Xu Qinyu looked at the shocked and admiring expressions of the crowd and said with a smile: "This noodle is called 'National Beauty and Heavenly Fragrance', and it has a milky and sweet flavor. The other pot is pepper and sesame pork stuffing flower rolls, also called 'Human Fireworks'. It tastes like pepper and sesame, which is quite refreshing, and has the rich aroma of meat stuffing and noodles."
She just briefly introduced two kinds of pastries, and everyone was already drooling.
Xu Qinyu's pastries were the first to come out of the pot, because when she was making 'National Beauty and Heavenly Fragrance', other chefs almost all stopped what they were doing and watched her make peony flower after peony flower. It was not until she came up and started steaming the peony flowers that the chefs came back to their senses and started to work on their own tasks. So at this moment, Xu Qinyu's pastries were the first to come out of the pot.
When the chef brought the plates of "peony flowers" and steamed buns to the judges.
The judges' eyes were first attracted by the gorgeous peony flower. It was so beautiful that they were reluctant to eat it. In the end, all the judges ate the flower roll first. Xu Qinyu called this flower roll "fireworks on earth". Compared with the peony, the flower roll is nothing but fireworks on earth.
After eating the flower roll, the aroma of meat mixed with spicy flavor filled the mouth. The dough for the flower roll was very well fermented, fluffy, soft and a little chewy, with a rich noodle aroma, not sour or hard at all. With the spicy taste, a little meat filling and the fragrance of green onions, several judges couldn't help but eat it bite by bite. Soon, one flower roll was finished, but they were still not satisfied and wanted to continue eating.
Even the most ordinary steamed buns made by this young cook taste different. They are really delicious and there is nothing wrong with them.
The pepper and spiciness flavors prepared by Xu Qinyu are just right, both slightly numbing and slightly spicy, and most people can eat them.
There were still a lot of steamed buns left, so Xu Qinyu put a dozen of them in a food box and would go downstairs to give them to Zhizhi, Yunlan, and Lianhua later.
After the judges finished eating the steamed buns, they looked at the large steamer in front of Xu Qinyu. Knowing that she had steamed a lot of steamed buns, they wanted to eat more, but they were too embarrassed to open their mouths, so they could only continue to judge other peonies.
Looking down at the peony flower in front of me, I was reluctant to destroy its beauty, so I could only tear off a petal. It was full of milky aroma and light sweetness, and the dough was also a little chewy.
The crowd watching below couldn't help but feel a sense of regret and reluctance when they saw the judges tearing off the petals of such a beautiful peony.
The feeling of reluctance gradually dissipated when the judges had eaten all the peonies.
After the judges have finished eating, they will naturally select people from the crowd to taste the food.
This is also the place that the people below are most looking forward to.
Ten people were quickly selected, but someone said, "Ms. Xu has made a lot of 'National Beauty' and 'Fireworks on Earth', right? Can we pick a few more people to taste and rate them?"
Everyone was really envious of the food Xu Qinyu made.
This was the first time the judges had encountered such a situation, but they finally agreed. After all, the people's scores would not be included in the total score, so they could just taste it.
Xu Qinyu had people distribute all the remaining peony flower milk steamed buns and flower rolls, but the flower rolls in the food box remained untouched.
Almost everyone chose to eat the steamed buns first, and Mudan was reluctant to touch them.
The steamed buns smelled delicious. Someone ate them and said, "They are delicious. They are really delicious. I have never eaten such delicious steamed buns. The wives at home should learn how to make steamed buns from Miss Xu. How come Miss Xu can make ordinary steamed buns so delicious?"
"Yes, it's really delicious. I only took one bite and it was gone. I want more."
"I can't bear to eat this peony..."
"Me too……"
Because it is a cooking competition, the cooking methods of these dishes are open to the public and can be learned by anyone.
Even if these people were reluctant to eat the peony flower steamed bun, they would eventually tear off a petal. After tasting the rich milky flavor, they no longer felt reluctant and ate the entire peony flower in big mouthfuls.
In the end, everyone gave it full marks.
The judges were no exception, they couldn't fault the noodles at all, whether in taste, shape, color, aroma or flavor.
Not only the peony flower steamed buns, but even the flower rolls are particularly beautiful, with uniform sizes, like small flowers.
When the judges gave full marks, the crowd couldn't help but cheer.
Xu Qinyu also smiled, and finally took the food box downstairs and returned to her friend and Lianhua.
The three of them blushed with excitement. Yang Zhizhi said happily: "Qinyu, you are amazing!"
Xu Qinyu smiled and said, "You must be hungry. There are still a few steamed buns left. You can eat them to fill your stomach. You can go back for dinner later."
There are five hours in a day, so only twenty players can participate in the midfield each day, and it takes a total of five days.
The three of them each took a steamed bun and prepared to eat it, but they found that the people around them were staring at the steamed buns in their hands. In the end, they were too embarrassed to eat it, so they passed the steamed buns to the people around them, "We had something to fill our stomachs at noon, how about we try these steamed buns together?"
I didn’t even feel comfortable eating the lotus, which was my most delicious dish, and gave the steamed bun to someone else.
Xu Qinyu was naturally too embarrassed to eat, so she distributed all the steamed buns in the food box.
In the end, the crowd took the steamed buns with a smile and congratulated Xu Qinyu with a smile. Many of them even wished her the first prize in advance. Everyone could see that although the young lady was young, she was a very good cook. No matter whether it was the red or white dishes, there was nothing wrong with her performance, and there was no doubt that there would be no problem with the final result.
Some people around me were reluctant to eat these steamed buns and planned to take them home for their children to taste.
By the time the remaining chefs had finished scoring, it was already dark, so they all went home.
The highest average score of the remaining 19 chefs was only 90.
In the following days, Xu Qinyu stopped going to the city to watch the competition.
It was not until the fourth day that she went there again with Lianhua and Zhizhi. This time they would announce the chefs who would be promoted to the final stage. She would naturally be among them, as well as nine other chefs, including Kong Kun.
After the finalists are announced, there will also be a day off to allow the judges to prepare the food.
For the final round of the competition, three dishes, one soup and steamed rice must be prepared. The chefs can decide on their own what three dishes and one soup to make, write down the ingredients, kitchen utensils and seasonings needed, and give them to the judges to prepare the ingredients.
Xu Qinyu wrote down the ingredients, seasonings and kitchen utensils she needed, handed them to the judges and then went back out of the city.
The next day, Xu Qinyu continued to be busy in the restaurant.
Early in the morning of the third day, Xu Qinyu, Lianhua and two good friends rode a carriage to Raozhou City.
They had just finished breakfast. It was still early in the morning. As autumn came, the weather was a little chilly, especially in the morning. Several people were wearing thin ponchos. When they arrived at the place and there were many people, it would be hot and dry, so they could take off the ponchos.
It only takes two quarters of an hour to get from the restaurant to the prefectural government residence by horse-drawn carriage.
The road was a government road, and there were people walking into the city in groups of three or four. They were all villagers from nearby.
On the way, Xu Qinyu's heart skipped a beat for some reason. She thought it was because she didn't sleep well the night before.
She had some dreams last night, so she was not in a very good mood. She planned to catch up on some sleep during the half hour she was in the city, but for some reason, her heart skipped a beat and she couldn't fall asleep. She simply opened the curtain a little and looked outside.
There was a stretch of road where both sides were lined with reeds. It was autumn now, and the reeds were growing lushly, with white fluff floating all over the ground.
Xu Qinyu was thinking about her fourth brother.
She was not worried at all about the last cooking competition today. She had the utmost confidence in cooking.
Not long after her fourth brother left, she already missed him. She wondered when his business would end. In fact, the family was no longer short of money, but her fourth brother was a man and wanted to pursue his own business. She would not stop him. If possible in the future, she could get him a caravan, so that she could transport some of the food and ingredients she made that could be stored for a long time to the south for sale, and then bring back some ingredients and specialties that were unique to the south.
Just as she was thinking about it, Lianhua suddenly opened the curtain in front of her and looked at Xu Qinyu with a serious expression.
Xu Qinyu was stunned for a moment, not knowing what Lianhua meant by suddenly turning around. Lianhua pointed at the curtain that Xu Qinyu had lifted a little and gestured to her. Xu Qinyu immediately understood what Lianhua meant, which was to let her put down the curtain.
Xu Qinyu's heart skipped a beat. She had a bad feeling. She quickly lowered the curtain and mouthed silently, "Lianhua, what happened?"
Yang Zhizhi and Xu Yunlan were confused. Yang Zhizhi was about to ask Lianhua what was going on, but Xu Yunlan probably realized something was wrong, so she quickly grabbed Zhizhi and made a hissing gesture. Only then did Yang Zhizhi cover her mouth and nose and didn't say anything.
Lianhua looked at the three people seriously, and finally took out three daggers from her arms and threw them into their arms.
When Yang Zhizhi saw the dagger, her face turned pale. Xu Yunlan was okay, because her father Xu Kongmu knew some Kung Fu and she also practiced it secretly. So she was not so scared at this moment. She picked up the dagger and stuffed it into the arms of her two friends.
Xu Qinyu knew that Lianhua was skilled in martial arts, so she must have known that something was wrong outside. There must have been an ambush targeting her?
Or Zhizhi and Yunlan?
Because Zhizhi and Yunlan are the daughters of Yang County Magistrate and Xu Kongmu, and they are afraid that they have enemies, so they target their daughters.
But Xu Qinyu still felt that it must be related to her, and she happened to be on her way to the city for the competition.
Her mind suddenly skipped a beat. Could it be that it was because of this cooking competition? Someone didn't want her to win the championship, so they sent someone to target her?
This was the first time she encountered such a situation. Her face turned slightly pale and she held the dagger tightly in her hand.
After Lianhua threw in three daggers, she turned around and felt under the seat. She didn't know what she touched, so she opened the curtain and threw something in. They were three leather gloves, but not ordinary leather gloves. There was a secret hidden on them. There was a small mechanism on the gloves. Lianhua motioned for them to put them on their hands. After putting them on, they would know how to use them. After putting them on, there was a mechanism on the palm of their hands. As long as they pressed it, some hidden weapon should be able to be launched.
Yang Zhizhi's face turned pale and she put on the leather gloves tremblingly.
Xu Qinyu was a little frightened at the beginning, but now her expression has returned to normal. She quickly put on the gloves, and then touched the mechanism on the palm of her hand. She whispered in Yang Zhizhi's ear: "Zhizhi, there is a mechanism on the palm of your hand. If anything happens later, and a bad guy rushes in front of you, just press the mechanism and aim it at the guy's chest or head."
Yang Zhizhi nodded tremblingly again.
Xu Yunlan was like a newborn calf that is not afraid of a tiger, her expression did not change at all.
Just as the three men put on their gloves, suddenly an arrow shot through the curtain and got stuck in the carriage inside. Fortunately, no one was hurt. The three men's faces changed and they quickly crouched down.
Then Xu Qinyu felt a shock in the front of the carriage, and the sound of weapons clashing came from outside, along with a shout from Lianhua.
Xu Qinyu knew clearly that the three of them had no martial arts skills, and would be of no help to Lianhua if they went out now. As long as they could take care of themselves, it would be the best idea.
Xu Qinyu had no idea what was happening outside. She just stared closely at the car curtains and doors, intending to press the mechanism on her palm as soon as someone came in. If anyone else got close, she would stab them with the dagger.
She kept telling herself not to be afraid.
It was unclear how long it had been, perhaps only a short while, and I could only hear the screams of passing villagers, "Yes, there are bandits, hurry, run."
There were also men's cries of pain, muffled groans, and curses: "How come this bitch's martial arts are so advanced? That person didn't say that one of them knew martial arts. Damn it, don't fight her. The rest of you can go to the carriage and kill the bitches inside."
Upon hearing this, Xu Qinyu clenched the dagger tightly.
Yang Zhizhi was so frightened that she almost cried, with tears in her eyes, but she did not back down. She held the dagger firmly in her hand, while Xu Yunlan protected the two of them behind her.
Soon, footsteps were heard outside, and the carriage door was hacked open, but no one rushed in. Instead, a man yelled in pain, "Damn it, the horse kicked me!"
Soon after, someone else rushed over and seemed to have chopped the horse's butt with a knife. The horse pulling the carriage outside let out a sharp neigh.
"Damn it! This horse was injured but it didn't panic and ran away. It's a good horse. It's going to kill someone soon. Remember to bring the horse back."
After she finished speaking, someone leaned forward and looked like an ordinary man. Xu Yunlan did not hesitate at all. She raised her hand, aimed it at the man's head, pressed the mechanism in her hand, and a hidden weapon shot out and hit the man's forehead. The man's eyes widened, a drop of blood oozed from his brow, and he fell backwards.
"Third brother!" someone outside roared.
This was Xu Yunlan's first time killing someone, and her face couldn't help but turn pale.
Two more people rushed in. This time, the three people in the carriage couldn't help but raise their palms and press them towards the two people who rushed in. Three more hidden weapons were shot out. Two of them missed the target. One of them was only injured in the arm and waist, but was still able to move. He showed a ferocious expression, stared at Xu Qinyu, and reached out to grab her.
At this moment, Xu Qinyu was certain that these people were coming for her.
The three of them raised their daggers and stabbed at the same time. For some reason, the man's movements were a little slow, and he was stabbed by them. Then black blood flowed from the corners of his lips, and he fell headfirst into the carriage, looking like he was poisoned.
Afterwards, two more people rushed over, but were dealt with by the three. The noise outside gradually died down. Suddenly, a head popped over. The three were about to press the mechanism on their palms when they found it was Lian Hua, with blood all over her face.
Lianhua wiped her face and showed her big white teeth to the three people, "Don't worry, it's me, Master. I killed all these people. We are safe now."
Xu Qinyu finally breathed a sigh of relief. With her weak hands and feet, she clung to the carriage window frame and looked outside. There were at least a dozen people lying outside. Some of them had already died, and a few others were lying on the ground with signs of struggle. They wanted to crawl over to the reeds, but Lianhua stepped forward and stepped on the back of the man's hand. "Be quiet, or I'll kill you if you try to run again!"
The man's hand was stepped on and he howled like a ghost.
Xu Qinyu and Xu Yunlan helped themselves down from the carriage. Both of them felt weak in the knees and almost fell down when getting off the carriage.
Yang Zhizhi in the carriage was huddled in a corner. She was the most timid person and did not dare to get off the carriage. She just huddled there with her eyes closed and trembling.
After getting off the carriage, Xu Qinyu also saw the scene outside. It was a bit horrible. Many people were beaten to death by Lianhua. There was blood all over the ground. The two or three people who were still alive had almost no strength to fight and lay on the ground howling.
The person who was shot in the center of the eyebrows by Yunlan's hidden weapon had the blood flowing out from his eyebrows turned black. It should be because the hidden weapon was coated with poison.
There were people passing by who were terrified and wanted to turn around and run back to the village. Xu Qinyu said hurriedly, "It's all right now. I'd like to trouble my sisters-in-law, aunts, and brothers to go to the city and report to the authorities."
We are only halfway to the city.
The villagers also recognized Xu Qinyu. "Are you the owner of Xu's? The young lady who participated in the cooking competition in the city?"
Xu Qinyu nodded, "That's right, please help me report it to the authorities."
Seeing that these criminals were indeed unable to move, everyone felt relieved and planned to leave together to go to the city to report to the authorities for Xu Qinyu.
After the villagers trotted away, Xu Qinyu looked back at the carriage, which was also stained with blood. There was also a black horse with a knife on its butt, and a lot of blood was flowing. Xu Qinyu felt distressed when she saw it, and went over to unload the carriage at the back.
Seeing this, Xu Yunlan and Lianhua hurried over to help unload the carriage. Xu Qinyu patted the horse and said, "Lie down and rest for a while."
They were not afraid of the horses being injured. If the horses were frightened and ran around, even if the women in the carriage were not killed by these bandits, they might easily get into trouble because of the frightened horses running around.
Xu Qinyu remembered that this horse was also brought back to her by her fourth brother. She would usually take time to go to the stable to feed the horse herself. Now that she saw it injured, she felt heartbroken.
Upon seeing this, Lianhua went to get a wooden box from under the carriage seat, opened it, and saw that it was full of various ulcer medicines, strong liquor, and needles and thread, which should be used for first aid.
Lianhua was also very skilled in these tasks. She first used strong liquor to help rinse the wound on the back of the horse's buttocks.
The horse moved uneasily. Xu Qinyu hurried over to touch the horse's head, smoothed its mane, and said gently, "It's okay, don't be afraid. This is to heal your wounds."
The horse calmed down until Lianhua washed the wound on its butt with strong liquor, sprinkled it with golden abscess medicine, and took needle and thread to sew the wound up.
Lianhua was very skilled at this job and comforted Xu Qinyu, "Don't worry, Master. It's fine. The wound is not deep and the bone is not injured. Just sew the wound for a few days and apply medicine three times a day. It will heal soon and it won't affect it at all in the future."
She recognized that this was his highness's horse. Like his highness, it was very steady. If it were any other horse, it would have been frightened and ran away. That was why she dared to leave her master and the others in the carriage.
Xu Qinyu felt relieved after hearing this.
Zhizhi, who was in the carriage, also plucked up the courage to get down. When she saw the corpses and blood on the ground outside, she couldn't help but ran to the reeds and vomited. Xu Yunlan came over with a bottle of water to take care of Zhizhi.
Xu Qinyu was no longer that scared at this moment, but she felt a little nauseous when she saw the broken limbs, corpses and blood on the ground.
There was nothing they could do now but wait for the officials from the city to arrive.
Xu Qinyu tried her best not to focus on that. She asked Lianhua, "Lianhua, are they coming for me?"
Lianhua nodded, "Probably. And they are not very good at disguising themselves. They pretended to be pedestrians waiting on the road, but their expressions were totally wrong. There was also a knife clearly stuck on their waist and back. I saw it at a glance. But they are just a bunch of useless bandits, probably mountain bandits or water bandits from somewhere. They don't have any advanced martial arts, so don't worry, master. If they come like this, I can beat a hundred of them alone."
Xu Qinyu frowned and thought, these people were obviously bribed by someone to harm her, and they didn't want to leave any survivors, they just wanted her life.
Could it be related to the cooking competition? Someone doesn't want her to win, so who could it be?
Several people waited on the roadside for half an hour, and finally a yamen runner came over on horseback. He was a little surprised to see the scene, and after asking a few simple questions, he took the bodies of the bandits back to the yamen first, and also carried the other three or more bandits back.
Xu Qinyu still had to participate in a cooking competition, so she couldn't go back to the yamen with the yamen runners. She just asked, "My lords, can you wait until I finish participating in today's cooking competition before going to the yamen?"
Yang Zhizhi and Xu Yunlan followed up and said, "We also know how these people committed the crime. Can we go to the government office with a few officials to cooperate in the investigation?"
The yamen runners also recognized Xu Qinyu and knew that she was the most famous young cook in Raozhou City recently, so they were naturally willing, "Okay, let's go back to the city first."
Even the injured black horse was temporarily taken back to the yamen by the officials.
However, by the time Xu Qinyu arrived at the competition venue at the prefectural mansion, it was already very late. The final cooking competition had already started for two quarters of an hour, or half an hour.
The judges were wondering why Xu Qinyu hadn't shown up at this hour, but when they saw her appear, dusty and covered in blood, they couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief and said, "Miss Xu, did something happen on the way? Now that you're here, let's get started. The ingredients and kitchenware you requested have been prepared, so you should still be in time."
It was the last competition of the day, and there were only ten people left. We were given two hours, or four hours in total, to prepare three dishes, one soup, and rice, which was plenty of time.
Fortunately, there is no rule in the competition that says you can't continue the competition if you are late, but some people are still dissatisfied and can't help but say, "Ms. Xu is already 25 minutes late, how can she continue the competition? If so, aren't the rules too lax?"