Chapter 126 Chapter 126 At the Qionglin Banquet.
Lin Sen's mind was racing with calculations. Seeing her father's expectant expression, Lin Zhi could only nod, feeling both amused and helpless. "Got it, got it. I'll make it for you later."
Song Jiaoniang glanced at the noisy father and daughter, then reached out and knocked on the table, urging them to eat quickly. "Sister Zhi has something to do tomorrow, so don't bother her. Hurry and eat."
"Right, right, right. Let's eat." Lin Sen finally came to his senses and quickly put a portion of stir-fried vegetables into his daughter's bowl. Then he asked, "By the way, have you heard the results of the two dishes you sent yesterday? I remember you spent three days preparing them."
As dishes to be presented to the emperor and even officials, they are of course made to be of the utmost quality. For example, Lin Zhi was summoned to the Qionglin Banquet, but he was only responsible for supervising the production of various fruits as usual.
However, Linzhi was unwilling to be confined to the fruit business and wanted to break out of the circle of "fruit chef", so he presented a cold dish and a main course.
Lin Zhi frowned when Lin Sen mentioned this. She picked up the food in her bowl and shook her head. "I didn't hear Mr. Qiu, Chef Wang, or Chef You mention it today. I guess I wasn't selected."
Although she felt that the two dishes she presented were classics and it was a pity that they were not selected, she changed her mind and thought that the two dishes in front of her, made with dried sturgeon, were a testament to the superb skills of today's chefs.
As people in later generations often say: In ancient times, productivity was underdeveloped, but people's intelligence was no less than that of modern people. Moreover, they had enough time and patience to immerse themselves in learning a skill, so they were able to produce countless exquisite creations that are difficult for later generations to understand or even to restore.
Lin Zhi took it easy, but Lin Sen and Song Jiaoniang felt sorry for her. Song Jiaoniang, in particular, put down her chopsticks and complained, "Sister Zhi's dishes are so delicious, how could they not be chosen? Could it be, could it be that someone is jealous of your youth?"
"Mom—" Linzhi interrupted her.
"I understand. I won't say anything more." Song Jiaoniang came back to her senses, quickly picked up a lychee shrimp ball and put it in her mouth, waving her hand to indicate that she would not say anything more.
Seeing this, Lin Sen quickly changed the subject: "What are the rules for tomorrow?"
"Tomorrow is actually a rehearsal." Lin Zhi also picked up a lychee shrimp ball and added: "We don't have to make all of them, just make a batch to determine the flavor."
"Our kitchen is fine. In the front hall, we even practice the order of serving dishes and entering and leaving the palace. Outside the Qionglin Garden, officers and soldiers are also practicing the procedures."
"If Dad and Mom are interested, you can go and take a look tomorrow. Just don't get too close."
Lin Sen and Song Jiaoniang were still ordinary people at heart. When they heard their daughter's suggestion, they were afraid of getting into trouble and quickly waved their hands: "No, no, we'll just stay home."
"Don't worry, there will be singing and dancing performances in the hall." Linzhi told her parents what she knew. "On the day of the Qionglin Banquet, the emperor and all the civil and military officials will be sitting upstairs, and outside there will be layers of soldiers and officers. You won't have anywhere to see them even if you want to. You might as well go and take a look tomorrow."
After a pause, Lin Zhi emphasized, "This is a song and dance that even a saint can appreciate. If you miss this opportunity, you will never see it again."
These words touched the hearts of the two men. Song Jiaoniang quietly pulled Lin Sen's sleeve, her eyes full of desire.
Just as dinner was over, hurried footsteps were heard outside the door, followed by a knock on the door: "Master! Master!"
Lin Zhi was surprised when she heard the voice, and when she opened the door, she raised her eyebrows: "Big girl, aren't you helping in the kitchen?"
Standing outside the room was one of the kitchen helpers who had come with Lin Zhi. The girl was panting, holding onto the door with one hand and her knee with the other. "Master, Chef You asked me to call you! News just came from the palace that both of your dishes have passed inspection."
Lin Zhi's heart skipped a beat. Her first reaction wasn't joy, but worry about missing the deadline. She exchanged a few words with Lin Sen and his wife, then turned and ran to the kitchen, leaving Lin Sen and Song Jiaoniang staring at each other in bewilderment.
"Sister Zhi'er's two dishes..."
"Have all of them passed the review?"
"I told you so!" Song Jiaoniang was overjoyed. "I told you that the dishes cooked by Sister Zhi would definitely be selected."
"Now is not the time to be happy." Lin Sen noticed the problem and frowned slightly: "Sister Zhi said that we would have to rehearse tomorrow, right? Why didn't you mention it earlier or later, but now? Are you asking Sister Zhi to do it tomorrow?"
The smile on Song Jiaoniang's face froze instantly. After thinking about it for a while, she felt cold sweat on her forehead.
In fact, Linzhi had the same idea, and even suspected that someone was deliberately targeting her. Her head was full of various thoughts, and she hurried to the kitchen with a tense expression.
The kitchen was no longer as quiet and peaceful as before. Kitchen helpers were running around and the sounds of pots and pans could be heard one after another.
Apart from Fang Jie'er who came to report the news, the other kitchen helpers brought by Linzhi were also busy. Some were cutting vegetables, some were washing ingredients. Their movements were very quick and they had obviously adapted to the rhythm here.
Lin Zhi took a deep breath and stepped over the threshold. Soon, someone noticed her arrival, dropped their belongings, and congratulated her: "Chef Lin is here! Congratulations!"
“I heard that both of Chef Lin’s dishes won the award? That’s amazing!” Then another unfamiliar chef came forward to congratulate him.
"That's right!" Another clerk in charge of preparing the ingredients also joined in with a smile, and mentioned another incident: "Mr. Qiu just told us that if he hadn't checked the list again, such a good dish would have been missed!"
Everyone was talking to each other, but their faces were full of smiles, and even the air was filled with joy.
Lin Zhi bowed in response and quickly found Chef You in the corner. Seeing her, Chef You also smiled: "Chef Lin, both dishes have been selected, you are the first one!"
"Chef You, stop teasing me," Lin Zhi said with a wry smile. She cupped her hands and quickly brought up tomorrow's matter: "These two dishes of mine are quite complicated to make. How are we going to handle tomorrow's review?"
"Inspection?" Chef You was slightly startled, then chuckled softly, covering his mouth. "Tomorrow we'll mainly practice the order of serving dishes and positioning. The dishes have already been inspected. Speaking of cooking, it's also to fill the stomachs of the soldiers and officials who will arrive tomorrow."
Lin Zhi stood there in a daze, her cheeks gradually getting hot, and all the nervousness she had just felt turned into embarrassment.
Chef You stopped laughing and changed the subject: "But the fact that you can serve these two dishes is thanks to Mr. Qiu."
This matter was also related to the fact that Mr. Qiu almost made a mistake. After Mr. Qiu found out the mistake of his opponent and successfully brought him down, he also became dissatisfied with the chef recommended by that person, but he did not react because he was worried that it would affect the banquet.
"It wasn't until today, after tasting your dishes and checking the review materials, that I discovered that the two dishes you submitted were clearly on the list, but ultimately weren't selected. That's why I suggested replacing the other party's two dishes and adding yours."
When Lin Zhi heard this, she was surprised and happy, and a trace of fear flashed across her face.
"Why are you unhappy?"
"Why am I not happy? I'm just happy that both of my dishes have qualified for selection, but I also have to be thankful that I got the news now." Chef You asked curiously.
"Chef You may not know this, but I'm both delighted and grateful." Lin Zhi gave a wry smile. "These two dishes alone will take about three days to prepare. If I'd been notified any later, I wouldn't have been able to prepare the ingredients in time, and that would have embarrassed Mr. Qiu."
Chef You took a deep breath and immediately felt the same way. If he had received such a sudden notice, he would probably have cursed inwardly.
The key point is that Mr. Qiu has given us this opportunity. If we can't seize it, it will make Mr. Qiu lose face. When a fight breaks out, we will be in a real dilemma.
Chef You grinned and patted Lin Zhi on the shoulder: "Fortunately, you are lucky."
Lin Zhi nodded: "That's right."
Since she was already there, she simply took out everything she wanted, soaked what needed to be soaked, and fried what needed to be fried, and would start stewing the soup tomorrow.
This main dish took three days to prepare, and the other cold dish took two days to prepare.
Except for sending someone back to report a message to Lin Sen and his wife not to worry, Lin Zhi stayed in the kitchen for three days. He was not only responsible for the preparation of two dishes, but also for the preparation and supervision of fruits. He was so busy that he felt dizzy.
It was not until the Qionglin Banquet began that she finally breathed a sigh of relief and sat down on the chair.
"Chef Lin is tired."
"It's okay, it's okay. It's not as hard as Chef Wang and Chef You." Lin Zhi bowed and said to the two of them.
Since all the dishes were ready, the two of them had some free time, so they sat next to Linzhi and started chatting.
"Chef Lin's rouge goose breast is excellent."
"No, no, no, if I have to say which one is the best, it's the sweet-scented osmanthus fish fillet made by Chef Wang."
"I think the Eight Treasure Chicken made by Chef You is really eye-catching."
You praise me, I praise you, and the three of them took turns praising each other before talking about the unique features of their own dishes.
For example, the fish strips made from osmanthus are not made from osmanthus fish, but from sea bass. The most important thing is the method used when selecting the fish strips. The bones should be broken into small particles, which will not affect the shape and taste of the fish strips themselves. They are then marinated with spices, coated with a thin batter and fried, and finally poured with sweet and sour sauce made mainly from osmanthus syrup.
For example, Eight Treasure Chicken has a variety of ingredients, and the quantity of each ingredient is fixed to ensure that the flavor is strong without overwhelming each other. It seems simple, but not everyone can make it well.
Lin Zhi, willingly sharing her secrets, said with a smile, "I call this dish Rouge, but it doesn't use red and blue flowers, but red yeast rice from Gutian. It's paired with apricot blossom jam, and I also use ringo, citron, and sweet orange. After repeatedly air-drying and steaming, the goose meat absorbs the fruity aroma, resulting in this wonderful flavor."
Chef Wang clapped his hands in amazement, "No wonder the fruity aroma I just tasted was so rich yet not overly sweet. Turns out there's citron and sweet orange in it too."
"Sweet and sour sauce made with osmanthus syrup?" Linzhi was also amazed and was ready to go back and try it. In fact, she was curious when she saw the osmanthus fish strips just now, and wondered if this dish might be the predecessor of squirrel mandarin fish.
The three of them spoke excitedly, and commented on the following dishes one by one, analyzing the cooking methods and seasonings, and also adding their own opinions and improvement methods, which attracted many kitchen helpers and servants to come closer and listen attentively to the three people's analysis and conversation.
The kitchen assistants whose faces were called out blushed furiously. Honestly, if they wanted to get comments from Chef Wang, Chef You, and Chef Lin outside, they would probably have to spend hundreds of coins to get them. To have such an opportunity, everyone was afraid they hadn't listened enough.
But at the banquet, there was another scene.
Li Wensu, who ranked second, had looked at Chen Yan several times. He had countless curiosities in his heart, but he didn't know where to start.
Not to mention that the runner-up and third place winners were already famous, even the top ten were all prestigious students, but the number one scholar himself seemed to have emerged from a crack in the ground.
Li Wensu heard a rumor from the servant that this number one scholar had been a clerk and had served in the Dali Temple for a long time.
He heard the news and found it ridiculous. What kind of student would give up his bright future to become a clerk? Aren't they afraid of being laughed at?
Li Wensu's thoughts turned, and he felt that this was a good topic, so he wanted to use it to get closer to Shen Yan.
Just as he was about to speak, he saw Chen Yan's eyes light up, and he picked up a bowl of soup with both hands and tasted it carefully, drinking mouthful after mouthful.
Those sparkling eyes were like a traveler walking in the desert seeing an oasis for the first time.
Li Wensu paused in thought, subconsciously lowering his head to look at the bowl of soup in front of him. He was stunned when he saw it: You know what? You really don't know what! This soup smells so tempting!
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