Without any surprises, Xu Milu stood out from the elimination rounds with her "Steamed Locust Flowers with Sugar" and "Five-Color Spring Pancakes". She then made it to the finals of the Chef God Competition with her "Peony Silver Belt Fish Sashimi".
Also shortlisted was Bai Bao'er from the Bai family, whose "Black Truffle and Beef Tart" and "Truffle and Sea Urchin Egg Custard" were particularly popular with the online judges.
This means that Xu Milu is very likely to meet her in the finals.
"Ah... I really want to eat hot pot—I want black tripe, duck intestines, beef aorta rolls, dried bamboo shoots, mushrooms, and lamb slices, and crispy pork, ice jelly, and braised duck feet—"
Xu Milu moved her neck, and in front of her was a pile of carrots diced.
Although sometimes she feels like she's splitting into two people, one living a mundane and unexciting life, and the other embarking on thrilling and unpredictable adventures in another dimension, she does need a peaceful life as a buffer.
People should be like springs, tense when they need to be and relaxed when they need to be. Otherwise, if a person is always in a state of tension, they will eventually break down.
[Host's idea is quite interesting. Should I write it down?]
Xiao Qi has started observing Xu Milu again.
"I feel completely drained. I thought I could finally enjoy life after coming back from the apocalyptic world, but who knew there would be more to life on Earth than I imagined."
The rice and food stall needs people every day. The greenhouses in Xingning Village also need manpower for planting, which I haven't arranged yet. I also signed a farmer assistance agreement with the Agricultural Bureau, but the grape seedlings haven't arrived yet, and I haven't sent the seeds to the research institute. Zhang Cang sent a message saying that overseas orders have surged and asked if I should revise the pricing. I still need to consider whether I should start another collaboration with the government—”
Xu Milu smiled, chopped the carrot on the cutting board, and began to comfort herself:
"It's okay, it's okay, I'm fine, I'm very fine, I'm extremely fine."
The kitchen door was pushed open, and Li Ning suddenly appeared, carrying champagne and balloons:
"Yay!!! Congratulations to Junior Sister for successfully advancing to the finals through the elimination rounds!!!"
"Pop!"
He excitedly opened a bottle of champagne, and rich bubbles poured out, prompting cheers from those around him.
"The boss is treating! The boss is treating!"
"Congratulations, Junior Aunt!! Junior Aunt is amazing!!"
"Yeah! Brother Li's treating, he's treating!!"
His assistants, Sasha and Xiao Sun, both egged him on to treat everyone, and he agreed without hesitation.
"Whatever! Western food or Japanese food? A Thai restaurant opened near the North Gate a while ago and it's pretty good. What do you think, Auntie?"
Xu Milu looked at the champagne foam all over the floor, wiped her face, and tried her best to look less menacing:
Let's have hot pot.
"hot pot?"
Li Ning stared wide-eyed in disbelief:
"What's so great about hot pot? You can eat it anytime. Besides, Junior Aunt, you've already secured a spot in the finals of the Culinary God Competition, but you don't seem excited at all?"
Xu Milu looked weak and thought for a minute before slowly saying:
"Ah...maybe it's because I have too much to do, and I just can't be happy?"
After leaving the post-apocalyptic world and returning to Earth, she belatedly realized how exhausted she was. Whether it was the fact that she had inexplicably gained a biological "father," the lack of progress in refining her external body using the White Jade Immortal Lotus Root, or the upcoming official cooperation she had to deal with, all of these things gave her a huge headache.
They practically wish they could split one person into eight.
In comparison, making it to the finals of the Culinary God Competition seemed rather uneventful.
"Little Martial Aunt, have you gone mad lately from researching new dishes? I noticed a murderous aura about you even when you were making spring pancakes and slicing radish today!"
Li Ning touched his chin, as if he wanted to say something more:
"How about we take a flight to that newly opened trendy restaurant in Nanjing? I heard a lot of celebrities have checked it out. It has a 360-degree rotating view, offering stunning night views of Nanjing, and the waiters are incredibly good-looking. The ingredients are all air-freighted daily from their place of origin—"
"Zheng—"
With a sharp crack, the cleaver in Xu Milu's hand had already sunk an inch into the cutting board. She looked at Li Ning and smiled slightly.
"Qingli said you made another bet with that Guan kid about me?"
"Plop—"
Li Ning swallowed hard and gave an embarrassed smile:
"Hot pot, hot pot is great, hot pot is just perfect! Nobody can stop me today, we're eating hot pot!!"
Although he didn't know what had happened, the resentment emanating from Xu Milu was so strong that even the Evil Sword Immortal would have to call her "Big Brother"!
He still really wanted to live.
...
...
There are many types of hot pot in China. Sichuan and Chongqing hot pot, which is mainly spicy, focuses on the freshness and enjoyment of the ingredients. Chaoshan beef hot pot, which mainly features beef, focuses on the tenderness and health benefits of the beef. Seafood hot pot, which originated from Chaozhou and Guangdong, focuses on the original flavor of the ingredients, as well as its light and nutritious taste. Mushroom hot pot from Yunnan, Guizhou and Sichuan focuses on the freshness and unique characteristics of mushrooms.
There are many different types of hot pot, including sauerkraut fish hot pot, cured meat hot pot, bullfrog and fish head hot pot, coconut chicken hot pot, pork tripe and chicken hot pot, and tofu hot pot, which are based on the ingredients in the broth. There are also hot pots that focus more on the broth, such as chrysanthemum hot pot, congee hot pot, and lamb spine hot pot. The combination of ingredients is ever-changing, and the connotation of the broth is all-encompassing.
Xu Milu's favorite food, however, is the Sichuan-Chongqing nine-square hot pot, which makes people sweat profusely and feel incredibly satisfied.
Legend has it that hot pot first became popular among dockworkers. Because most of the ingredients were made from animal offal and scraps, it was inexpensive. And because the workers ate from the same pot, the "nine-compartment" hot pot came into being.
A pot of soup base is divided into nine compartments using a special design, allowing you to keep your portion of food in the corresponding compartment. Sharing the meal with strangers at the same table adds a touch of江湖 (jianghu, a term referring to the world of martial arts and chivalry) to the dining ritual.
Cleaned and sliced tripe, arranged on ice, was served. Crisp pieces of beef aorta were arranged on a plate, and tender pink duck intestines were coiled up like a trembling, blooming flower. The sliced beef and mutton rolls were as thin as paper, the white fat and bright red meat creating a striking visual contrast. Thinly sliced blackfish meat was translucent and would curl into tiny fish flowers when placed in the pot...
The soaked dried gongcai (a type of edible herb) is a vibrant green, and it breaks easily when pinched. Crisp lotus roots are neatly arranged on a plate, with clusters of black fungus placed alongside them...
It can be said that any ingredient is suitable for hot pot; no food in the world is more versatile than hot pot.
The dark red broth boils at high temperature, with Sichuan peppercorns and chili peppers rising and falling on the surface. The intense aroma rushes into everyone's nostrils, and even a shallow inhale can make one feel choked.
The braised tiger-skin chicken feet look plump and thick. Whether you eat them directly or cook them in a pot until they are soft and tender, they are irresistible. The ice jelly drizzled with brown sugar syrup is crystal clear and topped with a layer of sweet and sour raisins.
"I'm starting to eat!"
Xu Milu sighed contentedly:
"That's more like it! Life should be all about farming and food!"
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