Chapter 102: The Result. (First Update)...
Not only Chef Jiang, but even the officials and deputy heads present all cast curious glances at him. This fruit was truly too eye-catching and shocking.
Lin Zhi smiled and said, "Yes and no."
She didn't explain further, simply raised her hand and gestured for everyone to taste it: "There are some secrets that you can experience for yourself."
Sitting at the head of the table, the official Zhong, dressed in a green official uniform, smiled and said, "Since that's the case, why don't we try it?"
"Master Zhong is right," several vice-chiefs echoed. According to protocol, the dishes should be tasted one by one, but who among them didn't understand Master Zhong's meaning? Without the vice-chiefs having to speak, messengers immediately brought bowls of glazed peony flowers... no, rather, flower-folded goose cakes to the table.
As the small bowl was brought to him, Mr. Zhong was more and more amazed at the exquisiteness of this fruit. Not only did each petal have clear lines, but every time a breeze blew, the flowers would tremble, just like flowers that had just bloomed on the branches.
The color alone is tempting enough, and when you get closer, there is a faint and elegant fragrance rising up, which makes people feel itchy.
Mr. Zhong hesitated for a moment, then picked up the delicate spoon beside the bowl. He scooped up the glazed peony flower, only to discover it was heavier than expected. Looking more closely, he noticed a pink fleshy ball faintly hidden within the pistil.
"Eh, is there something else hidden inside?" Mr. Zhong muttered, suddenly remembering the name of the dish: "Flower-shaped Goose Cake... Flowers on the outside, could it be goose cake on the inside?"
Mr. Zhong gave the appearance a perfect score, the aroma a seven, and the taste a seven. He was filled with anticipation, while Chef Wang, standing nearby, stared at Mr. Zhong's face, his teeth clacking as he secretly hoped the Linzhi fruit would taste just like normal.
Mr. Zhong first put the soup spoon back into the bowl, picked up a petal with chopsticks and put it into his mouth.
As the fragile petals touched the warm mouth, he found that the petals melted instantly and turned into clear soup?
Mr. Zhong's pupils dilated slightly, and he subconsciously took a sip. The soup was light and mellow, extremely elegant. Only at the end could he taste the faint aroma of fish and meat, which was fresh, sweet and not greasy at all.
"These petals actually turn into soup when they enter my mouth?"
Mr. Zhong thought he was the one who had spoken out his true feelings, but when he turned around he realized it was Mr. Song, the Minister of the Ministry of Rites, who was beside him, who was exclaiming in amazement.
"You are like this too?"
"The same to you?"
Mr. Zhong nodded repeatedly, "Right? How amazing! And this soup is clear and refreshing, with a meaty aroma and a gentle mellow taste. It's quite ingenious."
Apart from the rest, the technique of making the soup alone was astonishing. Mr. Song agreed, "Indeed, this was made by Chef Lin? She's just the head chef of a foot shop. With such skills, how could she be so confined to a foot shop?"
The bald chef smiled and replied, "My two gentlemen, you may not know this, but this Mrs. Lin came from another place with her parents and has only settled down there for a few months."
Two days ago, after Lin Zhiyong won the championship, their information was placed on the desks of the leaders, including their household registration in Bian Jing and even the information of purchasing shops were recorded clearly.
"I see." Mr. Song suddenly realized, then licked his lips, savoring the mellow aroma that just passed by: "Let's try this soup and meatball combination."
This time, he put the goose cake hidden in the pistil into his mouth.
With a little pressure from your teeth, you can slice through the outer layer and penetrate deep into the goose cake. The goose cake is not a solid mass of meat, but rather composed of strands of goose meat, so tender that it oozes juices in an instant.
Every time you exert force, the rich juice gushes out unrestrainedly, mixing with the sweet soup from the outside.
The fragrance that was originally faint like a breeze has now turned into a hurricane, carrying huge waves of deliciousness, rushing towards the taste buds, slamming heavily on the door again and again, and finally dispersing with a bang.
Only after all the goose cakes were eaten up did Mr. Zhong let out a long sigh of relief with a sense of satisfaction.
Mr. Song was filled with shock and clapped his hands in admiration. Even the vice-chiefs were amazed, their eyes unable to conceal their surprise: "The goose meat is handled quite well."
“Rich aroma, delicate juice.”
"So the goose meat is paired with pork, right? The condiment should be mutton." Only the old chef with a beard shook his head and laughed.
He had no intention of blaming him, but Chef Wang seemed to have caught him and jumped out at him, "You actually used pork in the fruit?"
Lin Zhi was speechless and asked in confusion, "Don't you use animal oil when cooking? Don't you use pork bones when stewing soup?"
Chef Wang blushed: "But this is fruit!"
Lin Zhi was impatient: "What did you use to make the flower-shaped goose cake? What did you use to make the flower-shaped crispy pastry today?"
Not to mention the flower pastry, the flower-folded goose cake I made the day before didn’t even use goose oil, but used lard to knead the dough.
Chef Wang grunted and was speechless. The bearded old cook, who had come to his senses, also changed his expression and said unhappily, "Using pork to enhance the flavor is a common thing. It's really rude to keep harping on it like this."
Mr. Zhong narrowed his eyes. He had heard several of the guild masters talk about Chef Wang before. His eyes swept over the 'Flower-shaped Goose Cake' and the flower-shaped crisp basket made by Chef Wang, and he said with a smile, "How about we try this next?"
After a pause, he added, "I heard that these two fruits have the same name, both called Huazhe Goose Cake."
As soon as Mr. Zhong said this, no one dared to disrespect him. No one cared whether Chef Wang changed his expression or not. Even several vice presidents who had a good relationship with Tongfulou were secretly shaking their heads: the next generation successor turned out to be such a person. It seemed that Tongfulou might not last far. They should hand over their own shops and reduce their dealings with them.
After tasting Chef Wang’s Huazhe Goose Cake, these deputy heads felt even more regretful: when they tasted it a few days ago, they thought it was novel and could be better with a little adjustment, but compared with the one in Linzhi, the difference was simply worlds.
Mr. Zhong took only one sip and then shook his head.
The bald chef also took a bite and then sighed, "Wang Wen, Wang Wen, what have you been busy with in the past two days since you left?"
Chef Wang was stunned and his face turned red.
The bald chef pointed at the works of the others. There were great changes from Chef Wei, Chef Jiang to Chef Jiang. It was obvious that the makers were very attentive. They were obviously inspired by the flower pastry made by Linzhi. The works of the three people had undergone a series of improvements, but Chef Wei's 'Flower-folded Goose Cake' remained unchanged.
In fact, the bald chef also knew clearly what Chef Wang had been busy with these past two days, so he pointed to the basket of flower cakes next to him and said, "Or have you been preparing this for the past two days?"
Chef Wang pursed his lips: "...Yes."
The bald chef held his forehead and sighed, "Let me ask you, since you and Chef Lin made the same thing, why didn't we choose the original one, but instead chose you, a fake?"
The bald chef really couldn't understand what Chef Wang was thinking. It was true that Tongfulou, the restaurant owned by Chef Wang's family, was one of the most famous restaurants in Bianjing City. Some of his elders had served as imperial chefs and as heads of Bianjing's guilds.
In this case, they should be more aware that the Lantern Festival is one of the five major festivals, and preparations for its banquet should begin before the New Year.
Although the catering industry is eligible to make recommendations, not every year their works can be included. They strive for excellence and are cautious and careful, so how could they choose a controversial dish?
If the rumor really spread, what would happen to their future? Or if someone like Linzhi actually rose to prominence this year, with a bit of luck, they might even boost the reputation of the food and beverage industry. They wouldn't be able to stop praising her, let alone suppressing her.
The bald chef's look, as if he were looking at a fool, made Chef Wang's heart tighten, and his boiling mind gradually calmed down. He met the cold gazes of Mr. Zhong and Mr. Song, his face suddenly froze, and then regret began to arise.
Afterwards, everyone tasted the other three fruits. Unfortunately, because of Linzhi’s excellent work, the latter ones, even though they tasted good, were inferior to them.
Needless to say, the spot naturally fell to Linzhi. Officials Zhong and Song kept her there for another half-cup of tea, questioning her in detail before discussing the matter further. Finally, they informed her that both her flower-shaped pastry and her folded flower cake had been selected. She was to arrive at the catering office on the morning of the fourteenth, accompanied by officials into the palace, and would not be allowed to leave until the morning of the sixteenth.
When Lin Zhi returned to the street in front of Dali Temple, Lin Sen and Song Jiaoniang had already received the good news from the messenger and were overjoyed.
Many neighbors surrounded him, flattering him, with smiles on their faces but a hint of jealousy in their eyes: first, Linzhi was first selected for the New Year's Party, and now he won the championship and was also selected for the Lantern Festival banquet, which was really glorious; second, a family in Linzhi who renovated the Xie Da Lamb Restaurant had made quite a stir, and when the news of them buying the shop spread, the neighbors couldn't help but feel jealous.
You have to know that when the Linzhi family came to Bian Jing, they spent almost all their money to buy a small shop with a width of one room, but in less than half a year, they bought a large shop with a width of five rooms!
Even though Song Jiaoniang later explained that her family did not pay the full amount, the neighbors still felt jealous, especially those who had daughters. When they went back to see their own daughters, they were displeased with them.
The next day, when Madam Yu came to gossip with Song Jiaoniang, she also complained about the neighbors behind her: "...The man from the Chen family beat his daughter and complained that she was not up to the task, saying that she was a few years older than Sister Zhi and had no skills at all."
Song Jiaoniang frowned. "I heard that their eldest daughter has been doing laundry, cooking, and taking care of her younger siblings since she was little. She's very capable and nimble. How come he says she's incompetent?"
"That's right." Madam Yu curled her lips in disdain: "Besides, they didn't spend any money to send their daughter to learn a craft!"
"That's right, she hasn't even learned anything yet she wants her daughter to have that kind of ability..." At the end, Song Jiaonian suddenly felt guilty: she didn't let Linzhi learn cooking in the first place, and she even opposed it!
"Let me tell you something." Madam Yu didn't notice the change in Song Jiaoniang's expression as she started complaining about the Chen family's past: "The eldest daughter used to work as a handyman in an embroidery workshop. An embroiderer said she had talent and wanted to take her in as an apprentice."
"If it were my family, I would definitely send it to the embroiderer and beg her to accept it. What do you think they would do?"
"How did their family make it?"
"When her parents heard about it, they thought their daughter was some kind of gifted person. They threw a tantrum and demanded her back, then immediately sent her to take the assessment at the Tattoo and Embroidery Academy."
Song Jiaoniang's eyes widened: "Did he pass the exam?"
Madam Yu rolled her eyes at her. "How could that be! She couldn't even sew the first question, and was kicked out directly. Then she regretted it, dragged her daughter to the embroidery workshop and made a scene, insisting that the embroiderer take her as her apprentice. In the end, she was beaten out."
…
After that, Song Jiaoniang heard a lot more gossip and almost rolled up her sleeves to confront them, but Lin Zhi stopped her, saying, "People are fickle. The more you argue and the more you explain, the more excited those gossipers become."
Lin Zhi consoled him, "Since it hasn't come to our attention, let's not worry about it. The most important thing right now is the Lantern Festival banquet."
The thought of the Lantern Festival banquet instantly dissipated Song Jiaoniang's anger. She had heard her daughter talk about Chef Wang's experience, and she didn't want her daughter to lose the opportunity due to external factors. "What did you say before? You want your father to come too?"
"It's Dad and Mom, both of you come with me."
"I can't cook, so what can I do?"
"Please pass on the message for me. We can go to see the performance later." Lin Zhi was not sure about the situation at that time, so it would be more convenient if her parents could come with her.
Besides, she wouldn't be out until the early morning of the 16th. If Lin Sen and Song Jiaoniang went in together, the three of them could celebrate the festival together. "Then you can watch the performances, eat something, and have some fun inside."
"Is this... okay?" Song Jiaoniang couldn't believe it.
"Of course." Lin Zhi couldn't help laughing, and said, "It's not like you haven't experienced it before... Have you forgotten? You've attended several banquets with the old lady before. The ones in Bianjing were at most larger in scale, but the rules were similar."
She had already inquired about it. At the Lantern Festival banquet, the servants of the wealthy families and even the kitchen helpers who came with the dignitaries had a place to rest. As long as they did not disturb the dignitaries, they could also watch the performances.
"How can it be the same..." Song Jiaoniang was speechless and said hesitantly, "I heard that even the saints will be in attendance!"
"The Saint is just going through the motions. There are still various activities to do after we return to the palace," Lin Zhi explained. "We can even watch the fireworks at the end. My father and I should be done by then, so we can watch it together!"
After hearing her daughter's words, Song Jiaoniang was also tempted. They waited until the evening of the 13th to give Zhao Mama and the others a day off, and the next morning they packed up and waited at the shop door.
Soon, two elegantly decorated carriages stopped at the side of the street. Mr. Zhong, who was sitting in the front carriage, lifted the curtain and said, "Chef Lin, Mr. Lin, and Madam Song, please take the carriage at the back."
When Lin Zhi lifted the curtain and entered, she found two people already sitting inside: Cui and Zhou, the chefs from Juyoulou. Zhou greeted Lin Zhi first, then bowed to Lin Sen and Song Jiaoniang, saying with a smile, "Long time no see, both of you."
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