Chapter 74 Cooking Competition
Isn’t it a loss?
Hao Datong asked Yang Guojun.
To hold a beam-raising banquet and prepare so many dishes, each person would only need 100 yuan, so for more than 100 people, it would only cost more than 10,000 yuan. I would need to buy two pigs, hire a chef, and find help...
When you add it all up, it's a complete mess.
Hao Datong didn't understand, so he simply asked Yang Guojun.
Yang Guofeng smiled and said, "Old Secretary, that's not how the accounts are calculated. Just wait and see!"
Yang Guofeng asked him to wait, so Hao Datong kept waiting. After the people finished their meal, they lazily dispersed. It was too early to go now. If he didn't find something to do, his stomach would be too full.
So some people set their sights on the picking project and found Xia Wu. Each person paid a certain amount of money, 89 for adults and 59 for children. They could take home fruits, melons and vegetables picked from the mountains within three kilograms. If they exceeded three kilograms, they had to pay the original price.
The full crowd carried baskets that had been prepared long ago. Xia Wu had already arranged for someone to lead the way for them. There were fruit orchards and vegetable gardens halfway up the mountain, and they could pick whatever they wanted.
The picking activity that costs less than 100 yuan per person does not seem expensive, but more than 100 tourists who come prepared will basically pay for the experience, which means they will earn nearly 10,000 yuan.
Now that we're here, there are so many fruits and vegetables on the mountain. Wouldn't it be enough to only pick three pounds?
The excess is equivalent to selling vegetables, which is another source of income.
It seems that Xia Wu is the only one making money, but in fact, there are only fruits and vegetables on Xia Wu's hill. Some tourists also want to buy local chickens and eggs. The chickens, ducks and geese raised by Xia Wu are not big enough to lay eggs. If you want to buy other things, you can only go to the village.
Tourists had come to Yanggou Village to buy things before, and Lu Yuan even gave everyone a guide in the group, telling others to go to such and such houses to buy eggs and duck eggs when they come to visit...
In this way, some people in the village can benefit from it and earn some money.
After dinner, Hao Datong did not leave but strolled on Yantou Mountain. Yang Guofeng accompanied him for many rounds, until the old secretary's eyes were sore.
He seemed to see hope for Yanggou Village, but where was the hope for Haotang Village?
Most of the guests in Shuijing Courtyard had left, and only a few were still eating the few remaining dishes.
Ma Xiaoyan burped contentedly and looked at the time. Before she knew it, she had been immersed in eating for more than an hour.
I touched my stomach and it was about 70% full. I could still eat a little more.
She walked around the table with the tray. Unfortunately, many of the dishes were already empty. But since it was a buffet, she could understand. "There are still some that slipped through the net. Let me eat you all so that there won't be any waste."
Seeing the fried small yellow croaker on a plate not far away, the crispy small yellow croaker tasted good. Ma Xiaoyan's mouth began to secrete saliva, and she hurriedly ran to ask someone to serve her some.
"Please give me the remaining small yellow croaker!"
"I want small yellow croaker!"
The two trays bumped into each other at the same time. Ma Xiaoyan looked and was surprised to see that this fat boy had come from nowhere. Luo Baosen was only as tall as Ma Xiaoyan's shoulders, but he was one and a half times wider than her, and very plump.
The two foodies immediately recognized their rival and once again simultaneously reached forward to grab their plates, saying in unison, "I was here first!"
Zhao Jing was at a loss as to what to do with the small yellow croaker, looking embarrassed.
"There's only this one..."
Luo Baosen took the initiative and said, "Sister, I am a child and I am still growing. Please give it to me."
Ma Xiaoyan had a blank expression and refuted the question: "Stop eating, little fatty. If you keep eating, you won't be able to find a wife when you grow up."
Luo Baosen couldn't believe it: "I'm still a child, why am I looking for a wife?"
"It's for a rainy day, so give it to me."
Neither of them was willing to give in. Zhao Jing was caught between them. Unable to bear it any longer, she put the small yellow croaker directly into her mouth.
He muttered, "It's gone now. You guys should look for something else to eat."
Ma Yiyan and Luo Baosen: "..."
The two of them turned and left in silence.
But there aren't many edible dishes on the table.
At this moment, Robertson suddenly sniffed and ran into the house without saying a word, "There are new dishes!"
When Ma Yiyan smelled the familiar fragrance, she looked puzzled at first, and then she started looking for someone in the yard. Where was her grandfather?
When I went to the kitchen, I saw that the old man had come here somehow and was cooking for people.
There were two sets of pig intestines when the pig was slaughtered in the morning. There was no time to clean them, so Xia Wu simply didn't order this dish and asked Chef Zhang to collect it and take it home.
After the banquet, his daughter-in-law also cleaned up the pig intestines.
Some people hate pig intestines, while others like them. Chef Zhang is one of those people who particularly likes it. He likes stir-fried pig intestines with wine, and the more you drink, the better it tastes.
I originally planned to take it home, but I didn't expect it to come in handy now.
Ma Xueqing came to the kitchen and chatted with Chef Zhang for a while. The two of them were like meeting a close friend and were no longer satisfied with the verbal competition. Chef Zhang simply took out the pig intestines to see who was the real winner.
Without saying a word, Ma Xueqing prepared the dishes, lit the fire and poured in oil in the wok. With a sizzling sound, he poured in the prepared ingredients one after another, and a strange aroma came out.
The two old men each fried a portion of pig intestines, and the diners who stayed here to eat became the judges.
Xia Wu came down from the top of the mountain and just returned to the courtyard by the well, he saw a lot of people gathered in circles outside the kitchen.
She kept twitching her nose, wondering what the aroma came from.
Jindou and Heidou could no longer suppress their instincts and bravely rushed into the kitchen to beg for food.
"Xiao Wu, you're back. Come and try the pig intestines these two have fried!"
What? Pig intestines?
Xia Wu wanted to run away when she heard this. She didn't dare to eat this thing...
"I have something urgent to do down the mountain. I'll eat later."
She tried to run without saying a word, but Chef Zhang was quick to come out and stop her. "You can't leave. You're the only one missing. Come on, take a bite and see which one tastes better!"
There were only about ten people left in the yard, and they were all dragged into the competition by the two chefs. The final result was a coincidence: both sides were evenly matched and ended in a draw.
The two old men above were unwilling to accept this result, and Xia Wu just happened to come back.
After hearing this, Xia Wu was at a loss whether to laugh or cry. She really didn't want to eat.
But Chef Zhang was willing to pay a huge price, "Try it and give me 500 yuan less!"
Is there such a good thing?
Xia Wu thought for two seconds and refused righteously: "Uncle Zhang, this is not about money..."
"Eight hundred! No less!"
Chef Zhang looked very anxious.
Xia Wu was pulled forward and refused on the surface, but when she thought about saving 800 yuan...
She seemed less resistant.
Two dishes of stir-fried pig intestines were placed in front of him, and Xia Wu was given a bowl and chopsticks. "Try it quickly."
It's stressful to eat pig intestines while being stared at by others.
What if you vomit?
But seeing the two dishes were so delicious, Xia Wu was not so resistant.
Xia Wu picked up the dish on the left with his chopsticks and put it into his mouth solemnly.
She didn't dare to chew the first bite directly. She arched her cheeks and held her breath to test it carefully. There was no strange smell, so Xia Wu dared to breathe slowly.
It's chewy, crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, and tastes surprisingly good.
Seeing Xia Wu's expression change from resistance to acceptance, Chef Zhang breathed a sigh of relief, "How is it?"
Xia Wu gave a thumbs up and said, "Great, it tastes really good!"
"Try this one," Ma Xueqing moved the dish Xia Wu had eaten to the side and moved the dish on the right in front of her. "Please."
"Wait a minute, let me rinse my mouth first, otherwise I won't be able to taste the difference."
After rinsing his mouth, Xia Wu sat back in his seat and started to try the second dish.
The texture was still that of pig intestines, just as chewy, but with a bit more toughness. Xia Wu couldn't tell the specific difference, he just felt...
"Which one do you like?"
The two old men looked at Xia Wu expectantly.
Xia Wu swallowed the food in his mouth and smiled awkwardly: "I'm not a professional, and this is my first time eating pig intestines. I don't know what's so good about it. If my humble opinion is not good, please don't blame me."
She only recognized Chef Zhang and didn't know Ma Xueqing. She guessed that he was a tourist who came here to play. Who knows how he ended up competing with Chef Zhang in cooking skills.
"Okay, just tell me."
"The little girl is quite cautious. Tell me, there is no high or low in cooking skills. It's just a matter of personal preference."
Xia Wu put on his armor and pointed at the first dish: "I personally like this dish more. If I eat the second one first, I probably won't eat the first one."
The second dish tastes stronger than the first. In other words, for those who don’t like pig intestines, it is difficult to overcome the psychological barrier.
Hearing this, the two old men had different expressions. Xia Wu asked, "May I ask who cooked the first dish?"
Ma Xueqing nodded, "It's me."
"What's your last name, old man?"
"No need to call me Ma, just call me Old Ma."
"Grandpa Ma is also a cook?"
"I'm not talented. I've been a cook for fifty or sixty years."
"That's impressive, but Chef Zhang's cooking isn't bad either. Perhaps the only thing missing is asking me to taste the food. I don't like pig intestines, so it's definitely a little off-putting..."
Xia Wu tried to comfort Chef Zhang.
Unexpectedly, Ma Xueqing gave a wry smile: "Winning or losing is uncertain, but I do know where I fell short in the cooking of this dish."
He bowed to Chef Zhang and said, "When you come to the provincial capital next time, just come to Ma's Restaurant to find me. I promise to cook a good meal for you!"
Chef Zhang raised his hand politely, a hint of joy on his face: "Of course, of course."
Only after Ma Xueqing took his granddaughter to pick the fruits did Xia Wu dare to ask Zhao Jing what had happened.
The two old men battled their cooking skills in the kitchen and made more than just pig intestines. Mr. Ma was slightly better at vegetarian dishes, while Chef Zhang was slightly better at meat dishes.
Finally, Mr. Ma took the initiative to ask for a competition in roasting pig intestines. In fact, they had already competed twice before Xia Wu came.
One of them lost and the other won. As for the third game, it was the wisdom of the people in the courtyard. They were afraid that the two old men would hurt each other, so they wanted to make them draw.
But the two old men were both smart, so they naturally saw through it and insisted on competing to see who was better. Just then, Xia Wu came back.
Zhao Jing whispered to Xia Wu, "Actually, everyone prefers Chef Zhang's fried pig intestines."
Xia Wu was puzzled: "Why? Don't you think the taste is a bit strong?"
Zhao Jing said matter-of-factly, "Eating pig intestines must have some flavor. Otherwise, there's no difference between pig intestines and meat. Why not just eat the meat?"
The pig intestines processed by the same person should not have much difference in taste, but Ma Xueqing deliberately removed excess fat when cooking this dish.
For diners who have a special liking for pig intestines, it is a waste of time.
Xia Wu suddenly understood.
Sure enough, she didn't understand how to eat pig intestines.
Chef Zhang and his family helped to clean up the mess, and they packed up the tables, chairs, benches, pots, pans, and prepared to leave.
Xia Wu found Chef Zhang and asked him to pay him the remaining balance.
Although Chef Zhang said that she could save 800 yuan if she only ate pig intestines, Xia Wu still gave him the money as agreed.
Chef Zhang counted the money in front of her and returned the extra eight hundred yuan to Xia Wu.
"Grandpa Zhang, please keep the money. You've worked hard today, coming to work before dawn. Consider it your hard work fee."
Chef Zhang would not tolerate any refusal. "Take the money. I don't want much. I still need your help with something."
"What's up?"
Chef Zhang nodded and said, "The thing is, I've been cooking for people from village to village all my life. Sometimes I'm so busy that I don't get to sleep for days. I've had enough of this life. It just so happens that the town middle school cafeteria is open for bidding. I'll be cooking there soon, and I'm thinking of buying the vegetables from you when the time comes. What do you think?"
Xia Wu had also heard about the bidding for the town middle school cafeteria.
Yang Mingyue came back on Sunday and mentioned in casual conversation that their school had a new principal.
The new principal was transferred from the city. The first of his three priorities was the cafeteria.
Previously, middle school cafeterias were controlled by relatives of the former principal. The food they cooked was expensive and unpalatable, and there were also serious hygiene issues.
Yang Mingyue said that a classmate in her class ate a swollen earthworm during lunch and became anorexic. Since then, he has never been to the cafeteria and has bought bread from the canteen every day to fill his stomach.
It is normal to eat pebbles, hair, etc.
The students all thought it was disgusting and didn't want to eat it, but there was nothing they could do.
Most of the students in the town’s middle school are boarders. They attend classes at school from Monday to Saturday. There is access control at the school gate, and it is impossible to leave the campus without a day pass.
School is over on Saturday afternoon and students have to go to class again on Sunday afternoon. Under the high pressure of studying, they can't even eat properly. Students hate the cafeteria window.
It happened that the new principal had just taken office, and before the person at the cafeteria window had been replaced, another problem occurred. This time, a dead mouse was fished out of the school's free rice porridge bucket. The new principal was also eating in the cafeteria that day. When he heard the news and rushed over, his face turned green when he saw the mouse, and he wanted to dig his throat and vomit.
That night, the contract of the customer who cooked at the canteen window was terminated.
The new principal launched an open bidding process to rebuild the cafeteria window.
This time it's not one company dominating the market, but a three-way competition.
The town middle school has four classes of students from sixth to ninth grade, with at least two to three thousand students. The cafeteria opened three windows and invited three bidders.
Chef Zhang felt that he was too old to prepare banquets, so he planned to take his wife to work in the school cafeteria to continue his work. It was time for his son and grandson to start their own business.
Chef Zhang was eager to cook for the children in the school, determined to do it well.
A good chef also needs good dishes to go with him. He thinks the dishes at Xia Wushantou are very suitable for children to eat.
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