Quick Transmigration: The Supporting Female Lead Stays Out of It - Chapter 32: Chef 31

Lin Dan only stayed in the suburbs of the capital for two nights before returning. The shop had already been sold to Qin Erniang, and she had to move her things out to make room for her.

“Can’t you not sell this shop? Is it okay to continue running the Hometown Restaurant?” Qin Erniang felt that she might be the silliest fool in the world; she had bought the shop from someone else but still wanted to give it back. She felt that she couldn’t live without eating the dishes made by Manager Lin.

“I’m not going to run it. The matter in the capital is almost over, and I should go somewhere else to travel around.” Lin Dan was already used to a life of wandering, and she wouldn’t stay in one place for too long.

While they were talking, the sound of knocking on the door came from outside from time to time, and someone also shouted, “Is Manager Lin back? When will you open for business? Manager Lin, Manager Lin…” They had called out for a long time but didn’t receive a response, and only then did the people outside sigh and leave.

This situation had happened frequently in the few days that Lin Dan had left. Almost every little while, there would be diners coming to knock on the door and ask. The Hometown Restaurant was closed, and the people of South City could only eat authentic Hometown dishes in their dreams. In this day and age, most of the people who could leave their hometowns and go to the capital to make money were strong and healthy men. They couldn’t cook at all, and even if they could, they couldn’t make Lin Dan’s flavor, so they could only eat steamed buns.

If they could live a good life, who would want to live a hard life? If there were delicious and cheap things to eat, who would want to eat steamed buns? Manager Lin wasn’t around, and it was a difficult life!

Lin Dan seemed unaware of the movement outside the door, only taking care of packing things. Qin Erniang, however, spat and sneered, “Not opening the door, they’ll be the death of them! They usually eat so many good things in the shop, but when something goes wrong, not a single one of them goes to help, a bunch of ungrateful beasts!”

Lin Dan smiled and didn’t say anything. Beasts, you couldn’t say that, it was just the way of the world. But she still had to thank Qin Erniang. If it weren’t for her taking the girls from the brothel to drive Zhou away that day, Zhou might have been making trouble for a long time. If others were willing to help you, that was a kindness; if they weren’t willing to help you, that was their duty, and you couldn’t blame anyone.

That’s why she sold the shop to Qin Erniang at the low price of ten taels of silver, and also gave her a recipe for making wine and several recipes for side dishes. The brothel wasn’t a place to eat, but it couldn’t do without wine and side dishes; these were enough to repay the favor.

The two of them were packing things and talking when they heard a burst of shrill screams from outside the door, with the sound of begging for mercy and the sound of kowtowing. It was noisy and made people feel irritable.

“Who’s fighting at the door? I’ll go take a look, you hide inside.” Qin Erniang threw down the broom and walked outside.

How could Lin Dan let her take risks? She pulled her behind her, went out with a kitchen knife. She held the door panel and looked out, but saw Tang Jiu standing straight in front of the steps, and several guards were stepping on a few hooligans, breaking their hand bones one by one with the backs of their knives.

The screams and pleas for mercy came from these hooligans. Beside them, a young man bound with five flowers was kneeling, and it was Tang Peng. He was bound with several bamboo strips on his back, and angrily shouted, “Ninth Brother, for an outsider, you are making me lose face like this. After I go back, I will write a letter to tell my uncle!”

“You use your power for personal gain and bully the common people, and you still have a reason?” Tang Jiu’s tone was indifferent.

“Aren’t your actions now using your power for personal gain?” Tang Peng was still struggling, but Zhao Liu pressed his shoulders forcefully and knelt him on the ground.

Tang Jiu didn’t pay him any attention. He heard the sound and turned his head to look, and his eyes immediately lit up: “Lin Dan, you’re back.”

“What is this?” Lin Dan originally wanted to point at Tang Peng and the few hooligans, but when she raised her hand, she found that she was holding a kitchen knife. She quickly put it down.

Tang Jiu bowed with a look of shame on his face: “The government got Tang Peng’s word, so they didn’t care about the arson case. Now I’m here with him to apologize. These few hooligans are the arsonists.” He had obviously received the news, knowing that Lin Dan was in the shop, so he wasn’t afraid to come here for nothing.

Lin Dan showed an expression of realization and glanced at Tang Peng, who was still shouting and cursing, and gratefully said: “Thank you, Young Master, for standing up for me. I accept this apology.” After she finished speaking, she was about to close the door.

Tang Jiu quickly blocked the door seam with his hand, and his voice was filled with pleading, “Then can you stay?” Ten years ago, he couldn’t keep Lin Dan, and ten years later, he hoped that this ending could change. No one knew how many times Lin Dan’s stubborn back had appeared in his dreams, and she always went further and further, then gradually disappeared into the thick fog, leaving him with lingering fears and guilt when he woke up.

If he hadn’t listened to those biased words and forced Lin Dan to compete with Yan Langqing, Uncle Lin wouldn’t have suffered such injustice after his death. He had almost grown up eating Uncle Lin’s dishes, and he should have understood what kind of person Uncle Lin was. But at that time, he was like he had been bewitched, and he believed whatever Yan Langqing said, and in the end, he caused Uncle Lin’s reputation to be ruined, and Lin Dan and Qi went away and wandered for many years.

He had never done anything wrong in his life, only that he was sorry for the deceased Uncle Lin, Lin Dan, and Qi. Seeing that Lin Dan had finally returned to the capital, which she had been away from for a long time, and was holding up the Lin family’s door, he was happier than anyone else. He knew how capable Lin Dan was; as long as she was given enough time, she would definitely surpass Uncle Lin’s achievements.

However, some people just didn’t want her to have a good life. The despicable methods were used one after another, forcing her to leave again. Nowadays, Tang Jiu’s disgust for the Yan family had been deeply rooted in his bones, otherwise he wouldn’t have used his methods to take Yan Langqing’s position as the imperial chef.

He emphasized his tone and repeated: “Can you stay this time? I guarantee that no one will dare to bully you in the future.”

Lin Dan smiled faintly, but still shook her head firmly.

The expectations in Tang Jiu’s eyes instantly extinguished. He wanted to say something more, but a man squeezed through the crowd and came to the front, cautiously saying, “I’m a servant of the Yan family. I’ve come to deliver a letter to my young lady.”

“Give it to me.” Lin Dan reached out to take the letter, then slowly exhaled a breath of turbid air. The person she was waiting for, had finally come…

Tang Jiu glanced at the letter paper, and saw a line of words written in a small, graceful script: “June 6th, Fragrant Garden Gathering.” Fragrant Garden was the Imperial Estate. Ordinary people couldn’t even get close, let alone enter it. That was one of the Emperor’s favorite gardens, guarded by guards all year round. How could Yan Langqing, with her status, be able to use it? Could there be the Emperor’s approval in this?

Thinking of this, Tang Jiu suddenly remembered the message that his sister had sent to him, saying that the Emperor had been quite indulgent to Yan Langqing in recent years, as if he intended to take her into the harem, and that was why there was a rumor that the noble consort wanted to betroth Yan Langqing and have her marry into the Marquis’s mansion.

If the Emperor was really backing Yan Langqing, this competition might not be so fair. So he whispered: “Fragrant Garden is a royal garden, and no one can use it without an imperial decree. The person who hosted a banquet in Fragrant Garden the last time was the Great Princess.”

Lin Dan frowned slightly, and after a moment nodded and said: “I understand, thank you, Young Master, for your reminder.” Her tone was neither hurried nor slow, very relaxed.

Tang Jiu couldn’t see what she was thinking, and continued: “I can find a way to cancel this competition.” Why bother to participate in an unfair competition? Let Yan Langqing lose the Emperor’s favor first, and then it wouldn’t be too late to compete. Fairness was rare in this world, but he wanted to give Lin Dan fairness, a fairness that had been delayed for ten years.

“No need, I have my own way to deal with it.” Lin Dan smiled and shook her head. She had waited for ten years, and no longer had the patience to wait.

“Think about it again. Yan Langqing has the Emperor’s protection, and the judge she invites will certainly not dare to let her lose.” Tang Jiu couldn’t persuade her, so he could only be frank.

Lin Dan waved her hand, still saying the same thing: “I have my own way, Young Master, you don’t have to worry.”

Tang Jiu gritted his teeth and looked at her, feeling both helpless and moved. Lin Dan was still so stubborn, but it was because of this stubbornness that she had achieved what she was now.

“Well, I’ll find a way for you!” After he finished speaking, he carried Tang Peng and strode away.

Qin Erniang stood on tiptoe and looked at the letter paper, sighing: “Fragrant Garden, that’s the Emperor’s favorite place, and ordinary people aren’t allowed to enter. Manager Lin, don’t be too hard on Young Master Tang, sometimes compromising and giving way doesn’t mean you’ve lost. What level you’re at, we ourselves know, why use an egg to hit a stone?”

Lin Dan shook her head, her eyes were firm.

The sixth of June arrived quickly. Lin Dan came as invited, first passing through layers of checkpoints and then through layers of inspections, before being allowed to enter Fragrant Garden. There was a guard every five steps, and a pavilion every ten steps. There were patrolling guards and solemn palace people everywhere, a royal atmosphere.

If an ordinary person came in, they would have been scared to death, how would they dare to compete? Without a doubt, before the two had even met, Yan Langqing had already given Lin Dan a show of intimidation. Lin Dan didn’t know who she was, but she could guess that her situation must be very peculiar, even magnificent. Because she didn’t feel a bit of panic in the face of this scene; her heart was like a pool of stagnant water, and didn’t stir up a ripple.

She walked into the inner courtyard with a composed expression and entered the main hall. She saw a handsome man sitting in the main seat, and immediately knelt down and kowtowed. The man wore bright yellow boots, undoubtedly the Emperor.

“Get up, I heard that you’re going to compete with Langqing in cooking, so I’ve come out of the palace to be a witness for her.” The Emperor smiled with seeming magnanimity: “In this competition, you can just show your strengths, and don’t worry about it. You can tell the palace people what ingredients you want, and they will prepare them for you.”

Yan Langqing lowered her head and covered her mouth, looking somewhat shy. The Emperor glanced at her and smiled even more gently. He was fair on the surface, but in fact, a few words had already made it clear that he was intimate with Yan Langqing, and who would dare to go against his will?

The few people who had come to be the judges looked at each other, each with their own thoughts. These people included retired old imperial chefs, famous gourmets, and head chefs from major restaurants, all quite proficient in the art of cooking.

Lin Dan briefly scanned the crowd, and couldn’t help but feel a sense of clarity. Nine out of ten of these people had participated in that competition back then, as if time had turned back, and the past was being reenacted. Also present to watch were familiar faces such as Young Master Tang, Prince Cheng, Prince Gong, Duke Wei Yuan, and the Prince of Dianqian. Yan Shouye, who had been beaten and should have been resting in bed to recover, was also there, staring at her with a venomous yet smug look.

Lin Dan knelt and performed a curtsy, then opened her mouth to ask, “Your Majesty, can you guarantee the fairness of this competition?” The emperor prided himself on being a wise ruler, and at the beginning of his reign, he widely opened up channels for opinions and recruited talented individuals. He also showed particular leniency towards officials in the court who dared to speak out or even die to advise him. Lin Dan directly stated her question, so he had to nod, even if he didn’t want to.