Chapter 212 Just one vote away
Four groups of people took turns bringing their carefully prepared dishes to the table, and the air was instantly filled with various fresh aromas, making people's mouths water.
Chef Wang's sweet and sour pork ribs are a visual feast. The sauce is evenly coated and glistening, and each piece of rib is cut to the same size and neatly arranged on a white porcelain plate.
The carrots and emerald green vegetables carved into the shape of magnolia flowers on the side are so exquisite that they are like works of art that you are reluctant to eat. Just looking at them is enough to make people admire them.
Chen Chen's steamed fish is presented in a unique way. The fish body is slightly arched, as if it is leaping out of the water. The surface is covered with fine scallions and bright red pepper strips, making it eye-catching with its red and white colors.
Lin Qiao and Xia Paopao's scrambled eggs with tomatoes are all about the rustic charm of home cooking. The eggs are golden and tender, and the tomatoes are red and juicy. Although the presentation is simple, it shows care in every detail and looks especially appetizing.
When it was Su Yingxue's group's turn, Shen Yu smiled and stepped forward to help carry the plates. The plates were the most common white porcelain type, without any fancy decorations.
The cola chicken wings on the plate were naturally eye-catching—the color was a perfect bright red, the thick sauce clung tightly to each wing, slowly dripping down the grain, and the rich sweet aroma mixed with the meaty fragrance wafted freely, making one's mouth water just by smelling it.
Shen Yu stood to the side, her back ramrod straight, and proudly proclaimed, "These are cola chicken wings that my sister Su and I made together. The taste is absolutely amazing! You'll know how incredible they are once you try them!"
Zhu Lili glanced at the plate of cola chicken wings, a contemptuous smile curving her lips, her heart filled with disdain: "This mediocre plating dares to compare with our group? Chef Wang's sweet and sour pork ribs are ten times better than hers, it's simply humiliating."
As she spoke, she insisted on personally picking up her group's sweet and sour pork ribs before the staff could approach.
His tone was authoritative and unquestionable: "This is the highlight of our group's event. I'll carry it myself to prevent anyone from messing around and ruining its appearance."
Although everyone felt that her actions were a bit flamboyant, they didn't say much.
No one noticed that when Zhu Lili hurriedly turned around, a strand of her hair inadvertently brushed against the edge of the plate, and a tiny black hair silently stuck to the sauce of the sweet and sour pork ribs.
The strands of hair are hidden in the gaps between the carvings, and are almost impossible to notice without careful observation.
The voting process began quickly, with everyone holding a vote and casting it for the dish that best suited their taste.
Zhu Lili stood beside the judges' panel, her eyes constantly giving hints to the staff she knew, a confident smile on her lips, certain that she had victory in the bag.
Chef Wang looked calm and composed, his fingertips gently rubbing his cuffs. He was extremely confident in his knife skills, cooking time, and seasoning of his sweet and sour pork ribs, believing that no one could compare to him.
A moment later, the voting results were tallied. Hu Xiaoguang, holding the voting board, deliberately dragged out his words to keep everyone in suspense: "Why don't you all guess which group will be the winner of this round?"
Zhu Lili immediately raised her hand, her voice sharp and confident: "It's definitely our team! Chef Wang's sweet and sour pork ribs are perfect in color, aroma, and taste; there's no reason for us not to win!"
Shen Yu immediately frowned and retorted defiantly, "Not necessarily! Our team's cola chicken wings are absolutely delicious; we might just win!"
Hu Xiaoguang smiled and shook his head, then loudly announced the results: "Without further ado, here are the results of this round of voting—Shen Yu and Su Yingxue's group, sixteen votes! Zhu Lili and Chef Wang's group, fifteen votes! Lin Qiaoxia and Bubble's group, ten votes! Chen Mo and Chen Chen's group, thirteen votes! Therefore, the winner of this round is Su Yingxue and Shen Yu's group!"
As soon as she finished speaking, the entire room erupted in an uproar. Zhu Lili's smile froze abruptly, as if she had been frozen in place, and her pupils contracted sharply.
She rushed forward in disbelief: "Impossible! Absolutely impossible! How could it be just one vote less? How could my sweet and sour pork ribs lose to a lousy cola chicken wing? You must have cheated on the vote!"
Chef Wang's face instantly darkened, turning ashen and almost dripping with water. He clenched his fists and stared intently at his sweet and sour pork ribs.
I really can't understand how my carefully crafted dishes could be defeated by a simple, unskilled home-cooked meal.
Then a staff member hesitated and pointed to the plate: "Ms. Zhu, Chef Wang, during the voting just now, one of the judges found... a hair stuck to the ribs."
Upon hearing this, Zhu Lili's face turned deathly pale. She hurriedly looked down and, sure enough, found the thin brown hair next to the carved carrot—it was her own hair. She froze instantly, her previous arrogance vanishing without a trace.
She then realized her oversight in insisting on serving the dishes, and felt both angry and flustered, yet unable to refute it.
Lin Qiao frowned, a hint of disappointment flashing in her eyes. Xia Paopao, however, saw through it all and gently tugged at Lin Qiao's arm, comforting her with a smile: "It's okay, Sister Lin Qiao. Sister Xiao Su's cola chicken wings are really delicious. It's not unfair that you lost."
Shen Yu jumped up excitedly and rushed over to hug Su Yingxue, her voice filled with joy: "Sister Su! We won! We really beat Zhu Lili's group! I knew you were the best!"
Xia Paopao cheered and jumped for joy, shouting, "That's great, Sister Su! You're amazing!"
A faint but genuine smile spread across Su Yingxue's face as she softly thanked the staff present.
She looked up at Zhu Lili, whose face was pale, and spoke in a calm tone that carried an undeniable power.
"It seems that cooking is not about superficial refinement; home-cooked dishes made with heart can also touch people's hearts."
Zhu Lili was so angry that she trembled all over, her face turning pale and then red, but she was blocked by that hair and couldn't say a word in rebuttal.
She could only glare at Su Yingxue, snort coldly, and turn away abruptly, muttering through gritted teeth, "What's so smug about? You only won one round by luck. Just you wait and see, you'll be crying later!"
Director Hu Xiaoguang aptly smoothed things over, clapping with a smile: "Congratulations to Shen Yu and Su Yingxue's team on their victory! They'll get priority when choosing ingredients tomorrow. And as punishment, Zhu Lili's team will have to wash the dishes for Su Yingxue's team for a whole day!"
Now everyone, please rest and recuperate. A new round of competition begins tomorrow. Also, I have some great news: a special guest will be joining us as a judge tomorrow!
Upon hearing the words "mysterious big shot," everyone instantly became excited, their eyes filled with anticipation.
Shen Yu held Su Yingxue's hand tightly, her voice trembling with excitement: "Sister Su, you're amazing! There are big-name judges tomorrow, we're sure to win again! From now on, I'm sticking with you and learning to cook from you, I'm determined to get rid of the 'kitchen newbie' label as soon as possible!"
Su Yingxue shook her head helplessly and amusedly, but in her heart she felt a little more looking forward to tomorrow's competition.
She turned to look out the window. The setting sun was slowly sinking, and the golden afterglow bathed the entire courtyard. The warm light, combined with the aroma of food, made it all the more pleasant.
She never imagined that being half-coaxed and half-tricked by Shen Yu to participate in this variety show would bring her such unique enjoyment.
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