Episode Summary
The Shen family faces a business crisis when a rival tavern copies their Jianbing Guozi recipe. Instead of fighting back, Shen Shaoguang pivots to selling lamb skewers, which become a huge success. A confrontation with the rival owner leads to Lin Yan revealing his engagement to Shen Shaoguang to his friend Pei Pei. The family expands their business again by selling drinks, which not only brings in more money but also creates an opportunity for Shen Shaoguang to attend a royal party as a chef.
Spoiler Alert
The Copycat Crisis
A Rival Steals the Recipe
So, the Shen family’s food stall is officially open for business. But there’s a problem. No one is buying their Jianbing Guozi. Shen Shaoguang and Shen Jianshe are standing around confused until they see people walking by with the exact same food. It turns out the Yunlai Tavern down the street completely ripped off their recipe. Not only that, the tavern is selling it for half the price.
Shen Shaoguang doesn’t just get mad. She gets strategic. She goes over to the Yunlai Tavern and buys one of every single flavor they sell. She needs to figure out what she's up against. Later, Lin Yan comes over for dinner. He has no idea the food he's eating is from the copycat. He starts praising how unique the flavors are, and you can just feel the awkwardness from the Shen family. Shen Jianshe finally explains that their recipe was stolen. Li Fengxia quickly cuts in. She insists they can handle their own problems without bothering him.
Pivoting to a New Product
Shen Shaoguang thinks it over. She realizes fighting a copycat is a waste of time. Even if they shut down the Yunlai Tavern, another shop in Juxian Alley would just do the same thing. She tells her family they need to "change lanes." It's her modern business slang, and it completely confuses Lin Yan. She has to explain it’s just their family's weird way of talking about business strategy.
The next day, they have a brand new product. They’re selling lamb skewers now. Shen Shaoguang directs the operation like a modern-day live streamer. Shen Jianshe is on the grill. Li Fengxia and Shen Shaojie are in the background, hyping up the food to anyone who will listen. It works. A crowd immediately forms, stealing all the customers from the Yunlai Tavern.
A Confrontation and a Reveal
Lin Yan Steps In
Just as the Shens' new business is taking off, Lin Yan shows up with his friend, Pei Pei. Pei Pei was the one who insisted they try the new lamb skewer stall he’d heard about. He has no idea this is Shen Shaoguang's family. He also doesn't know the lamb they're about to eat was bought with Lin Yan's own money.
The owner of the Yunlai Tavern, a guy named Feng, is furious. He sees the Shens stealing his business and starts yelling. He threatens to use his connections to throw them in jail. That’s when Lin Yan steps forward. He doesn’t have to do much. He just speaks, and his authority is clear. The tavern owner gets terrified, apologizes immediately, and even starts helping the Shens sell their skewers to make up for it.
The "Son-in-Law" Slip-Up
The stall is a massive success. It’s completely surrounded by customers. As Lin Yan and Pei Pei get ready to leave, Li Fengxia runs over with a handful of skewers for them to try. In her excitement, she accidentally calls Lin Yan "son-in-law." Pei Pei hears it. He stops in his tracks and demands to know what is going on.
Lin Yan has to come clean. He explains that Shen Shaoguang is his fiancée. Their families arranged the marriage a long time ago. Her family ran into trouble, so they came to the capital for his help. Pei Pei is not happy about this. He tells Lin Yan that marrying into a merchant family will destroy his career as an official. Then he tries a lamb skewer. His entire attitude changes in an instant. The food is so good that he completely reverses his position. He decides that a good meal every day is much better than worrying about social status.
New Ventures and New Opportunities
Drinks on the Menu
That night, the Shen family is all smiles while counting a huge pile of money. Shen Shaoguang is enjoying their success. She points out that lamb skewers are greasy and the meat is expensive. She suggests they create some drinks to sell alongside the skewers.
The next day, they do just that. The Shen siblings are out on the street selling their new, unique beverages. The drinks are another instant hit in Juxian Alley. The family is officially on a roll.
An Invitation to the Party
The whole episode, Lin Yan has been trying to get an invitation to a big poetry party hosted by Princess Fuhui. His office wasn't invited, but he sees it as a major networking opportunity. His problem gets solved in an unexpected way. He buys some skewers and drinks for Pei Pei. Pei Pei mentions he wanted to go to the party but couldn't get an advance on his salary to buy new clothes.
Lin Yan offers to lend him some clothes. Pei Pei then asks if Lin Yan is going. He learns Lin Yan wasn't invited. Pei Pei says he can fix that. He's from the Censorate, and he knows the princess has been complaining about her chefs. He tells Lin Yan to bring a talented cook with him to the party. It's the perfect opening for Shen Shaoguang to show off her skills.
To cap off their success, the leader of the Yulin Army shows up. He wants to buy barrels of the Shens' drinks for his troops. Shen Shaoguang knows better than to get directly involved with military supplies. Instead, she offers to sell him the recipe for a high price. He happily agrees.
