Liu Yishou soaked the shredded potatoes in water and prepared the wok.
Once the oil in the pan was hot, he added the chopped garlic and chili peppers and stir-fried them until fragrant. Then, he added the soaked potato shreds and stir-fried them quickly.
Soon, the potatoes became translucent and looked very tempting. He then added salt, chicken bouillon, oyster sauce, and a suitable amount of white vinegar, and continued to stir-fry, allowing the potato shreds to fully absorb the flavors of the seasonings. Finally, he sprinkled some chopped green onions on top, stir-fried it evenly, and served it.
When Duan Dong brought the plate of shredded potatoes to the table, everyone was attracted by its color, aroma, and taste.
Following the numbers on the judging panel, everyone took turns picking up shredded potatoes and placing them in their own bowls to taste.
The first judge put a piece of shredded potato in his mouth, savored it carefully, and then his eyes widened in surprise. He exclaimed:
"Is this what potato dishes are like? They are indeed incredibly delicious."
The second judge chimed in, "This potato dish is absolutely wonderful! It's beautifully presented, fragrant, and delicious, with a wonderfully juicy texture that's very appetizing."
"Yes, these shredded potatoes are crisp and delicious. I never thought potatoes could be made into such a delicious dish."
...
Everyone praised the potato dish, saying it was delicious and Liu Yishou's cooking skills were superb.
Another one was Liu Yishou's rival, Duan Sanjue. He was lucky enough to draw the judge's number. He originally wanted to go on stage and embarrass Liu Yishou, and make a good mockery of his cooking skills.
However, he did not expect that Liu Yishou had such a perfect grasp of the cooking time for the shredded potatoes, making them very flavorful. If the plate hadn't already been completely devoured, he would have liked to take a few more bites.
Then, Liu Yishou demonstrated the third dish—candied potatoes.
He cut the potatoes into thin strips, deep-fried them until golden brown, then stir-fried a plate of sweet and sour sauce. He poured the fried potato strips into the pan and stir-fried them evenly.
The freshly cooked candied potatoes have an enticing color, with the sweet and sour sauce evenly coating the potato shreds. One bite is sweet and delicious, leaving you wanting more.
At this moment, the first dish, stewed potatoes with meat, was also ready, its aroma filling the air and whetting the appetite.
"Wow, these potato chunks are so soft and tender, they melt in your mouth, they're absolutely delicious."
"The meat broth has soaked into the potato chunks, and one bite is so satisfying."
"I'll make this dish for my mother-in-law when I get back. She has bad teeth, so this dish is perfect for her."
Everyone praised it highly, and the audience members were so hungry from watching it.
Liu Yishou then made a series of other dishes, including mashed potatoes, potato pancakes, French fries, stuffed potato balls, fried potato balls, and potato salad.
All the ingredients and seasonings were provided by Shen Danru, many of which Liu Yishou had never seen before.
He secretly made up his mind to follow Shen Danru closely.
Making more delicious dishes is his lifelong pursuit.
The people on stage savored the food, praising each dish as it was served, and finally summed it up in two words: "The potato dishes are truly delicious."
Although they could only look at them and not eat them, they decided to buy some potatoes and cook them at home themselves.
Before long, a long queue formed at the shop.
The busyness continued into the evening. Most people bought a few pounds of potatoes to take home and try, while only a small number of people were skeptical. Are potatoes really that delicious?
Some restaurants even bought dozens of kilograms at a time, and merchants from other places came to Shengjing and needed to buy in large quantities to sell in other cities.
Shen Yu'an would arrange for his shop assistants to sell any purchases exceeding 100 jin (50 kg) at the wholesale price of two wen (0.02 yuan).
That evening, Shen Yu'an tidied up the ledger and discovered that 20,000 jin of potatoes had already been sold.
The next day, Duke Xingguo Jiang Xun, together with more than a dozen senior officials, impeached Song Xun in court.
They accused Song Xun of deceiving the emperor and appropriating the credit for Shen Cheng's development of crops, an act that is utterly infuriating.
The emperor's face grew increasingly grim as he read the memorial.
Song Xun has truly made a fool of himself this time, not only in Shengjing City, but also throughout the entire Great Shun Dynasty.
The Emperor knew something about Shen Cheng; although he came from a farming background, he performed exceptionally well after taking up a post in the Ministry of Revenue.
The Minister of Revenue also submitted several memorials praising Shen Cheng for not only assisting in the development of wasteland but also successfully cultivating late-season rice varieties during his month-long tenure at the Ministry of Revenue.
The late-season rice has already been transplanted and is said to mature in about four months.
The Emperor was overjoyed and planned to reward Shen Cheng handsomely after the late rice harvest.
Unexpectedly, Song Xun was so foolish as to blatantly steal Shen Cheng's achievements.
Do you really think he's blind?!
He angrily threw the memorial at Song Xun's face: "What else do you have to say?"
"Your Majesty, I am innocent!" Song Xun quickly knelt down and pleaded, "I did not steal Shen Cheng's credit. It's all a misunderstanding!"
"A misunderstanding? The whole of Shengjing City has heard about it, and you still dare to deny it?"
The emperor's expression shifted between light and dark, and Song Xun was terrified, sweating profusely. He knew he had made a grave mistake; he never imagined that he would be outmaneuvered by such a lowly farmer as Shen Cheng.
He was unwilling to accept it, but he couldn't refute it.
"Song Xun, as a court official, you not only fail to serve the country and its people, but also harbor jealousy and attempt to steal credit from others. What use is the court to you?"
The Emperor's gaze was piercing, fixed on Song Xun, his voice as cold as ice.
Marquis Xuanping, Song Xun, turned pale and then flushed. He knew that he could not explain this matter clearly no matter what.
"Your Majesty, I deserve to die ten thousand times over."
He could only lower his head, not daring to meet the emperor's gaze.
Jiang Xun stepped forward and reported: "Your Majesty, although Shen Cheng comes from a farming family, he has devoted himself to the research and improvement of crops in the countryside for many years. He has worked hard to explore and practice, and has finally achieved the research of many new varieties of crops."
Not only are early and late rice varieties planted, but I've also heard that Ningzhou cultivates thousands of acres of cotton. This cotton can be used to make cotton clothing to protect against the severe cold; it is the same white cotton from the Northern Di Kingdom.
"These achievements have not only brought enormous economic benefits to the country, but also tangible benefits to the people. Shen Cheng is indeed an agricultural expert, yet some people have used their power and connections to steal Shen Cheng's achievements and claim them for themselves. Such behavior must be severely punished to avoid chilling the hearts of loyal officials."
The Emperor took a deep breath, feeling utterly disappointed in Song Xun.
However, as a member of the Crown Prince's lineage, he couldn't bear to impose such a severe punishment.
"Song Xun, as an official appointed by the court, you should act impartially and support loyal and virtuous officials. However, for your own personal gain, you have seized the achievements of others, which has truly betrayed my trust in you. Therefore, I have decided to deduct one year's salary from your salary and confine you to your home for two months to reflect on your actions. Do you have any objections?"
Song Xun knelt on the ground, cold sweat pouring down his face.
"I have no objection."
The Emperor ordered: "Summon Shen Cheng to court."
The ministers in the court were all surprised, because Shen Cheng was just a minor official of the eighth rank and had no right to attend court.
Is the Emperor going to bestow a reward upon him?
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