Time flies, and in the midst of the tense and busy atmosphere, the designated time is almost here.
The enticing aroma of food wafted through the air, making mouths water.
The villagers who were competing brought their prepared signature dishes to the long table one after another. In no time, the table was covered with all kinds of dishes, which were colorful, fragrant and delicious, and dazzling to the eye.
Most of the villagers who participated in the competition were not well-off, so they mostly cooked simple, home-style dishes.
But some people clearly went all out, using fish and shrimp—even though they looked like they were caught from a stream, it was still a delicious dish.
Lamb is expensive, and ordinary pork is inedible, so these fish and shrimp are the rare meat dishes that the villagers can eat on a regular basis.
Normally, such a good dish is a treat for the whole family, but today they're using it as a dish for a competition, which shows how much they value this competition.
As a result, the table was filled with a variety of dishes, including both meat and vegetables. What was supposed to be a simple competition turned out to be more lavish than the New Year celebration, making the villagers watching drool with envy.
Some children couldn't resist sneaking out their little hands to try and grab some food from the pot, only to be slapped on the hand by the adults, making them cry out in pain.
"You little brat, you have no manners!" a woman yelled at her child.
The child pouted sadly, staring longingly at the food in the pot, his mouth practically watering.
Everyone who saw this simply smiled and didn't take it to heart.
Once the last person's dish was served, the village chief, along with several elderly women who served as judges, went up to the table. They picked up their chopsticks and began to taste the dishes one by one, exchanging opinions in hushed tones from time to time.
The expressions of the crowd varied. Some looked smug and confident, those who had gone to great lengths to win the competition, believing that their own fish and shrimp were far superior to the radishes and vegetables they had acquired.
There were also those like Gan Tao who remained calm. They were well aware of their own abilities and knew that whether they would be chosen next was not something they could control, so they decided to take it easy.
Of course, many people feel that their dishes are not as good as others' and lack confidence in their skills, so they are very nervous.
Among them, Gan Yingzi was particularly nervous than the others. Besides the reasons mentioned above, she also had a 'grudge' against Gan Li.
Back then, Gan Li brought her daughter Chen Pan'er... no, now it's Gan Tian. Gan Li divorced Chen Danian and returned to Yuxi Village. Taking advantage of the fact that they were married outsiders, she stole Gan Tian's fish.
Although she didn't succeed, Ganli was known for being a bully at home and petty. Could she hold a grudge and deliberately prevent her from being selected?
The family is short of money right now. Mother said that if she can't work at the restaurant and earn wages, she'll have to marry off her to a sickly man to bring him good luck...
She's so young, she doesn't want to get married, and she certainly doesn't want to be a widow!
Gan Yingzi became more and more frightened and nervous as she thought about it. Her palms were sweating, and she even thought about begging Gan Li for help. But in front of so many people, the young girl couldn't bring herself to do it.
Under such high pressure, I felt somewhat dazed.
To ensure fairness and avoid trouble, Ganli will not participate in this evaluation.
Anyway, this competition was originally just to give the village chief face. She gave him the opportunity, and if he doesn't work out in the future, no one can blame her.
Having the upper hand, she wasn't as concerned about choosing people, so while the village chief led several elderly ladies to taste the dishes, she just stood idly to the side.
As her gaze swept across the crowd, Gan Li quickly noticed that something was wrong with Gan Yingzi. The girl's eyes were unfocused, her hands were clenched so tightly they were white, and she looked like she was out of her mind.
Maria, having nothing better to do, joined in the fun. Although she was in the spatial dimension, she could see outside through Ganli's eyes, and thus noticed the little girl's odd behavior. She teased her:
[I never expected your restaurant to become so sought-after. Look at that young lady, how nervous she is! She must be afraid of failing the competition and not getting the lucrative job.]
Upon hearing this, Gan Li raised her eyebrows slightly and replied in her mind:
"Really? Her facial muscles stiffened, her lips turned down, and her jaw clenched; she was clearly afraid. It's just a competition; if she can't win, so be it. What's there to be afraid of? I don't think things are that simple."
By the way, aren't you supposed to be a system spirit? You should be all-powerful, so why don't you sense anything wrong with her?
Maria [...]
It curled up into a ball, suppressing its shame, and explained with a fierce but weak tone:
"I am an elf, not a god. How could I possibly know everything? Unless I have a direct connection with the host, I cannot sense that person's predicament."
Otherwise, with so many people in the world, and so many women, if I could just randomly issue tasks, given their living conditions, you wouldn't even have time to drink water all day; you'd be doing tasks all the time!
This time, Ganli was speechless.
However, Maria's words, though seemingly unintentional, were in fact the truth: everyone in the world has their own hardships, but women have always faced particularly difficult circumstances, regardless of the era.
Thinking about it this way, it wouldn't be surprising if Gan Yingzi really encountered some difficulties.
While I was pondering, the village chief had already led several elderly people to taste the dishes and discussed the results of the competition. The village chief wrote down the names and brought them over.
Gan Li paused for a moment when she saw the paper handed to her: "Second Uncle, you can just announce it..."
"Hmph." The village chief disagreed, "After all, it was your restaurant that was recruiting, and you were the one who suggested the competition. Everything else is fine, but you should announce the candidates for the competition."
Ganli knew he meant well. After all, the village chief had already taken care of the controversial matter of the selection process for her. Announcing the list was simply a way for him to gain favor.
She understood the village chief's good intentions, so she didn't refuse and took the list. After a quick glance, she saw two familiar names and her lips couldn't help but curl up slightly.
"Gan Shulin's family, Gan Shuanzi's family, and Gan Tao..."
Upon hearing this, Gan Tao, despite her usual composure, couldn't help but smile.
Those whose names were called were overjoyed, while those who hadn't heard their names yet became increasingly nervous.
Although there are more than 20 people participating in the competition today, the village chief has already spread the word that Ganli Restaurant is recruiting, with only 10 openings.
Therefore, at least half of the people here will be eliminated.
Ganli spoke quickly and soon read out the names of nine people.
Among the dozen or so people, there was one last lucky one...
The atmosphere grew increasingly tense. Not only the remaining competitors, but even the villagers watching the spectacle couldn't help but feel nervous for them.
When Gan Li saw the last name, she raised her eyebrows slightly and looked at the tense faces in front of her, finally settling on the smallest figure.
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