As soon as the chef said this, the people around him couldn't help but speak up for Xu Qinyu. "There's no rule that says latecomers can't continue to participate in the competition. Besides, it's a two-hour competition. As long as you finish within the time limit, it's fine. If Miss Xu didn't make three dishes and a soup in the remaining time, she should be eliminated. But now she's only late because she was delayed on the way, and you're forcing her to be eliminated. Why? Oh, don't you think you know your cooking skills are not as good as Miss Xu's, so you want to use this method to eliminate her, thinking that you can win the championship yourself?"

Someone else said, "Ms. Xu is still covered in blood. Did something happen on the way? She didn't mean to be late."

After the man finished speaking, he looked at Xu Qinyu and asked, "Miss Xu, was something on the way that delayed you?"

Xu Qinyu was very grateful to those who spoke up for her. After hearing this, she said, "I encountered a robber on the way, so I was delayed."

The people suddenly became panicked.

"Why are there bandits outside the city?"

"The area has been quite peaceful these past few years. Why are all the bandits robbing people outside the city?"

"God, I hope things won't get chaotic again. We've only had a few years of peace and stability. I hope things won't get chaotic again."

Xu Qinyu said, "Don't worry too much, everyone. Those bandits came prepared. It seems they came for my competition today and don't want me to participate. Moreover, they have all been executed and are now being taken to the government office, awaiting interrogation by the officials to see if they can solve the case."

"Yes, on the way here I saw the officers and the bandits lying on the ground. It seemed like quite a few of them had died. Tsk tsk, they really deserved it."

"Could it be that someone didn't want Miss Xu to win the championship, so they hired bandits to kidnap her on the way and prevent her from participating in the competition today? What a vicious heart."

"No way! How could someone like that want Miss Xu not to participate in today's competition? That would leave only nine people. So, could it be that one of these nine people bribed the robbers to kidnap Miss Xu?"

Xu Qinyu thought to herself that they didn't want to kidnap her, but wanted to kill her directly.

In such a world and era, if a woman is kidnapped by robbers, even if she is released, she will be drowned in rumors and gossip. Even if she is not afraid, she will be greatly affected.

Everyone started talking.

Some people even couldn't help but start to make fun of Xu Qinyu for still being able to participate in the competition despite being late. The cook said, "Did you bribe the bandits to prevent Miss Xu from participating in today's competition? You're the only one in the room saying that Miss Xu is unworthy of participating just because she's late."

The cook started to panic, "No, it's not me."

He just felt that it would be embarrassing to lose to a young lady, so he vented his dissatisfaction.

After listening to this, Kong Kun felt a little uneasy for some reason. He didn't know about the robbers, but Miss Xu said that someone wanted to stop her from coming to the final competition today. That must be the chefs on the field, because only nine of them had a vested interest in her. As long as she couldn't win the championship, the nine of them would be the only ones left.

The nine people knew very well that as long as Xu Qinyu was there, they would have no chance.

But he didn't hire robbers to kidnap Miss Xu, and he couldn't do such a thing. So who could the remaining eight people be?

If one of the remaining eight people did it, why did he feel uneasy?

The judges immediately said, "Everyone, be quiet. Now that Miss Xu is fine and the robbers have been arrested, the government and the prefect will naturally give Miss Xu justice and find out who is behind this. Don't delay Miss Xu now and let her compete immediately."

Xu Qinyu nodded in thanks and came to her seat. She took off her cloak, but it was stained with blood, and the clothes underneath were still clean. She washed her hands and then began to prepare the food.

The stove, the big pot, and other kitchen utensils and ingredients are all ready.

Xu Qinyu calculated the time and found that there were still three and a half hours left, which was almost enough time. There was only one dish that was more troublesome and required making the broth.

She first boiled some hot water and killed two old hens.

She was very skillful, and even tasks like plucking the chicken were done quickly. Finally, she smeared some ginger slices, green onions, and Huadiao wine on the cleaned chicken to remove the fishy smell. Then she placed the whole chicken in a clay pot, added water, sealed the pot, and started to make chicken soup.

There are three stoves in total. One is used to stew soup, and she plans to use the other stove to steam rice. However, it is still early now, so the rice can be steamed later.

Freshly cooked rice is the most delicious.

The three dishes and one soup she made today all used relatively common ingredients, some even the cheapest ones.

The purpose of the three dishes she made today was to use the cheapest ingredients to make the most delicious dishes, and it was mainly to let the people below learn from her. These ingredients were not expensive, and they could buy them and cook them on weekdays.

Three dishes and one soup.

As for the soup, Xu Qinyu planned to make Wensi tofu, which would also be the most expensive dish among the three dishes and one soup. In addition to tofu, the remaining ingredients would include ham, mushrooms, winter bamboo shoots, shredded chicken and other side dishes. She used broth as the base.

For the other three dishes, she planned to make braised pork intestines, braised fish, and the most common stir-fried bean sprouts.

The ingredients for the three dishes are very cheap. The pork intestines and fish are only one or two cents per pound, and the bean sprouts are about the same price. These are dishes that ordinary people can afford.

When they saw Xu Qinyu's ingredients, both the common people below and the old gentlemen who were judging were a little surprised, and couldn't help but feel a little worried. The ingredients of other contestants were relatively precious. In addition to many rare game, even ordinary vegetables were relatively expensive dishes, unlike Xu Qinyu, who only had bean sprouts.

"What is Miss Xu planning to cook? The ingredients are so cheap. Besides the chicken and the pickled pork leg that Miss Xu brought with her, what else is there? Tofu? Fish? And pig offal? Miss Xu won't lose to the others soon, will she?"

In their opinion, these ingredients are too cheap. They don't usually buy fish and pig offal to eat. They are willing to buy the fish from Xu Xiaoniang's restaurant because they think it is delicious. They don't want to cook it themselves because it will be fishy if boiled directly.

Just in terms of ingredients, everyone felt that Miss Xu had already lost half the battle.

Xu Qinyu continued calmly. She was killing a fish. While cleaning it, she would say, "One of the tendons of this fish needs to be removed. Also, the black membrane inside the fish's abdominal cavity needs to be torn off. Tear it off cleanly. When killing the fish, be sure not to rupture the fish gallbladder, otherwise the bile will seep into the fish meat, and the fish will taste bitter when cooked."

As she spoke, a fish had already been killed at an extremely fast speed.

The people around didn't understand why she was talking to them at first, but the judges had already realized something. The ingredients that Miss Xu used were the cheapest ingredients, and even poor families could afford them. But no matter whether it was fish or offal, the taste was not very good and was very fishy. So Miss Xu wanted to teach these ordinary people how to make these cheapest ingredients delicious?

After killing the fish, Xu Qinyu washed it several times with clean water, and said, "After killing the fish, all blood stains must be cleaned clean. Wash it twice more, and then you can start marinating the fish. The fish is relatively large, so you can score a few lines on the fish meat to make it easier to absorb the flavor. First, apply ginger slices and scallions, rub a few times, and if possible, add a few drops of liquor to remove the fishy smell. Then apply an appropriate amount of salt. This will allow the flavor to absorb better after a while. Marinate for at least 25 minutes."

She didn't use Huadiao liquor this time, but the cheapest liquor.

After saying that, she put the marinated fish on a plate and began to clean the intestines.

Then he told the people below how to use wood ash to clean the pig intestines.

After cleaning the pig intestines, blanch them in water first, then add water again, add ginger slices, green onion segments, star anise, peppercorns, and two other cheaper spices, as well as liquor, soy sauce, and salt, and start braising the pig intestines.

The braised pork intestines in restaurants use many kinds of spices, but she uses the cheapest ones here, and the braising liquid can be used several times.

She also briefly talked about the comparison between various seasonings and ingredients.

At this moment, the people finally realized and said, "Xu, Miss Xu wants to teach us how to cook fish and offal, right?"

“It seems so…”

"Ms. Xu is truly kind-hearted."

Everyone was very happy. Although some of the spices were the cheapest, they were still quite expensive for them. But if they really wanted to buy some, they could afford just a few spices for cooking. What's more, Miss Xu said that the marinade could be used several times instead of being thrown away after just one use. If they wanted to eat it on weekdays, they could buy more and marinate it.

Everyone looked very carefully.

Xu Qinyu started steaming glutinous rice only after she had braised the pig intestines.

The japonica rice has been washed clean and soaked in appropriate amount of water for half an hour. This way the steamed rice will be more fragrant, soft and chewy.

Even when making the simplest steamed rice, she would pay attention to the balance between the rice and water, as well as the size of the fire.

After boiling the rice for a while, serve the rice soup, which also has a rich rice aroma.

When steaming rice, she poured a little oil on the side of the pot, so that the rice crust below would taste better.

While steaming the rice, Xu Qinyu was not idle either. She started to prepare the ingredients for Wensi tofu. She cut all the ingredients into shreds first. She had great knife skills and the shreds she cut were as thin as hair. Everyone just saw the knife in her hand like an afterimage. The mushrooms, ham, winter bamboo shoots, soaked black fungus, and green onions all slid under her hands. However, except for the green onions, the other side dishes were still intact after being cut.

When Xu Qinyu placed the side dishes in the bowl and shook it gently, the hair-thin shreds of side dishes spread out.

Everyone then realized that it wasn't that Miss Xu didn't cut the meat well, but that she cut it too thinly, so nothing could be seen from the outside. Only when it was put into water and spread out could the entire appearance be seen.

"Seeing these hair-thin side dishes, I actually had a feeling of 'as expected'. It turns out that even with the most ordinary side dishes, Miss Xu can create unique dishes. I just don't know what Miss Xu is planning to do by cutting these side dishes into hair-thin pieces."

"This knife skill is really amazing!"

Everyone was amazed.

"Ever since Miss Xu made that 'National Beauty and Heavenly Fragrance' a few days ago, I'm not surprised by anything Miss Xu makes now."

After Xu Qinyu finished shredding the side dishes, she began to cut the main ingredient of Wensi Tofu, which was naturally tofu.

The tofu should also be cut into thin strands like hair, with the bottom not falling apart, and the whole thing should look more like a blooming chrysanthemum.

Xu Qinyu began to cut the tofu without even using chopsticks as an auxiliary tool. Her knife was like a shadow, and the tofu seemed motionless, but it was already in a thousand strands.

Only four servings of braised pork, braised pork intestines and stir-fried bean sprouts are needed, which are enough for the judges and diners to taste. However, the Wensi tofu is served in bowls. If Xu Qinyu wants to prepare thirty bowls of Wensi tofu, she has to cut thirty pieces of tofu.

Fortunately, there was enough time and the broth was still hanging, so she didn't mind the trouble and continued to cut the tofu.

Thirty pieces of tofu were cut and gently shaken in clean water, becoming as thin as hair. One piece of tofu contained thousands of tofu strands, all of which were in the shape of hair. She did not cut the bottom of the tofu, so it was still connected, like a blooming chrysanthemum, but much thinner than chrysanthemum petals.

The most important thing is that she didn't waste any of the thirty pieces of tofu. She cut them all in one go.

Just based on this knife skill, I want the old gentlemen who are judging to give the championship today to Xu Qinyu.

Even the other chefs were a little distracted, all paying attention to Xu Qinyu's movements.

After the Wensi tofu and all the side dishes are prepared and the rice is steamed, move the rice and the pot to the side and use the two pots to stir-fry the vegetables.

One pot is braised fish, and the other pot is stir-fried pork intestines.

"Ms. Xu is really amazing. She can cook two dishes at the same time."

"Look at how cautious the other chefs are. The contrast with Miss Xu is so stark. Miss Xu isn't worried at all."

After the braised fish and pork intestines were ready, Xu Qinyu stir-fried the bean sprouts.

Her stir-fried mung bean sprouts are simply stir-fried with a small amount of oil and salt, without any other seasonings. They are served in the pan over high heat for 20 seconds.

The three dishes were ready and the broth was also prepared. Xu Qinyu took out the two chickens and cut the remaining chicken thigh meat from the broth into thin strips. This also became a side dish for Wensi tofu.

First, blanch thirty pieces of cut Wensi tofu in water for about ten seconds, then take them out and put them in a soup bowl. Xu Qinyu began to cook the soup base. Heat an iron pan over high heat, add the skimmed broth and boil it again, add shredded mushrooms, winter bamboo shoots, fungus, ham, and chicken, add salt and boil, pour it into the soup bowl, add shredded green onions, and the fresh and tender Wensi tofu is ready.

This soup doesn't need any other seasonings, just salt is enough.

Everyone was stunned. The cheapest ingredients produced the most expensive taste and appearance.

Xu Qinyu asked someone to help bring the food to the table.

There were two long tables in total. Two dishes and twenty bowls of Wensi tofu were served on one table, and the remaining dish and ten bowls of Wensi tofu were served on the other long table.

Xu Qinyu added half a bowl of rice to each person, and the rice in the pot was almost empty, just enough for thirty small bowls. She even controlled the amount of steamed rice.

After the rice was cleaned up, there was still a whole piece of rice crust left at the bottom of the pot. Xu Qinyu divided the rice crust into thirty portions, kept a large piece for herself, and then spread it with the fermented bean curd she made in the wooden barrel. She also asked the kitchen helpers to put the rice crust on plates and distribute them to the twenty judges and ten diners.

Xu Qinyu left a large piece of rice crust for Lianhua.

Lianhua saved her life today. She had no way to repay her for saving her life, so she made more delicious food for Lianhua.

Don’t underestimate this piece of rice crust, it can make you dizzy when you eat it, with a rich aroma. It is topped with fermented bean curd, which gives it a salty and fragrant taste as well as the crispy aroma of the rice crust.

In fact, this small piece of rice crust is delicious when eaten alone, and it also has different flavors when coated with chili sauce or fermented bean curd, or sandwiched with vegetables. It can even be eaten by soaking in soup. When you bite it, the soup bursts in your mouth, and you can also taste the burnt aroma of the rice crust.

Xu Qinyu handed the rice crust to Lianhua. Lianhua grinned, thanked Xu Qinyu, took the rice crust and took a bite. With a crunch, she squinted her eyes in satisfaction.

The people around were drooling.

The judges also selected ten diners to taste the food with them.

Take the first bite of glutinous rice, it is sweet, soft and chewy, with each grain distinct.

The braised fish tastes tender, salty and fresh, with rich juice and delicious flavor.

The fried pork intestines are salty, spicy and chewy. The more you chew, the more delicious they become. Paired with a mouthful of rice, it is really satisfying.

These two cheapest ingredients can be used to make such delicious dishes.

The stir-fried bean sprouts are crispy, tender, refreshing and have a hint of sweetness. They are very refreshing and delicious when paired with glutinous rice.

The Wensi tofu was the last one everyone tasted. It was soft, tender, smooth, melted in the mouth, and extremely delicious.

After the judges tasted each dish, they couldn't help but start eating it with rice.

Some who wanted to try the Wensi tofu first couldn't help but put down their spoons and start eating the vegetables, fearing that if they chose to drink the soup, the vegetables would be eaten by everyone else. Soon, half a bowl of rice and three dishes were gone, all gone, not a single strand left. They weren't even half full, and wanted to eat more, but there was no more rice or vegetables. Only then did everyone start drinking the soup, taking their time, savoring every bite.

"I wonder what this soup is called? It tastes so fresh, tender and smooth." One judge couldn't help but ask.

Xu Qinyu said, "Wensi tofu, in addition to these common side dishes, can also be made with other side dishes. The main thing is the soup base, and the seasoning is only salt, because the chicken soup is already very fresh. If there are too many seasonings, it will steal the flavor of the soup base and the ingredients. In addition, the shredded ham inside is also a whole ham that I pickled myself in the twelfth lunar month. This ham needs to be pickled for a full year before it can be eaten. It can be fried, stir-fried, or stewed. Ham that has been pickled for two or three years can be eaten raw. The raw ham slices taste salty and mellow, fat but not greasy, lean but not dry. I eat raw ham slices in the restaurant outside the city, but the daily supply is limited."

Because there wasn't enough ham.

The two thousand hams pickled last year cannot be eaten yet, let alone eaten raw. What we eat is still the ham from the previous two years. There are not many left, and many people still like them. The number is limited to ten portions every day, and there are even only about ten thin slices in a plate.

The judges were tempted again by what Xu Qinyu said.

They had clearly eaten half a bowl of rice, but it felt like they hadn't eaten anything at all. Their stomachs were rumbling, and they planned to go to a restaurant outside the city and have a good meal as soon as the competition was over.

The judges all knew that with such cooking skills, Miss Xu would be the winner this year.

After finishing the soup, there was still a small piece of rice crust on the plate. The judges naturally didn't want to waste it, so they took a bite and found it crispy, salty and fragrant.

This little rice crust is so fragrant!

Xu Qinyu said, "It's smeared with fermented bean curd, which is also a kind of moldy tofu. I made it myself. Let the gentlemen try it."

The judges nodded repeatedly in agreement.

The ten diners all said that the food was delicious and ate it with big mouthfuls. After a while, half a bowl of rice and vegetables was gone, and then they started to drink the soup. They didn't know how to taste it, but just gulped it down. They drank a small bowl of Wensi tofu in just three or two mouthfuls. They felt that it was very fresh, tender and delicious. After drinking the soup, they ate the small piece of rice crust.

"This rice crust smells so good, so good."

"It's so delicious. After eating the meal made by Miss Xu, I will die without regrets."

"Hey, we used to eat pig food..."

"We won't have the chance to eat Miss Xu's cooking in the future, and we can't afford to go to Xu's either. But Miss Xu taught us the recipes for these dishes in detail, so we can cook them at home in the future. But they definitely won't be as delicious as Miss Xu's."

Everyone ate the rice crust and talked in low voices.

They finally felt reluctant to eat the rice crust and ate it very slowly.

In the end, all twenty judges gave full marks, and ten diners also gave full marks.

Xu Qinyu smiled and thanked him, then went down and returned to Lianhua.

Lotus had already finished her piece of rice crust and looked at Xu Qinyu with a salty look, "Master, the rice crust is so delicious!"

Xu Qinyu smiled and said, "I'll give you a whole pot of rice crust when we get back."

Lotus nodded hurriedly, "Yes, and we'll also spread the fermented bean curd you made on it."

"Okay." Xu Qinyu smiled, "I'll even make you a hot and sour soup to soak up the rice crust."

Lotus nodded vigorously, and couldn't wait to eat the rice crust.

Although Xu Qinyu was half an hour late, she was the first to finish.

By now the time had come, and the other chefs had unloaded their firewood one after another and served their dishes and steamed rice for the judges and diners to taste.

The judges simply tasted the food, took only one bite of each and didn't eat too much, and then gave scores.

The other diners ate everything cleanly, as each group of diners made a new selection.

If you were the first diners, you would have tasted the difference.

Similarly, except for Xu Qinyu who scored full marks, the highest average score of the remaining nine contestants was only 90. If it weren't for Xu Qinyu this year, the 20 judges knew that the average score of the others would definitely be above 95. But with the food comparison made by Miss Xu, the highest score would be 90.

After the scores of the ten contestants came out, the judges laughed and said, "I think everyone already knows who this year's champion is. It's Miss Xu. She has received three perfect scores in a row. Let us congratulate Miss Xu. Now this piece of iron ore also belongs to Miss Xu."

Xu Qinyu thanked him with a smile and took the brocade box, which was a bit heavy. She opened the box and took a look. The iron ore inside emitted a faint red light. It was only the size of a fist and was obviously different from ordinary iron ore. She couldn't tell what material it was made of, but it could be used with ordinary iron ore to forge the sharpest and hardest knives. This small piece of iron ore was enough to make a complete set of knives. She could ask someone to help forge them when she got back.