After returning to the capital to farm, the abandoned concubine made a comeback.

Lin Qin followed the owner of Zuixianlou and Zhu Ling to Zuixianlou.

The opulent decorations contrasted sharply with her humble stall, leaving her momentarily disoriented.

The owner of Zuixianlou, surnamed Liu, was a shrewd businessman. He greeted Lin Qin with a smile and ushered her into the kitchen. Pointing to a bloated man with an oily face, he said, "This is Chef Qian of our restaurant. He will be assisting Madam Lin today."

Chef Qian gave a forced smile and cupped his hands in greeting: "I've long admired Madam Lin's name. Meeting you today, I can confirm that you are indeed... unique." His contempt was undisguised, clearly showing his dissatisfaction with Lin Qin, this "lucky vendor."

Lin Qin wasn't annoyed, she just smiled faintly: "Chef Qian, you flatter me. Let's learn from each other." But in her heart, she thought to herself: "Even a primary school kid would shake his head at this sarcastic tone."

The kitchen at Zuixianlou was spacious and bright, with all kinds of cooking utensils, far superior to Lin Qin's small stall.

But as the saying goes, "A skilled craftsman must first have the right tools," Lin Qin found that the kitchen utensils here were somewhat different from those she usually used. The weight of the knives, the thickness of the pots, and even the height of the stove made her feel a little uncomfortable.

This is similar to a top esports player suddenly switching to a different keyboard and mouse; they need time to adjust.

Chef Qian watched coldly from the sidelines. Seeing Lin Qin staring blankly at the stove, he couldn't help but mock, "What? Don't you know how to use it? Want me to teach you?" Lin Qin took a deep breath, suppressing her displeasure, and said calmly, "No need, I can do it myself." She wasn't one to give up easily; the more difficult the situation, the more it fueled her fighting spirit.

It's just changing equipment, no big deal!

Lin Qin began preparing the ingredients.

Today she is going to make a modified version of "Beggar's Chicken," a signature dish that she finalized after repeated experiments, combining modern cooking techniques with ancient ingredients and seasonings.

She handled the chicken with practiced ease, marinating, coating it in mud, and baking it all in one smooth motion, as if she were performing a sacred ritual.

Chef Qian watched in disbelief. He had originally thought Lin Qin was just a lucky street vendor, but he never expected her knife skills to be so exquisite and her technique so skillful. She was nothing like a country bumpkin who had never seen the world.

Is it...

Does she really have some skills?

Just as Lin Qin was about to put the beggar's chicken into the oven to roast, Chef Qian suddenly cried out "Ouch!" and pretended to accidentally bump into Lin Qin's elbow...

Chef Qian's collision, seemingly unintentional, actually concealed a deadly intent.

The beggar's chicken, covered in mud, was about to slip through my fingers!

In the blink of an eye, Lin Qin twisted her wrist and caught the beggar's chicken steadily, but the mud got onto Chef Qian's snow-white chef's uniform, leaving a big mud stain.

Chef Qian's expression changed, and he was about to explode when Lin Qin blinked innocently, "Oh dear, Chef Qian, I'm so sorry, are you alright? The floor is so slippery." Chef Qian was furious, but he couldn't retaliate, so he had to swallow his anger and force a smile, "It's alright, it's alright." Inwardly, however, he cursed: You little bitch, you just wait!

When Chef Qian realized that one plan had failed, he came up with another.

While Lin Qin wasn't looking, he secretly hid several important spices and messed up the order of some ingredients.

He refused to believe that beggar's chicken could be made without these spices!

He hid in the corner, waiting to see Lin Qin make a fool of herself.

Lin Qin had already noticed Chef Qian's little tricks, but she didn't say anything.

She smiled slightly, thinking to herself: "A mere trifle, yet you dare to show off your limited skills before an expert?"

Back in the day, she managed to cook a Manchu Han Imperial Feast with just the last packet of instant noodle seasoning, which shocked the entire dormitory building!

This little trick is no match for her at all!

Lin Qin calmly took out some inconspicuous wild herbs and spices from her small cloth bag.

These were all grown and harvested by her on the farm, and they had a unique flavor that Chef Qian, a "frog in a well," had never seen before.

She skillfully combined these wild herbs and spices, replacing the spices that Chef Qian had hidden away, and rearranged the order of the ingredients. Her technique was so skillful that it was breathtaking.

Chef Qian watched in stunned silence, completely unprepared for Lin Qin's unexpected skill.

He originally thought Lin Qin was just a lucky street vendor, but he never expected her to be a true master chef!

He secretly thought to himself, "This is bad! I've really tried to steal a chicken but ended up losing the rice instead!"

Lin Qin placed the prepared beggar's chicken into the oven to roast, and the aroma gradually spread, filling the entire kitchen with an enticing fragrance.

Chef Qian couldn't help but swallow hard; the aroma was irresistible...

It's even more fragrant than his beggar's chicken!

“Chef Qian,” Lin Qin glanced at him with a half-smile, “the cooking time is almost up. Go and prepare the plating.”

Chef Qian paused for a moment, nodded mechanically, and turned to prepare the plating.

His hands trembled slightly, and his heart was filled with unease.

He had a premonition that something unexpected would happen today...

Lin Qin watched Chef Qian's retreating figure, a slight smile playing on her lips. The real show was just beginning.

"Your Highness," Boss Liu rubbed his hands together, a broad smile on his face, as he approached Zhu Ling, "This fragrance... it's absolutely amazing! In all my years at Zuixianlou, I've never smelled such an alluring scent! It seems this Lady Lin truly lives up to her reputation!"

Zhu Ling didn't speak, but nodded slightly, her gaze remaining fixed on the direction of the kitchen.

He had a vague premonition that this woman would bring him an unexpected surprise...

"Your Highness, look..." Boss Liu pointed towards the kitchen, his voice trembling slightly, "What's that..."

The kitchen door was pushed open, and Lin Qin came out carrying a huge tray with several dishes that looked and smelled delicious. The most eye-catching dish was the beggar's chicken, which exuded an enticing aroma.

"Dear guests, thank you for waiting!" Lin Qin's cheerful voice echoed in the hall. "Today, I'd like to make a fool of myself and bring you a few simple country-style dishes. Please feel free to offer your feedback!"

The aroma was irresistible, and everyone craned their necks, eager to catch a glimpse of the delicious food.

"This...this is an amazing fragrance!" one guest exclaimed. "I've lived most of my life and never smelled such an enticing aroma!"

"Yes, yes, the aroma is absolutely irresistible!" another customer chimed in. "Just the smell alone makes my mouth water!"

Lin Qin smiled slightly, picked up a small hammer, and gently tapped open the mud shell on the beggar's chicken.

As the mud shell cracked, an even richer fragrance wafted out, instantly captivating everyone and causing them to display expressions of utter delight.

"This...this is beggar's chicken?" Chef Qian stared wide-eyed at the golden, crispy beggar's chicken in front of him in disbelief. "This...how is this possible!" His beggar's chicken, although it tasted good, was worlds apart from Lin Qin's!

Lin Qin cut the beggar's chicken into small pieces and distributed them to everyone present.

Everyone eagerly began to taste it. The moment it entered their mouths, their taste buds seemed to explode, with various flavors blending together, leaving them with an unforgettable aftertaste.

"It's...it's so delicious!" one customer exclaimed, barely able to speak. "This is simply heavenly!"

"Yes, yes, this beggar's chicken is absolutely delicious!" another customer exclaimed, "I've never had such delicious beggar's chicken before!"

Even the usually picky Zhu Ling couldn't help but exclaim, "Not bad, it really has a unique flavor."

Lin Qin felt a sense of accomplishment watching everyone enjoy the food.

She knew she had succeeded!

She won everyone over with her culinary skills!

The tavern owner, Mr. Liu, was so excited that his face turned red. He grabbed Lin Qin's hand and said excitedly, "Lady Lin, you are amazing! Your cooking skills are simply divine! I implore you to stay and work at Zuixianlou. If you are willing, I am willing to give you the best treatment!"

Lin Qin felt a sweet warmth in her heart as she sensed Zhu Ling's gaze. She deftly withdrew her hand and smiled slightly at Boss Liu: "Boss Liu, you flatter me. I only know a little bit about it. As for staying to work at Zuixianlou, please allow me to consider it further."

Just then, a voice broke the lively atmosphere.

"Hmph, nothing special!" Chef Qian sneered, his face turning ashen. "It's just a beggar's chicken, what's so great about it!"

Lin Qin looked at Chef Qian with a half-smile and slowly said, "Chef Qian, it seems you're still a little unconvinced by my cooking skills..."

Lin Qin raised an eyebrow, her tone slightly mocking: "Chef Qian, not convinced? How about we have a competition?" Chef Qian's expression changed, and he retorted, "Fine, let's compete! Who's afraid of who!" He refused to believe that he, the head chef of Zuixianlou Restaurant, would lose to a country bumpkin!

“Alright,” Lin Qin smiled confidently, “then let’s have Mr. Liu be our witness. We’ll each cook a dish with ‘fish’ as the theme, how about that?” Chef Qian was dumbfounded upon hearing this.

fish?

Where did the fish in this farmhouse come from?

He was about to retort when he saw Lin Qin take out a wooden bucket from behind her, inside which were several lively, fresh fish.

"This..." Chef Qian was dumbfounded. Where did this woman conjure up fish from?

Lin Qin didn't explain, but just smiled and said, "Chef Qian, please." Chef Qian gritted his teeth and walked into the kitchen with a stiff upper lip.

He refused to believe that he would lose to this woman!

Half an hour later, both of them had finished their dishes.

Chef Qian made a dish of "sweet and sour carp", which was brightly colored and had a wonderful aroma.

But Lin Qin made a dish she had never seen before – “Steamed Fish Head with Chopped Chili”.

Bright red chopped chili peppers cover the entire fish head, steaming hot and fragrant with a spicy aroma that whets the appetite just by looking at it.

Everyone sampled the dishes. Although Chef Qian's sweet and sour carp was quite delicious, Lin Qin's chopped chili fish head was even better.

The fresh, fragrant, spicy, and numbing flavor is irresistible and leaves a lingering aftertaste.

Even Zhu Ling, who always has a sweet tooth, praised Lin Qin's chopped chili fish head.

Chef Qian, pale-faced, left the tavern dejectedly, his back view forlorn.

Lin Qin watched his retreating figure, feeling no pride, but rather a sense of感慨 (gǎnkǎi, a feeling of mixed emotions, often including regret or nostalgia).

Victory and defeat are common occurrences in war, let alone in a competition of culinary skills.

"Your Highness's culinary skills have truly broadened my horizons," Zhu Ling said as he walked to Lin Qin's side, his tone tinged with admiration.

Lin Qin smiled slightly, and was about to speak when she saw Boss Liu walk over with a big smile on his face: "Your Highness, what do you think of this..." He rubbed his hands together, his eyes filled with anticipation.

A bold idea suddenly occurred to Lin Qin...

She looked at Zhu Ling, a mysterious smile playing on her lips: "Your Highness, how about we..."