The judges were facing each other and were about to discuss the final results of the cooking competition.
Surprisingly, it was Mr. Li who spoke first.
"I believe everyone has already formed the conclusion of this cooking competition, so I'll just be frank and say it directly: in this competition, Mingzhu is significantly weaker than Mingyue."
Chef Li said, "Mingzhu's cooking is also quite good. The dried eggplant in the sandwich deserves praise. Both dishes demonstrate their understanding and innovation in vegetarian cooking."
Li Baiying hit the nail on the head, "Not bad, but not great. Do you dare to say that her cooking is better than Mingyue's? Not necessarily. Even if you split Mingyue's cooking into two dishes, she might not be able to compare."
The other three judges were silent.
Master Li wanted to say something but was stopped by Mr. Li.
"Xiao Li, I'm not blaming Mingzhu, nor am I being harsh on her. Her cooking is just missing something," Old Li sighed. "Mingzhu's dishes are meant to please, not to showcase her culinary skills."
——
Soon, the judges returned to their seats. They had already made their decision, which was announced by Mr. Li.
"Then I declare that the four of us unanimously decide that the winner of this cooking competition is: Mingyue. Congratulations."
There was a cheer from the audience. Xiaoman and Mianbao, who were sitting nearby and watching, immediately jumped out of their seats and ran towards Mingyue, wanting to give her a big hug to celebrate this moment.
"Wait, wait!"
A voice cut through the cheers.
Li Mingzhu stepped forward, pursing her lips as she looked towards the judges. "Why did all four judges agree? I disagree with the result. I want to try the other team's dish."
Li Baiying frowned and looked at Li Mingzhu with disappointment, as if she was making trouble for no reason.
"Mingzhu, it's normal for a competition to have winners and losers. Who are you to question the decision of the four judges?"
The atmosphere on the field froze in an instant, as if the air around them had been sucked out at once, and everyone held their breath and dared not speak.
Only Li Mingzhu and Mr. Li stared at each other in a stalemate.
"It's okay, you can try my food, but in exchange, I also want to try yours." Mingyue interrupted the silence. She returned to her cooking table, lit the fire and started cooking noodles.
When Li Mingzhu saw that Mingyue agreed, she didn't care about Mr. Li's reaction. She turned around and went back to her own cooking table and quickly prepared her own dish.
Because both of them were prepared, the dishes for both sides were ready soon.
After exchanging dishes, Li Mingzhu couldn't wait to pick up the pumpkin flowers and put them in her mouth.
Her eyes widened suddenly. This smell...
Crispy dough, refreshing pumpkin blossoms, and juicy fillings inside.
I lost...
Li Mingzhu rolled up another handful of noodles and put it into her mouth. The silky fat tofu, paired with the spicy mushroom sauce and chewy noodles, was so delicious that she couldn't stop eating it. She also ordered the soy milk "fish roe" that would burst.
The Mapo Tofu was a bit spicy, and Li Mingzhu felt her eyes getting moist and she couldn't help but want to cry.
Suddenly, she heard Mingyue say.
"Wow, your sauce is delicious, the sweet and sour sauce is great. Did you make the jam and balsamic vinegar sauce for the bread yourself? Did you use your inner strength? This must have taken a lot of effort, right?"
Li Mingzhu looked up blankly and sniffed, "How did you figure that out?"
She secretly applied the inner strength her mother-in-law had taught her to cooking sauces. She painstakingly prepared the jam and balsamic vinegar sauce herself, expecting her mother-in-law to praise her after eating them. Unfortunately, she never received any praise.
Mingyue said as if it was a matter of course, "This is obviously different from the ready-made ones bought in the supermarket. It tastes much better. The sauce cooked with inner energy is different! It feels like it can penetrate the taste buds."
Li Mingzhu was a little overwhelmed by the straightforward praise, especially since she had previously protested the cooking discussion's results. She blushed and said sheepishly, "Your cooking is delicious, too."
When Master Li saw that the atmosphere had eased, he immediately seized the opportunity.
"Let us congratulate the winner, Mingyue! Thank you both for bringing us such a wonderful cooking discussion. This cooking discussion is officially over!"
——
After the show, Mingyue held Mianbao and Xiaoman in her arms and gave them a big hug.
"Cat knows you can!"
“Yueyue is awesome!”
"Hey, I have something new to share with you too! This time, for the cooking discussion, I..."
"Excuse me, can I bother you for a moment?" Li Mingzhu came over. "Sorry, it's not that I can't stand losing on stage just now, I just..."
Li Mingzhu wanted to explain to Mingyue again, but she didn't know how to describe her behavior.
Mingyue looked at Li Mingzhu, she could feel her uneasiness and helplessness. After tasting Li Mingzhu's cooking, she suddenly understood what some of the unknown things she had eaten in the cuisine of this world were.
Like the previous cooking discussion between Wushuang and Xiao Jin, she thought that the spiciness or mellowness in the dishes came from seasoning.
Now it seems there is another reason.
It is said that cooking can reflect a person's personality.
After tasting Li Mingzhu's cooking, she really felt her character and also tasted her confusion.
"Li Mingzhu." Mingyue looked at the other party.
"Eh?" Li Mingzhu responded subconsciously when her full name was called.
“Are you happy when you cook?”
Hearing this question, Li Mingzhu's pupils trembled. She looked at Mingyue's eyes, trying to find some mockery or sarcasm in them, but found that the other party looked calm, as if she was asking an ordinary question like "Have you eaten today?"
Are you happy?
Li Mingzhu suddenly felt timid about the answer to this question.
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