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

Lin Qin's food stall is becoming increasingly popular at the market. The newly launched snacks such as osmanthus cake and glutinous rice cake are sweet but not greasy, and chewy but not sticky, which have quickly won over the taste buds of men, women and children in the town.

"Boss lady, two more pieces of osmanthus cake!" "Give me a serving of glutinous rice cake, with sugar!" The cries of vendors rose and fell, keeping Lin Qin so busy that her feet barely touched the ground, and she counted money until her hands were sore.

Her tavern business is also booming.

Although Chef Qian has left, Lin Qin has introduced several signature dishes with her modern cooking skills and creativity, such as spicy crayfish and boiled fish fillets, which have won rave reviews from diners.

"These crayfish are so delicious!" Butcher Zhou exclaimed with satisfaction as he peeled the crayfish. "They're much better than steamed fish!" Even Matchmaker Wu, who had previously been critical of Lin Qin, became a regular at the tavern. "Oh my, Lin's cooking skills are absolutely amazing! I'm even thinking of sending my good-for-nothing son to learn cooking from you!"

Lin Qin was overjoyed as she looked at her increasingly bulging purse.

Earning fifty taels a month is just around the corner!

Moreover, Linqin's culinary reputation has spread to neighboring towns.

Some businessmen from other places came after hearing the news; some wanted to buy her food in bulk, while others wanted to pay a high price for her secret recipe.

"Madam Lin, I'll buy your crayfish recipe for one hundred taels of silver, how about it?" A chubby merchant rubbed his hands together, his face beaming with smiles.

Lin Qin smiled and shook her head, "This recipe is my exclusive secret, I'm not selling it!"

Seeing that Lin Qin was so unyielding, the merchant had no choice but to settle for second best and ordered a large quantity of pastries and dishes to take back to his shop to sell.

In just a few days, Lin Qin made a fortune, having already achieved her goal of fifty taels.

That evening, Zhu Ling came again.

He looked at the busy Lin Qin with a hint of appreciation in his eyes, "It seems you're not far from your goal."

Lin Qin wiped the sweat from her forehead and smiled, "Thanks to Your Highness, it's finished." Zhu Ling took out a silver note from his sleeve, "This is the reward I promised you." Lin Qin didn't refuse and accepted it generously, "Thank you, Your Highness."

The two exchanged a smile, the atmosphere subtle and ambiguous.

Suddenly, a dark shadow flashed by. Chef Qian, who was hiding in the shadows, clenched his fists so tightly that his nails dug deep into his palms...

Chef Qian hid in the shadows, his face ashen.

Lin Qin's success was like a sharp knife, piercing his pride.

He gritted his teeth, his nails almost digging into his flesh, and hissed in a low voice, "Why! Why is a woman, a discarded concubine, better than me!" Jealousy burned fiercely in his heart, almost consuming him.

He clenched his fists, a wicked plan brewing in his mind.

In the dead of night, Chef Qian sneaked into Lin Qin's kitchen.

He pulled a paper packet from his pocket, which contained a colorless and odorless poison.

He bought this from a quack doctor at a high price; it was said that just a little bit could cause severe diarrhea and unbearable suffering.

He smiled sinisterly and sprinkled the powder into the food Lin Qin had prepared.

"Let's see how smug you are tomorrow!" he muttered viciously, then quickly disappeared into the night.

The next morning, Lin Qin arrived at the kitchen early to prepare the ingredients.

She picked up a bag of flour, habitually brought it close to her nose and smelled it, her brows furrowing slightly.

"This smell..." She sniffed the other ingredients and also sensed something was off.

Years of cooking experience told her that these ingredients had been tampered with!

Lin Qin calmly picked out the contaminated ingredients and poured them into an empty bucket.

She didn't panic or make a fuss; instead, she prepared a fresh batch of ingredients.

A cold smile curled at the corner of her lips. "A mere trick, yet you dare to show off your meager skills before an expert."

Chef Qian hid in the distance, closely watching Lin Qin's every move.

Seeing that Lin Qin seemed not to have noticed anything amiss, he was secretly delighted, as if he could already foresee Lin Qin's disgrace and ruin.

He couldn't wait to run to the market and spread rumors that Lin Qin's ingredients were not fresh and that eating them would cause diarrhea.

Some unsuspecting customers believed it and cancelled their orders.

Lin Qin looked at the deserted stalls without panicking.

She confidently served the newly prepared food, the aroma of which attracted passersby to stop and watch.

She called out loudly, "Freshly baked osmanthus cake, sweet and soft, melts in your mouth! Free samples today!" Hearing the word "free," some curious customers couldn't help but step forward to taste it.

"Mmm, it's delicious!" "Even better than the ones I made before!" "This osmanthus cake is simply heavenly!" Everyone who tasted it praised it highly and eagerly bought some.

Soon, Lin Qin's stall became lively again, and business was even booming than before.

Chef Qian stared at the scene in disbelief, unable to believe his eyes.

He rushed up to Lin Qin, pointed at her, and demanded, "You...why are you alright?" Lin Qin looked at him with a half-smile and said calmly, "Chef Qian, long time no see. I heard you've been working on new dishes lately. I wonder how they taste? Would you like me to try some?"

Chef Qian's face turned deathly pale, as if he had seen a ghost.

He stammered, unable to speak, his eyes darting around, unable to meet Lin Qin's gaze.

Lin Qin sneered, took the poisoned ingredients out of the bucket, and held them high above her head. "Folks, this is Chef Qian's so-called 'new dish'! He actually poisoned the ingredients, trying to harm me!"

The crowd erupted in uproar, with everyone condemning Chef Qian's misconduct.

"I trusted him so much before, I never imagined he was this kind of person!" Butcher Zhou was furious, his face flushed red, brandishing his butcher knife. "This kind of person should be driven out of town!"

Matchmaker Wu chimed in, "That's right! With such a vicious heart, who would dare to eat his cooking in the future!" Chef Qian was speechless; he never expected that Lin Qin would see through his scheme.

Like a stray dog, he slunk away from the market and never dared to set foot in the town again.

Lin Qin's beauty spread far and wide, and everyone admired her greatly.

She is not only a skilled cook, but also kind-hearted. She bravely exposed Chef Qian's evil deeds and protected everyone's health.

Her business was booming, and she earned fifty taels of silver in less than a month.

That evening, Zhu Ling came to Lin Qin's tavern again.

He looked at the radiant Lin Qin, his eyes filled with admiration and...

A subtle, almost imperceptible tenderness.

"Congratulations, you've achieved your goal." He paused, his gaze falling on Lin Qin's busy hands. "The food you made was indeed delicious."

Lin Qin smiled slightly, "Your Highness flatters me. Without Your Highness's help, I wouldn't have achieved my goal so quickly." Zhu Ling gave her a deep look, then hesitated, as if he wanted to say something but didn't.

He wanted to say something, but then swallowed it back.

"Your Highness, please try my newly made osmanthus cake." Lin Qin handed a delicate osmanthus cake to Zhu Ling. "I made this especially for you." Zhu Ling took the osmanthus cake, took a small bite, and a sweet fragrance filled his mouth.

He looked at Lin Qin, his expression complex and unreadable.

"Is it delicious?" Lin Qin asked expectantly.

Zhu Ling nodded. "It's very sweet." He paused, then added, "It's like..."

"Like what?" Lin Qin asked curiously.

Zhu Ling didn't answer, he just looked at her, his eyes as deep as the night sky...

Zhu Ling looked at Lin Qin, her eyes filled with an unprecedented tenderness.

The sweet fragrance of osmanthus permeated the air, as if it sweetened his heart as well.

He spoke slowly, his voice deep and magnetic: "Just like... the feeling you give me."

Lin Qin was stunned; she hadn't expected Zhu Ling to say something like that.

Her cheeks flushed slightly, and her heart beat a little faster.

The surrounding air seemed to freeze, leaving only the ambiguous flow between the two.

Just then, Matchmaker Wu suddenly appeared, breaking the delicate atmosphere.

"Oh my, Your Highness! You are so lucky! Lady Lin is so capable and beautiful. Marrying her is a huge win!" she said, winking and her face full of gossip.

Zhu Ling wasn't angry about being interrupted. Instead, he took Lin Qin's hand and looked at everyone with a firm gaze: "Indeed, I am very fortunate. Today, I want to announce something to everyone—I will marry Lin Qin and spend my life with her!"

These words immediately caused an uproar among those around them. Some were surprised, some were envious, and some were jealous.

"Your Highness, are you serious?" Butcher Zhou asked incredulously. He had always thought that Zhu Ling only appreciated Lin Qin's cooking skills, but he never expected that it would develop to the point of discussing marriage.

"Of course it's true." Zhu Ling's tone was firm and unquestionable. "My feelings for Lin Qin are as clear as day." He turned to look at Lin Qin, his eyes filled with tenderness. "Lin Qin, will you marry me?"

Looking into Zhu Ling's affectionate eyes, Lin Qin was filled with mixed emotions.

She traveled to this unfamiliar world, experienced all sorts of hardships, and has finally found her own happiness.

She took a deep breath and nodded firmly: "I do."

The people around them burst into enthusiastic applause and cheers, offering their sincerest blessings to the loving couple.

Matchmaker Wu was so excited that tears welled up in her eyes. "I knew it! I knew it! A woman as good as Madam Lin will definitely find her own happiness!"

In the stillness of the night, Lin Qin lay in bed, reflecting on everything that had happened that day, and a happy smile involuntarily appeared on her lips.

She gently stroked the jade pendant that Zhu Ling had given her, her heart filled with sweetness and anticipation.

Suddenly, a rapid knock on the door broke the silence of the night.

"Madam Lin! Madam Lin! Something terrible has happened!" Wu the matchmaker's voice rang out from outside the door, tinged with panic.

Lin Qin's heart tightened, and she quickly got up to open the door. "What's wrong? What happened?"

The matchmaker, Wu, said breathlessly, "People from the capital...people from the capital have arrived..."