"Yeah, I thought she had some amazing trick up her sleeve. What can you make with just a pot of soup and a few cabbages? I think Li Xiumei is definitely going to lose that bet."
Whispers continued to circulate, and Wang Cuicui listened, laughing even more smugly.
She deliberately swayed her hips as she walked over, her voice loud enough to be heard across half the playground: "Oh, isn't this Sister Li? So this is your secret weapon? Let me remind you, you can't slack off in the competition. If you bring up a plate of stir-fried cabbage, you'll be utterly humiliated! The whole compound is watching our bet on cleaning the public toilets for a month! Don't even think about going back on your word!"
Li Xiumei's face flushed red with anger, and she was about to retort when Su Tang patted her hand, calmly meeting Wang Cuicui's provocative gaze, and responded indifferently:
"Our dishes emphasize simplicity and authenticity. Sister Wang, you should take care of your own meat first, and make sure it's not burnt."
Qin Ye, who had been standing not far away like a guardian deity protecting his wife, turned his cold gaze toward them upon hearing this.
Wang Cuicui felt a pang of embarrassment at that gaze, her heart skipped a beat, and she didn't dare to say anything more. She snorted, turned around, and walked away.
The gong sounded to officially start the competition!
In an instant, the playground was filled with smoke and fumes, and the sounds of stir-frying, cooking, deep-frying, and boiling filled the air, creating a symphony of pots and pans, with the aromas of various dishes mingling together.
Wang Cuicui had already started stir-frying the minced meat. The spicy aroma of fermented bean paste and various spices instantly took over, making the surrounding people drool.
Su Tang simply added a few pieces of high-quality coking coal to the coal stove under the soup pot, keeping the soup at a temperature that was just about to boil.
Just then, an extremely delicious aroma wafted powerfully from their simple soup pot.
It's not spicy or greasy, but it's rich and lingering, instantly overpowering all other smells on the playground.
"What's that smell? Oh my god, it smells amazing!"
"Where did this come from? It wasn't from Wang Cuicui's side... It seems to be... Li Xiumei's pot?"
Everyone craned their necks in disbelief, sniffed hard, and turned their gazes to the most inconspicuous corner.
Even Wang Cuicui, who was tossing the wok, paused for a moment, her expression changed slightly, but she then curled her lips in disdain.
Playing tricks!
Under the watchful eyes of everyone, Su Tang picked up the large cabbage that was like a work of art.
She placed the cabbage heart into the boiling broth, blanching it for exactly ten seconds before quickly scooping it out and placing it in a clean white porcelain bowl.
The cabbage heart was scalded to perfection, both cooked through and crisp, with a tender yellow color, like a jade carving.
Everyone stared in disbelief. How could a cabbage and a pot of clear soup smell so delicious? This was illogical!
Soon, Wang Cuicui was the first to finish her "Ants Climbing a Tree," a large plate full of bright red noodles with minced meat evenly coated on the glistening vermicelli. It looked delicious and drew cheers from the crowd.
She triumphantly served the dishes to the judges, glancing back at Su Tang and Li Xiumei with eyes full of victorious pride.
After tasting it, the judges all nodded in approval.
The head cook commented, "Hmm, the cooking is just right, spicy and fragrant, goes very well with rice, it's a good home-style dish."
Sister-in-law Zhou also laughed and said, "The taste is good, but it's a bit too oily."
Having received the praise, Wang Cuicui was so proud that her tail was practically wagging in the air, as if the three bicycle tickets were already hers for the taking.
Finally, it was Su Tang's turn.
Li Xiumei nervously carried the simple soup bowl and followed Su Tang to the judges' table.
In the bowl, only a few tender yellow bok choy hearts lay quietly in the clear, watery soup.
"Pfft—"
Someone in the crowd burst into laughter first, followed by a chorus of murmurs.
"After all that, it really was just like boiling cabbage in water!"
"This is ridiculous! How can you call this a dish?"
Wang Cuicui laughed so hard she nearly fell over, and shouted at Li Xiumei:
"Li Xiumei, have you not added salt to your boiled cabbage yet? You'd better hurry up and think about when to start cleaning the public toilets this month."
Amidst the uproarious laughter, Li Xiumei's face turned bright red with embarrassment, but she glared back defiantly.
Several division commanders' wives on the judging panel also looked puzzled, except for Zhou, the wife of Deputy Commander Liu, who looked at Su Tang's calm and composed appearance thoughtfully.
Su Tang's expression remained unchanged.
She gently placed the bowl of "boiled cabbage in clear broth" on the judges' table, and the enticing aroma instantly filled the noses of the judges.
She announced in a clear voice: "Distinguished judges, the dish is called Boiled Cabbage in Clear Broth. It may look like plain water, but it is actually full of all five flavors. Whether it is good or not, you will know after tasting it."
This confidence and composure were infectious, and the noisy discussions gradually subsided.
Deputy Commander Liu, who was on the judging panel, had also come over at some point. He was attracted by the peculiar dish and its domineering aroma, and looked at Su Tang with great interest: "Comrade Su, you've got quite the nerve."
He picked up the spoon on the table and decided to be the first to taste it.
"I want to taste what's so special about your 'boiling water'."
Deputy Commander Liu scooped up a spoonful of the clear broth, which was so pure and yellow that it reflected his face clearly.
Under the watchful eyes of hundreds of people, he put the spoon into his mouth.
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