Over the next few days, Lin Wanqiu busied herself collecting the villagers' joint testimonies while meticulously studying the food workshop's raw material testing reports and purchase records using the skill panel in her spatial dimension, hoping to find any flaws. She also contacted an elderly traditional Chinese medicine doctor in the county, who was also a regular customer of the food workshop and had unwavering faith in the quality of its products. The doctor agreed to testify that the food workshop's food was healthy and harmless.

Meanwhile, Shen Tingzhou in the county town was also conducting a thorough investigation. He first went to the food workshop and, together with the workers, carefully examined the waste disposal process. The food workshop's waste was collected centrally and handed over to designated farmers to feed livestock, and there had never been any abnormalities. Shen Tingzhou suspected that someone had tampered with the waste during transportation, mixing waste containing prohibited additives into it.

He followed the route of the waste transportation and finally found a clue at a secluded corner. There was an abandoned wooden barrel there, containing a small amount of powder similar to the prohibited additives described in the whistleblower's letter. Shen Tingzhou immediately kept the barrel as evidence.

He then went to the industry and commerce department and requested to see the so-called "purchase record." After careful examination, Shen Tingzhou discovered that the signature on the record was not the handwriting of the food workshop's purchasing staff, and the seal also showed signs of forgery. He immediately asked a professional to authenticate it, and the results confirmed his suspicions: the "purchase record" was indeed forged.

As the investigation progressed, the clues gradually pointed to Sun Defa, the owner of "Meiweizhai". Shen Tingzhou secretly sent people to monitor Sun Defa's movements and discovered that he had been in close contact with a strange man recently. That strange man was a distant relative of the farmer who was responsible for transporting the waste from the food workshop.

Shen Tingzhou acted decisively, finding the farmer. After patient persuasion and the presentation of evidence, the farmer finally admitted that Sun Defa had given him money to mix waste containing prohibited additives into the waste during transportation. The forged "purchase record" was also fabricated by the stranger at Sun Defa's behest.

Having obtained conclusive evidence, Shen Tingzhou immediately reported the situation to the industry and commerce department and the public security bureau. The relevant departments swiftly launched an investigation into Sun Defa. Faced with overwhelming evidence, Sun Defa could not deny it and had to admit to maliciously reporting "Natural Flavor" food workshop.

It turned out that Sun Defa's "Meiweizhai" was struggling due to poor management, while "Ziranzhenwei" food shop was becoming increasingly successful, which aroused his jealousy. In order to crush his competitor, he came up with the dirty trick of maliciously reporting on "Ziranzhenwei" food shop in an attempt to ruin its reputation.

After the truth came to light, the industry and commerce department immediately lifted the seal on "Natural Flavor" food shop, restored normal business operations, and issued a public notice throughout the county to clarify the facts regarding "Natural Flavor" food shop. Sun Defa received due punishment for malicious reporting and fabricating evidence, and "Delicious Food Shop" was also sealed off according to law.

When the news reached the Hongqi Production Brigade, the villagers cheered and flocked to Lin Wanqiu's house to offer their congratulations. The courtyard returned to its usual lively atmosphere, the roses bloomed even more beautifully, and bursts of laughter echoed from under the grape trellis.

Standing in the center of the courtyard, Lin Wanqiu looked at everything before her, her heart filled with mixed emotions. This crisis, though terrifying, had also made her more deeply appreciate the power of a couple working together and feel the profound affection of the villagers. She knew that after weathering this storm, the "Natural Flavors" food workshop would be even more stable, and her relationship with Shen Tingzhou would grow even stronger.

The day Shen Tingzhou returned from the county town, the sun was slowly setting, and the golden afterglow bathed him, giving him a warm glow. He strode up to Lin Wanqiu, grasped her hand tightly, and his eyes were full of gratitude and affection: "Wanqiu, thank you. I owe you so much this time."

Lin Wanqiu smiled and shook her head: "We're husband and wife, no need for thanks. As long as we work together, there's no obstacle we can't overcome." The two smiled at each other, their eyes filled with understanding and determination, foreshadowing an even brighter future for them.