yong'an, was too close to the Emperor, and his murder would invite unwanted imperial scrutiny. Instead, Prince Zhao declared that Lin Yan must be disgraced and stripped of his influential position, making him vulnerable. To achieve this, Feng Li, at Prince Zhao's command, endured corporal punishment to accuse Lin Yan and Vice Minister of Justice Cao Rong of colluding to coerce confessions and render unjust judgments.
Another confidant of Prince Zhao further alleged that Lin Yan had overstepped his authority during the Lantern Festival by encouraging the common people of the capital to sound the Appeal Drum, effectively bypassing traditional channels like the Market Office and allowing the Capital Prefecture to wield undue influence, potentially overshadowing the Emperor's authority.
