Lin Dan only stayed in the suburbs of Beijing for two nights before returning. The store has been sold to Qin Erniang, so she has to move her things out to make room for others.
"Can you not sell this shop and continue to run the hometown restaurant?" Qin Erniang felt that she might be the stupidest idiot in the world. She bought someone else's shop but was still thinking about returning it. She could no longer eat the dishes cooked by Shopkeeper Lin, and she felt that she couldn’t live like this.
"No, things in the capital are almost over, and I should go somewhere else." Lin Dan has become accustomed to a wandering life and will not stay in one place for too long.
As they were talking, there were occasional knocks on the door, and someone shouted, "Is Manager Lin back? When will you open for business? Manager Lin, Manager Lin..." After shouting for a long time without getting a response, the person outside left with a sigh.
This situation happened frequently during the few days when Lin Dan was away. Almost every once in a while, a customer would come and knock on the door and ask questions. The hometown restaurant has closed down, and people in the south city can only dream of eating authentic hometown food. Nowadays, most of the people who can leave their hometown and go to the capital to make money are strong men. They didn’t know how to cook at all, and even if they could, they couldn’t make food as delicious as Lin Dan’s, so they could only eat steamed corn bread.
Who wants to live a hard life when there are good days to live? Who wants to eat steamed buns when there are delicious and cheap things to eat? Life is so hard without Manager Lin!
Lin Dan seemed to be unaware of the noise outside the door and just packed up his things. Qin Erniang spat and sneered, "Just don't open the door, it's so frustrating! We usually eat so many good things in the store, but when they make trouble, no one comes to help. What a bunch of ungrateful beasts!"
Lin Dan smiled and said nothing. They are not beasts at all, it's just that the world is cruel and cold. But she still had to thank Qin Erniang. If she hadn't brought the girls in the building to chase Zhou away that day, Zhou might have continued to make trouble for a long time. If others are willing to help you, it is a favor; if they are unwilling to help you, it is their duty, and you cannot blame anyone.
That's why she sold the store to Qin Erniang at the low price of ten taels of silver, and also gave her a recipe for making wine and a few recipes for side dishes. A brothel is not a place to eat, but drinks and snacks are indispensable, which are enough to repay the favor.
The two were talking as they were packing up, but they heard a shrill scream coming from outside the door, as well as the faint sounds of begging for mercy and kneeling. The noise was so loud that it made people feel annoyed.
"Who is fighting at the door? I'll go take a look, you hide inside." Qin Erniang threw down the broom and walked out.
How could Lin Dan let her take risks? He pulled her behind him and walked out with a kitchen knife in hand. She held onto the door and looked out, only to see Tang Jiu standing upright in front of the steps. Several guards were stepping on a few hooligans and breaking their hand bones one by one with the back of their knives.
The screams and pleas for mercy came from these thugs. Kneeling next to them was a young man tied up with hands and feet. It was Tang Peng. He had several brambles tied to his back and shouted angrily, "Brother Jiu, you are so disrespectful to me for the sake of an outsider. I will definitely write a letter to tell my uncle when I get back!"
"You abuse your power for personal gain and oppress the people, and you still think you're right?" Tang Jiu said indifferently.
"Isn't what you are doing now considered abusing your power for personal gain?" Tang Peng was still struggling, but Zhao Liu held his shoulders hard and forced him to his knees on the ground.
Tang Jiuli ignored him. When he heard the noise, he turned around and looked. His eyes immediately lit up: "Lin Dan, you're back."
"What are you doing?" Lin Dan wanted to point at Tang Peng and a few thugs, but when he raised his hand, he found that he was holding a kitchen knife, so he quickly put it down.
Tang Jiu bowed his hands with shame on his face and said, "The government got the message from Tang Peng, so they don't care about the arson case. Now I brought him here to confess his crime. These ruffians are the arsonists." He had obviously received the news and knew that Lin Dan was in the store, so he was not afraid of making a wasted trip.
Lin Dan showed a look of sudden enlightenment, glanced at Tang Peng who was still shouting and cursing, and said gratefully: "Thank you, Prince, for standing up for me. I accept the apology." After saying this, he was about to close the door.
Tang Jiu quickly put his hands in the crack of the door, and his voice was filled with pleading, "Then can you stay?" He failed to keep Lin Dan ten years ago, and ten years later he hoped that this ending could change. No one knew how many times Lin Dan's stubborn figure had appeared in his dreams. She always walked farther and farther away, and then gradually disappeared in the thick fog, leaving him waking up with lingering fear and full of guilt.
If he had not listened to one side and forced Lin Dan to compete with Yan Langqing, Uncle Lin would not have suffered such an injustice after his death. He almost grew up eating the food cooked by Uncle Lin, so he should know what kind of person Uncle Lin is. But he was like a bewitched person at that time, and he believed everything Yan Langqing said. In the end, Uncle Lin was ruined, and Lin Dan and Qi left their hometown and wandered for many years.
He had never done anything wrong in his life, except for the deceased Uncle Lin, Lin Dan, and Qi. Seeing that Lin Dan finally returned to the capital after a long absence and re-established the Lin family, he was happier than anyone else. He knew how capable Lin Dan was. As long as she was given enough time, she would definitely be able to surpass Uncle Lin's achievements.
However, some people just didn't want her to have an easy life. They used despicable means one after another, forcing her to leave again. Nowadays, Tang Jiu's disgust for the Yan family has penetrated deep into his bones, otherwise he would not have resorted to such means to take away Yan Langqing's position as the imperial chef.
He emphasized his tone and repeated, "Can you stay this time? I promise that no one will dare to bully you in the future."
Lin Dan smiled lightly but still shook her head firmly.
The expectation in Tang Jiu's eyes was extinguished instantly. He was about to say something else when a man squeezed through the crowd and approached him. He said tremblingly, "I am a servant of the Yan family. I am here to deliver a letter to my young lady."
"Give it to me." Lin Dan reached out to take the letter, then slowly exhaled. The person she was waiting for finally came...
Tang Jiu glanced at the letter and saw a line of words written in small calligraphy on it - June 6, Xiangyuan Party. Xiangyuan is an imperial estate, and ordinary people cannot even get close to it, let alone enter. That was one of the emperor's favorite gardens, and it was guarded by guards all year round. With Yan Langqing's status, how could he possibly use it? Could it be that the emperor has given his approval?
Thinking of this, Tang Jiu suddenly remembered the message his sister sent him, saying that the emperor had been quite tolerant of Yan Langqing in recent years and seemed to be planning to take her into the harem, so he should think of a way. It was also because of this that there were rumors that the Imperial Concubine wanted to grant Yan Langqing a marriage and let her marry into the Marquis's Mansion.
If the emperor really supports Yan Langqing behind the scenes, this competition might not be so fair. So he whispered, "Xiangyuan is a royal garden. No one can use it without an imperial decree. The last person who hosted a banquet in Xiangyuan was Her Royal Highness the Grand Princess."
Lin Dan frowned slightly, then nodded after a moment and said, "I understand. Thank you for your advice, Your Highness." His tone was neither hurried nor slow, and very relaxed.
Tang Jiu couldn't tell what she was thinking, and continued, "I can find a way to cancel this competition." Why participate in an unfair competition? Let Yan Langqing lose the emperor's favor first, and it won't be too late to compete then. There is little justice in this world, but he wants to give Lin Dan justice, a justice that is ten years late.
"No need, I have my own way to deal with it." Lin Dan smiled and shook his head. She had waited for ten years and no longer had the patience to wait any longer.
"Think about it again. Yan Langqing is protected by the emperor, and the referee they invite will certainly not dare to let her lose." Tang Jiu couldn't persuade her, so he could only make it clear.
Lin Dan waved her hand and said the same thing: "I have my own way, don't worry, my lord."
Tang Jiu gritted his teeth and looked at her, feeling helpless and moved. Lin Dan is still as stubborn as ever, but it is precisely this stubbornness that has made her what she is today.
"Forget it, I'll find a way for you!" After saying that, he strode away carrying Tang Peng.
Qin Erniang stood on tiptoe to look at the letter and sighed, "Xiangyuan, that's the emperor's favorite place to go, ordinary people are not allowed to enter. Shopkeeper Lin, don't be stubborn with Prince Tang. Occasionally compromising and giving in doesn't mean you lose. We know what level you are at, so why bother to hit a stone with an egg?"
Lin Dan shook his head, his eyes firm.
…………
June 6th arrived quickly, and Lin Dan was invited. He first passed through many checkpoints and inspections before being allowed to enter the Xiang Garden. There was a guard post every five steps and a pavilion every ten steps in the garden. All who came and went were patrolling guards and palace maids with solemn faces, giving off a royal atmosphere.
If an ordinary person came in, he would be scared to death and would not dare to compete. There is no doubt that Yan Langqing had already given Lin Dan a warning before the two of them met. Lin Dan didn't know who she was, but she could guess that her situation must be very strange, even magnificent. Because she didn't feel any panic at all when she saw this scene, her heart was like a pool of stagnant water, without even a ripple.
She walked calmly into the inner courtyard and entered the main hall. When she saw a handsome man sitting in the main seat, she immediately knelt down and kowtowed. The man is wearing bright yellow soap boots, he must be the emperor.
"Get up. I heard that you want to compete with Lang Qing in cooking, so I will leave the palace to be a witness for her." The emperor smiled generously and said, "For this competition, just show your strengths. Don't worry. Just tell us what ingredients you want, and the palace servants will prepare them for you."
Yan Langqing lowered her head and covered her mouth, looking shy. The emperor looked at her and smiled even more gently. He appears to be fair, but in fact he points out his close relationship with Yan Langqing in just a few words. Who would dare to go against his thoughts?
The people who came to serve as referees looked at each other, each with their own thoughts in their minds. These people include old imperial chefs who have been discharged from the palace for retirement, well-known gourmets, and some chefs from large restaurants who are quite proficient in cooking.
Lin Dan took a quick look and suddenly realized something. Most of these people had participated in the competition before, as if time had gone back and the past was recurring. Other old acquaintances such as Prince Tang, Prince Cheng, Prince Gong, Marquis Weiyuan, and Prince of Dianqian were sitting aside and watching. Yan Shouye, who had been beaten with a stick and was supposed to lie in bed to recuperate, also came and was looking at her with a resentful yet complacent look.
Lin Dan knelt and saluted, then asked, "Your Majesty, can you guarantee the fairness of this competition?" The emperor claimed to be a wise ruler. At the beginning of his reign, he opened up the channels for people to express their opinions and recruited talented people. In the court, he was particularly tolerant of censors who dared to speak out and even die for their opinions. Lin Dan made it clear directly, and he had to nod even if he didn't want to.
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