Quick Transmigration: The Supporting Female Lead Stays Out of It - Chapter 29: Chef 28

The kitchen of the small restaurant was burned black, but thankfully, no one was hurt, which was also fortunate. After this incident, Qi Shi was completely frightened by the Yan family and immediately developed a high fever. Lin Dan had to find a doctor for her and report the matter to the yamen, and she hardly closed her eyes all night.

But the arsonist had run away long ago, and Lin Dan was just a small commoner without any power or influence, so the yamen naturally wouldn’t pay much attention.

After a night of tossing and turning, Lin Dan was already exhausted. In order to comfort Qi Shi, she didn’t dare to live in the San Chakou Hutong anymore, and left the city gate before dawn, moving to a house in the suburbs. She wasn’t afraid of the Yan family at all, but she couldn’t help but consider the feelings of her mother and the other shop assistants.

So the next day, the people of Southern City were dumbfounded to find that the Hometown Restaurant had completely closed down. When the Yan family came to make trouble yesterday, the business in the shop was originally very good, but later everyone took advantage of the chaos to run away without paying, and also snatched away a lot of food. They brazenly discussed the private affairs of Shopkeeper Lin, using the most vicious thoughts to speculate about her character, but they weren’t afraid of her turning against them at all. Because they knew that Shopkeeper Lin had to earn money to support her family, which destined her to not dare to offend the diners.

But now, the Hometown Restaurant was actually closed! Shopkeeper Lin wasn’t making money anymore, and just left so freely. Then what would they, the people of Southern City who had left their hometowns, eat and drink? Having gotten used to the most authentic Hometown cuisine, who would be willing to go back to those tasteless days of the past?

“Shopkeeper Lin, are you there? It’s time to get up and open the shop!” Some people who didn’t know what was going on pounded on the door with force, but didn’t get any response, and immediately became a little anxious. They were all doing the hardest and most tiring work, and it had become a habit for them to get up every morning, eat a bowl of noodles cooked by Shopkeeper Lin, and have a small portion of braised food to moisten their mouths in the evening. This bowl of noodles and a piece of meat was the biggest expectation and the best comfort in their day, but now the noodles were gone, the braised meat was gone, and they immediately felt lost, and couldn’t help but think about what they would do if they could never eat Shopkeeper Lin’s dishes again.

The people who were more and more panicked pounded on the door with even more force.

Those who were squeezing at the alley yesterday to watch the excitement and even snatch food, were also showing anxious expressions at this moment. From now on, they could only eat the most authentic Hometown cuisine in their dreams, not in reality. Don’t look at that it was just a mouthful of food, but it could cause a huge impact on people’s psychology and physiology.

“What’s going on?” Tang Jiu squeezed through the crowd and asked with a furrowed brow. Like everyone else, every morning without fail, he had to come to the shop to eat a bowl of noodles, or else he would be listless all day long.

Second Lady Qin stood at the corner, pinching her waist and sarcastically said: “Don’t knock, there’s no one inside. Yesterday afternoon, someone came to make trouble with Shopkeeper Lin, and smashed the shop, and these people even took advantage of the chaos to snatch her food. Last night, there were thieves who came to set fire and burned the kitchen. Shopkeeper Lin didn’t dare to live here anymore, and moved away overnight, and I’m afraid she won’t come back to open the shop again. She also came to me last night, and said she would sell the shop to me for ten taels of silver. You all go wild! Make Shopkeeper Lin disheartened and leave the capital, that would be great! I’ll drink the northwest wind from now on! How did Shopkeeper Lin treat you all usually? You all forgot about it, right? You also don’t look around, in this Southern City, who would be willing to give you free soup? Who would be willing to give you free pickled vegetables? Who would be willing to put braised meat in the vegetarian broth, just to let you taste a bite of meat? You don’t remember her kindness and instead turned around and snatched her things, you all are not human!”

“Someone came to smash the shop and set fire?” Tang Jiu asked with a dark face, “Is Lin Dan hurt? Do you know where she is now?”

“I don’t know.” Qin Erniang didn’t dare to act presumptuously in front of Tang Jiu, but she was still hard to appease, and gave a cold humph and left. Those who were swept by her gaze all lowered their heads, their faces red, and their hearts full of remorse.

Shopkeeper Lin’s skills were so good that she had long spoiled everyone’s appetites. Now that she didn’t open the shop, everyone would never be able to eat such delicious Hometown cuisine in the future, and the sorrow and hardship of leaving their hometowns would multiply. Shopkeeper Lin’s dishes weren’t just delicious, they also contained a trace of homesickness, enough to comfort the hearts of the wanderers. But they had gotten her favors, but didn’t remember to help her at critical moments, and instead harmed her, they were truly worse than beasts.

“If I had known that Shopkeeper Lin would be so angry that she wouldn’t open the shop, I would have helped her drive away that group of people yesterday!”

“What’s the use of you saying this now? She’s already gone! If I had been in the shop yesterday, I would have used a stick to beat them out long ago!”

“Today I have to unload two ships of goods, I must be very tired, and I also wanted to eat an extra bowl of noodles in the morning to have energy for work. But now, the Hometown Restaurant has closed, and there’s no more Hometown noodles to eat, I really can’t get any energy! Does anyone know where Shopkeeper Lin is? Bring her back, please don’t close the shop, everyone relies on her skills to live!”

These words were not an exaggeration. Just ask the hardworking people of Southern City, which one of them didn’t come to Lin Dan to eat a bowl of noodles before going to work after getting up early? Her noodles were delicious and cheap, the vegetarian broth could make a strong meat flavor, and she would also give everyone a bowl of milky white bone soup for free. Eating a hot and delicious breakfast here, the rest of the day would be full of energy.

They felt nothing when she opened the shop; it was just a meal, and it wouldn’t kill them if they didn’t eat. But now that she didn’t open the shop, everyone felt as if they were missing something important, their hearts were empty.

Tang Jiu left the San Chakou Hutong with a solemn expression, his heart was more uncomfortable than anyone else. Without guessing, he knew that it must be the Yan family who came to smash the shop and burn the shop, and the moment he thought of their despicable methods, a feeling of unspeakable disgust surged in his heart, but on the other hand, he felt very sad about Lin Dan’s silent departure, and even had a hint of anger.

He had told her countless times that if she encountered trouble, she could come to him, but she was still like she was ten years ago, shouldering all the grievances, no matter how big they were. She seemed to need no one, and lived in the world so lonely and stubbornly.

Tang Jiu suppressed the hidden pain and pity in his heart and strode towards the Southern City yamen. Wouldn’t the government care? Fine, he would take care of it himself. Whoever smashed the shop, whoever burned the shop, whoever the hell was going to hand over a pair of hands!

After Tang Jiu left, the Marquis of Weiyuan also came, and after asking about the situation, his face, which was much more plump, actually showed a hint of ferocity, “Someone burned Shopkeeper Lin’s shop and forced her to close? Good, good, very good!” After speaking, he flicked his sleeves and left. After a while, the Prince of Dianqian also came, and sighed helplessly: “I was going to pack some Dianqian specialties for my sister today, but now I have to break my promise. Wouldn’t Shopkeeper Lin be forced to never dare to open a shop again? How can we do that!”

Several luxurious carriages quietly came and went quietly, and after going back, they all sent people to find out where Shopkeeper Lin was, and by the way, investigate her affairs back then, and this investigation led to the Yan family.

Yan Shouye thought that Lin Dan was still the vulnerable little pitiful person back then, and with a single move, he could defeat her and make her a mess, and he was very pleased in his heart. What can you do by helping Qiao Garden Restaurant steal my business? What can you do if your cooking skills are different now? I will take your signature dishes, and then cut the weeds and eliminate the roots, so that you can go to the Yellow Springs to keep company with Lin Baotian!

Although the big fire didn’t kill Lin Dan and ruined Yan Shouye’s good mood for a day, he didn’t skimp on giving some hard-earned money to those small hooligans when he learned that they were scared out of their wits and left the capital overnight.

“After you go back, keep an eye on the three fork intersection. If their family comes back again, you continue to burn it, and if you burn them to death, it counts as mine. You don’t have to worry about the yamen, I’ve already had someone take care of it, and they won’t care.” Yan Shouye handed over a piece of silver, and several small hooligans from Southern City quickly took it and left with thanks.

“How’s the business in the shop today?” He turned his head and asked Lin Laoer.

“The Marquis of Weiyuan brought dozens of personal guards to the shop to drink, and filled all the seats on the first floor. The second floor was also filled to seven or eight tenths, and the business was very prosperous,” Lin Laoer said proudly.

“The Marquis of Weiyuan came? Quickly send the best wine in the shop over there!” Yan Shouye pondered for a moment and changed his words, “No, I’ll go over to entertain the distinguished guests myself, give me the wine.” After speaking, he picked up a jar of wine and walked to the front hall, and respectfully and reverently came to the Marquis of Weiyuan and fawned: “Marquis, this is the pear blossom wine that my daughter brewed by herself, it’s the most refreshing to drink in spring, would you like to try it?”

He was very confident in Yan Langqing’s skills, and he was sure that the Marquis of Weiyuan would be satisfied. In the past, he hadn’t failed to send wine to the Marquis’s mansion, but he couldn’t even get through the door. He had finally waited for the Marquis of Weiyuan to come, so how could he not curry favor? As long as he drank this jar of wine, their restaurant would have a big backer.

“Your daughter is Yan Langqing?” The Marquis of Weiyuan confirmed.

“That’s right, Yan Langqing is indeed my daughter, and she is now an imperial chef in the palace,” Yan Shouye said with pride.

The Marquis of Weiyuan pointed at his empty wine cup and said with a smile, “Then fill it up.”

Yan Shouye quickly poured wine for the other party, and then waited expectantly for the return, but he didn’t expect that the Marquis of Weiyuan suddenly raised his wine bowl and smashed it on his head, and shouted loudly: “Damn you, how dare you use watered-down fake wine to fool this Marquis! Men, smash this black shop for me!”

“Yes!” The personal guards, who had long been eager to make a move, immediately drew the swords at their waists and chopped the tables, chairs, doors, windows, and counters on the first floor to pieces. The guests on the second floor were terrified, but they didn’t dare to go down, and could only stand on the railings and look down. After about two quarters of an hour, the luxurious shop was in a mess, Yan Shouye was lying on the ground groaning with bl00d all over his body, but no one dared to help.

The Marquis of Weiyuan still felt it wasn’t enough to vent his anger, and kicked him hard a few times, sneering, “This Marquis hates people who sell fake wine the most in his life. It’s your good fortune that I didn’t kill you directly today. Go back and burn incense and worship Buddha!” As soon as he left, the diners on the second floor also left one after another, but there were still many people outside the door, stretching their necks to watch the excitement.

Only then did Lin Laoer run out to help Yan Shouye, and seeing the mess on the ground, and thinking about today’s losses, his heart ached like it was being cut by a knife.

However, this wasn’t over yet. Before the doctor arrived at the shop to help Yan Shouye bandage his wounds, the steward of the Prince of Dianqian came, holding a dead dog in his arms, saying that it had died after eating the mushroom soup packed for takeout from Yan Family Restaurant, and they must take them to see the official. Think about it, this mushroom soup was originally bought for their young lady to eat, but the young lady didn’t have an appetite, so she fed it to the dog. If their young lady had really eaten it, who would be dead now? Their young lady was going to enter the palace to become a concubine; how could they not report it to the official?

The steward didn’t even look at the dilapidated front hall, but just let several strong servants carry Yan Shouye away, and indeed, he beat the grievance drum in front of the yamen. This morning, there was fake wine and poisonous soup, and it all made such a big commotion. Yan Family Restaurant’s reputation was completely ruined. Even if Yan Langqing was favored again, could the Emperor reprimand the Marquis of Weiyuan and the Prince of Dianqian for her sake, a small imperial chef? Could he clear up the rumors for the people of the entire capital? Impossible!

Lin Laoer was squatting at the door of the shop with his head in his hands, almost wanting to cry but not having any tears.