Flame Drunken Goose
Ma Xiuli closely watched the judges' every move. She saw that after each judge scooped a mouthful of the four-colored lobster with a spoon, there was no obvious fluctuation in their facial expression. Ma Xiuli had no way of judging her own performance from their majestic and expressionless faces.
A staff member, trying to lighten the mood, stood by and shouted to Ma Xiu Li: "Comrade, do you think you can make it to the finals?"
Ma Xiuli calmed down and answered loudly: "I think I can!"
"Good, courageous!"
Ma Xiuli looked over in the direction of the voice and saw that it was an elderly judge sitting in the middle who was smiling and praising.
Ma Xiuli immediately lowered her head, feeling a little embarrassed. Then she heard the judge say, "Girl, you've passed. Congratulations! See you in the finals!"
Ma Xiuli was still confused and hadn't reacted when Jian Jianan ran up to the stage and hugged her.
"Congratulations, Sister Xiu Li! You've advanced!"
Jian Jianan hugged Ma Xiuli tightly, not giving her any chance to break free. Ma Xiuli was stunned for a moment, and after several seconds she suddenly woke up as if from a dream and hugged him back.
Tears welled up in her eyes. "Yeah, I advanced! That's great! I advanced!"
Lü Zude, who was supposed to go on stage later than Ma Xiuli, watched this scene with a burning rage in his heart. He cursed the judges in his heart for not knowing what was good. How could a simple dish of four-color lobster allow Ma Xiuli to advance?
In his opinion, this dish can be made by anyone with hands. It only requires cutting the various ingredients into small pieces, boiling them in a pan with oil, and cooking them thoroughly. Finally, you can just put them on a plate. There is no need for such high technical content. He just let her advance directly.
Lu Zude was extremely dissatisfied, but unfortunately no one cared about his opinion. He could only go on stage to compete alone without anyone accompanying him.
Lu Zude chose a dish, which was his specialty that he had made hundreds of times at Jinhuiju. It was not difficult for him at all.
Lu Zude was relatively conservative in this competition. His goal was just to advance to the finals smoothly, so he did not challenge himself too much.
As the eldest brother of the Ma family troupe, it has to be said that Lu Zude is quite capable. Like Ma Xiuli, he successfully passed the preliminary round and entered the finals.
These two people are one of Jinhuiju’s golden signs. As soon as the final list was announced, it caused a lot of discussion among others.
Someone first tried to praise Lü Zude's superb cooking skills: "It seems that Lü Zude, the eldest disciple of the Ma family from Jinhuiju, is still performing steadily. I saw that he was not nervous at all when competing on stage. It seems that this is not difficult for him."
Others were questioning: "Ma Xiu Li? What Ma Xiu Li? I've never heard of this name before. Is there such a person in the Ma Clan? Hey, hey, hey, do you know this person?"
They thought that only Lu Zude would come to compete from the Ma family this time, so where did this Ma Xiu Li come from?
Many people found some clues in Ma Xiuli's name. "Ma Xiuli, Ma? How come they have the same surname as Ma Zhiping? Could they be related? Judging from her age, could she be Ma Zhiping's daughter?"
Huh?
This is interesting!
Since she's Ma Zhiping's daughter, isn't that a member of the Ma Clan, just like Lü Zude? And now, with both of them signing up for the cooking competition, could this be a case of infighting among the same clan?
Interesting, really interesting.
Both people from Jinhuiju successfully entered the finals, and everyone happily boarded the bus back home.
Everyone was smiling on the way back. For them, Jinhuiju had shortlisted two contestants, Ma Xiuli and Lu Zude. No matter who won in the end, wouldn't they all be from Jinhuiju?
This time, Jinhuiju has become very popular and its reputation is getting louder and louder. Many people are secretly asking about the origin of Jinhuiju.
With such great chefs working in Jinhuiju, the food must taste great!
Su Qinxuan took this opportunity to reveal the news that Jinhuiju would open chain stores in other places in the province, paving the way for the future.
But unlike the others who were beaming with joy, Lu Zude's heart was filled with gloom.
In his opinion, there was nothing to be surprised about in passing the preliminary round and advancing to the finals. After all, he had trained in the Ma family class for so many years, and participating in a competition was just a piece of cake.
But on the stage where he should have been the only one, there was Ma Xiu Li, who shared his glory.
Moreover, this person came to compete with him for the position of Ma Gaban's future successor and the master's ancestral recipe, which made Lu Zude intolerable.
To Lu Zude, the congratulations from others sounded like all sorts of irritability and displeasure, and he couldn't defend himself against them.
Originally, many people treated them equally. After all, they were both from Jinhuiju and were not enemies. If they wanted to congratulate each other for advancing, both of them would say congratulations. But when they saw Lu Zude's face, they didn't want to congratulate him anymore. After all, no one wanted to talk to someone who looked like he owed them eight hundred yuan.
Because of this, the narrow-minded Lu Zude felt more and more that there was no one in Jinhuiju who really cared about him, so he became more and more resentful of Ma Xiuli and the Jian Jianan family who led this matter.
The bus arrived in Shenzhen. Su Qinxuan stood at the front of the bus and said goodbye to everyone one by one: "Oh, you've worked hard, huh? Now go home and have a good rest. When you get back home, we will discuss the next plan."
When Lu Zude got off the car and turned home, he saw He Jiao waiting for her at the corner. This time he did not refuse He Jiao's invitation, but invited him to his home for a visit.
He Jiao brought the wine and snacks such as peanuts and edamame that he had bought, spread them on the table and started drinking with Lu Zude.
The two of them drank some wine, the atmosphere was silent and no one spoke yet.
At this time, Lu Zude suddenly said, "Boss He, your Dragon and Phoenix Pavilion doesn't have a central team yet, right?"
When He Jiao heard this, the corners of his lips curved up, and he said happily, "Great! After fishing for so long and letting the hook go for so long, this big fish finally took the bait."
He Jiao immediately understood what was going on and made a promise to Lu Zude, "Don't worry, Brother Lu, everything is in the process of being prepared for Dragon and Phoenix Pavilion. We are just waiting for you to come and guide us. If you come, you will definitely be the leader. I can assure you that no one will put pressure on you!"
Lu Zude pondered for a while, and his expression finally relaxed.
The two of them seemed to have reached some kind of tacit agreement without saying a word and continued drinking.
Just like that, the two of them drank some more, and He Jiao suddenly asked, "Hey, bro, how confident are you that you can win the championship in that cooking competition?"
The moment He Jiao asked this question, Lu Zude was actually a little unhappy. What do you mean by this? Do you think I can't win the championship?
But he remembered that they had just made an agreement, so he suppressed his anger and replied patiently, "I'm about 80% sure. The other opponents are not a big deal, but my junior sister Ma Xiuli, I don't know what special tricks she prepared for the finals, she's a bit troublesome."
He Jiao said nonchalantly, "What's the big deal? This little girl is easy to deal with. Doesn't your master have a recipe handed down from generation to generation? We can just take a dish from it and bring it to the finals. That little girl has only just picked up her cooking skills a few years ago. How can she compare to your skills after more than ten years in the kitchen? And with the added bonus of the ancestral recipe, the championship is definitely in your pocket!"
Lu Zude waved his hands hurriedly, "Hey, hey, hey, that can't be done. We already said that the ancestral recipe is a prize only for the champion. Besides, my master treats it like a huge treasure. He said no one in the family can see it. Do you think I can see it?"
He Jiao disagreed, frowning as he continued to advise, "Brother, this idea of yours is very dangerous. You have to understand that Ma Xiuli is her biological daughter, her only daughter. The blood relationship between them is so deep. What makes you think you can surpass the family bond between them?"
Lu Zude thought about He Jiao's painting and immediately felt that it made sense. Yes, although Ma Zhiping was fair and treated everyone equally, he would not treat Ma Xiuli any differently just because she was his biological daughter.
But there are exceptions to everything. What if, what if Ma Zhiping suddenly feels pity for his daughter and feels that he has let her down in the past, so he wants to take out the ancestral recipe to make amends.
He Jiao observed Lu Zude's expression and easily saw his hesitation. He immediately struck while the iron was hot: "Little brother, you are still too naive. I'm not blaming you or anything. After all, this is normal. He is your master, and apprentices should be respectful and filial to their masters as if they were their own father. But think about it, does Ma Zhiping really treat you like his own son? If he really does, why doesn't he put all the good things in front of you for you to choose from? Why would you have to show up like this and even enter a competition and win the championship to get his approval?"
It was these words that made Lu Zude make up his mind and determined to visit Ma Zhiping's home tomorrow.
When Lu Zude came to Ma Zhiping's house the next day, Ma Xiuli and Jian Jianan were there too.
Jian Jianan wanted to come and see what Ma Xiuli was like after she won the first preliminary round. She felt relieved as soon as they met. Although she unexpectedly made it to the finals, Ma Xiuli was in very good condition. She was neither arrogant nor impatient, and she was calm and composed, preparing for the upcoming finals.
The doorbell rang, Jian Jianan went to open the door, and as soon as he opened the door, he saw Lu Zude.
There was no need for Lu Zude and Jian Jianan to fall out at this time. The two greeted each other in a friendly manner and he went to talk to his master.
Ma Zhiping's house is a first-floor residential building with a small courtyard. After Jian Jianan welcomed Lu Zude into the house, he went to the garden to play with Shan Jiqing, who was visiting Ma Xiuli's house today. Ma Xiuli was busy in the kitchen. Her father Ma Zhiping was still ill and had not fully recovered. She wanted to prepare medicinal food to nourish her father.
While Jian Jianan was playing, it was time to wash her hands. She went to the kitchen to wash her hands and happened to pass through the corridor of the house. Then she turned around and ran into Lu Zude.
They were originally at Ma Zhiping's house, so there was nothing surprising about running into each other.
But Lu Zude looked panicked. Although he tried his best to hide it after seeing Jian Jianan, he could still tell that something was wrong. Jian Jianan looked again and saw that he had come out of Ma Zhiping's room. He immediately felt that something was wrong.
Mr. Ma Zhiping is used to receiving guests in the guest room. What did Lu Zude do in the old man's room?
Before Jian Jianan could continue thinking, Lu Zude said goodbye to his master loudly.
"Master, I'm leaving now. Someone was in the kitchen bathroom just now, so I went to your room to use the restroom!"
Ma Zhiping's voice came from the guest room in the distance: "It's okay, it's just going to the bathroom, it's nothing, then you can go, I won't see you off!"
Lu Zude left immediately. Jian Jianan listened to their conversation and found out that he went to Master Ma Zhiping's room to use the toilet.
He didn't take it seriously now. Although he had doubts in his heart, Lu Zude had already run away like a mouse seeing a cat, so Jian Jianan didn't pursue the matter.
Just at this time, his friend Shan Jiqing called his name again, and Jian Jianan replied happily: "Okay, I'm coming, wait a minute!"
Forget it, it shouldn't be a big deal. Ma Zhiping and Ma Xiuli are both at home anyway. I don't think Lu Zude has the courage to do anything bad. He has to think carefully before doing anything he wants.
However, what Jian Jianan did not notice was that before Lu Zude left, he had something bulging in his arms, which was much bulgier than when he came to Ma Zhiping's house.
People outside were talking about it, and all kinds of speculations flew everywhere like wings, but the two people at the center of the storm were extremely quiet.
After returning from Guangzhou, Ma Xiuli devoted herself to her cooking career. The disturbances in the outside world had nothing to do with her. Nothing could arouse her interest, and there was no way she could be distracted.
Seeing Ma Xiuli like this, the thoughtful Jian Jianan and his family would certainly not disturb her with irrelevant matters, but paid more attention to creating a good environment for her to prepare for the competition with peace of mind.
Accompanied by her family and friends, Ma Xiuli gradually moved forward with her competition plan.
But things were a bit strange on Lu Zude's side.
He is as quiet as Ma Xiuli!
This is very wrong!
You know, Lu Zude is the epitome of troublemaker and troublemaker, always jumping around. Jian Jianan has never seen him behaving himself and concentrating on studying cooking.
Just look at it, which one was not caused by Lu Zude?
He excluded Ma Xiu Li and bullied her in a group; he went to Ma Zhi Ping's house and offered him bad advice to marry her; and...
Behind all these incidents, there was Lu Zude's handiwork. Ever since the preliminary round ended and they returned to Shenzhen from Guangzhou, Jian Jianan had been keeping an eye on Lu Zude's movements and was extremely vigilant, always worried that he might have some bad intentions!
Unexpectedly, there was no other movement from Lu Zude for so many days, which made Jian Jianan puzzled. He thought that Lu Zude was going to turn over a new leaf, but how was it possible?
It can be seen from the occasional encounters between Jian Jianan and Lu Zude that this person obviously does not have this idea. In Lu Zude's view, everything that happened was the fault of other people, and he was absolutely not wrong. You can blame the heavens or the earth, but you can't blame him.
Jian Jianan paid special attention to Lu Zude's character, as he was worried that he would do something irreparable due to an extreme attitude. However, he remained calm for several days, which even made Jian Jianan feel a little confused. He was reflecting on whether he had thought too badly of Lu Zude, and that there were still many good people in the world.
The days passed one by one, and soon it was time for the finals.
With the experience of the last preliminary round, everyone was much more familiar this time and prepared to set off with ease.
After a night's rest, I showed up at the finals on time the next day.
With the lessons learned from the last preliminary round, the production team paid more attention to the storage of various food ingredients in this final. There were even special people on duty and patrolling at night to prevent anything from going wrong.
Fortunately, there were no other mistakes this time. On the day of the final, Ma Xiuli and a group of contestants were waiting in the contestant hall, waiting for the draw and the staff to read out their names.
"Zhuo Asan, self-employed!"
"Yes, yes, here, here!"
"Ma Xiuli, Jinhuiju!"
Ma Xiu Li hurried to the front line to sign and then draw lots.
"Lü Zude..."
At this moment, someone said, "Hey, Jinhuiju is really lucky. They dug out the Ma family team from such a poor and remote place, and actually built it up. It's getting bigger and bigger."
Someone nearby chimed in, "Isn't that right? Look at other restaurants. It's already pretty good if they have one representative participating in this cooking competition. But Jinhuiju not only has one representative, but two. That's quite something!"
"Lü Zude, Dragon and Phoenix Pavilion!"
The person who read out the name finally finished speaking.
This thought was terrible, just like cold water splashing into a frying pan, causing it to boil all of a sudden.
"What, Dragon and Phoenix Pavilion?"
"Did I hear correctly? Why isn't it Jinhuiju? Have you ever heard of the name Longfengge?"
"The staff must have mispronounced the name! Dragon and Phoenix Pavilion is clearly the name of Jinhuiju's competitor! It shouldn't be like that!"
Jian Jianan was shocked and knew that something bad was going to happen.
When he looked up, he saw Lu Zude walking towards him, followed by He Jiao. The two of them were closely connected, just like a pair of half-brothers.
Lu Zude walked over and stood in the middle of the crowd. He enjoyed the feeling of everyone's attention being on him before speaking loudly.
"Since I joined Jinhuiju, I have worked diligently and tirelessly, never slacking off for a single day. However, Jinhuiju has failed me. I haven't even seen the promised ancestral recipes or the position of heir, and while I'm grateful for their kindness, I'm also deeply heartbroken!"
"Thankfully, I received great support from Mr. He Jiao. He extended an olive branch to me when I was in trouble, letting me know that I'm not completely useless!"
After hearing Lu Zude's words, He Jiao immediately stepped forward, patted him on the shoulder, and comforted him profusely, "Brother Lu, how could you be completely useless? It's no wonder you abandoned the dark side and turned to the light side. It's all Jinhuiju that failed you, right? Don't be discouraged. Gold will always shine. When you win first place in the finals, I want to see who dares to talk nonsense and gossip!"
Lu Zude agreed very much. He stood opposite and looked at them one by one, as if he wanted to remember deeply in his mind those people who he thought had let him down and make them regret it.
He laughed low and hearty.
"Yes, when I represent Dragon and Phoenix Pavilion in the competition and win the championship, I want to see if you will regret it!"
Even if you beg me to come back, I won’t come back!
The betrayal came so suddenly that everyone present was in a panic, especially the people from Jinhuiju, who were even more panicked and at a loss.
Ma Zhiping trembled, his lips moved, and he looked at Lu Zude with a look of disbelief: "You, Xiao Lu, what are you talking about? I'm old and can't hear you clearly."
Lu Zude glanced at Ma Zhiping and felt uncomfortable. He still remembered that when he was just a young boy, it was his master who brought him up. At that time, his master was still young, with black hair and full of energy. How could he be like him now with white hair and a staggering gait?
But soon, Lu Zude glanced at Ma Zhiping and forced himself to turn his head away, no longer thinking about these things that would shake his resolve.
He hardened his heart. It was not his fault that his master was in this state now, so he had nothing to feel guilty about.
What's more, if you trace it back to the root, if anyone is wronging whom, isn't it the master who is wronging himself?
His identity and qualifications are there, and he is obviously the best candidate for the next successor. Not only did the master not choose him, he also organized this ridiculous competition, and only the winner of the competition can become the next leader of the Ma family.
Isn't this just making things difficult for yourself?
The master had taught him for so many years, didn't he know his own limitations? Ma Xiuli was his own daughter, and she was so talented. To have them compete on the same stage, wouldn't that be a slap in Lü Zude's face, letting everyone know how useless he was?
He Jiao stretched out his long arm, put his big hand on Lu Zude's shoulder, and patted him vigorously, saying, "My little brother, I am just thinking of our old friendship. You have suffered so much unfair treatment in the Ma family troupe. You have been suppressed to the point that you have almost no chance of making a breakthrough. You shed tears every day."
"However, he was still hesitant in the face of the olive branch I extended to him. He wanted to continue to stay in the Ma family troupe, repay his master for raising him, and continue to contribute his strength to the Ma family troupe."
"They say a teacher is a father for life. But isn't there a legend in ancient times about Nezha who cut out his bones to return to his father? If a teacher treats you badly and has no conscience, is it really possible that you won't resist?"
"Fortunately, this little brother of mine is a sensible and wealthy man. After much persuasion from me, he decided to abandon the dark side and join the bright side in order to further promote the Ma Clan's craftsmanship. That's why he came from Jinhuiju to my Dragon and Phoenix Pavilion and decided to fight on its behalf."
He Jiao is indeed a good speaker. In just a few words, he turned the truth of the matter upside down and revealed who was the unscrupulous person.
If Jian Jianan himself had not experienced this incident firsthand, he might have been led astray by He Jiao.
Jian Jianan looked at He Jiao, and Shan Jiqing whispered in her ear, "Why does this person look a little familiar? Have I seen him somewhere?"
Jian Jianan looked at He Jiao for a while, as if he wanted to memorize this person's face deeply in his mind.
"Yes, you are not mistaken. This person has a close connection with our family. Do you still remember Liang Kang?" Jian Jianan asked Shan Jiqing.
Shan Jiqing frowned, "Remember, if it weren't for him, uncle and aunt wouldn't have been able to get the canteen business."
Jian Jianan laughed: "Yes, it's good that you remember it. Speaking of which, I should thank them for bringing a new business to our family."
"Later, Liang Kang resigned because of that incident. Liang Kang and Cheng Ling opened a restaurant in the market, copying everything from ours. They ended up copying ours, but ended up looking like a tiger instead of a cat. Later, due to poor management, the restaurant went bankrupt."
"Speaking of the kinship between these two people, this He Jiao even calls Liang Kang his brother-in-law!"
He Jiao married Cheng Ling's sister Cheng Su, and his business was Longfeng Pavilion, which was the biggest competitor of Jinhuiju at that time.
Jian Jianan never fights a battle without preparation. This is what his parents taught him. Su Qinxuan and Jian Yangping had already asked someone to find out everything about Longfeng Pavilion and its owner He Jiao. Jian Jianan naturally knew He Jiao's true identity.
In addition to new hatred, the two families also had old grudges, so there was naturally no way to resolve it peacefully.
New hatred refers to current competition, and old grudges refer to past exclusion.
Shan Jiqing knew about Liang Kang and Cheng Ling's affairs, so he naturally disliked He Jiao who was related to them, and immediately agreed with Jian Jianan's words.
"No wonder. I was wondering why I disliked this guy right away. Turns out he's from the same family as Liang Kang. As the saying goes, 'Birds of a feather flock together.' If we're not from the same family, we won't marry. So that's how it is!"
Jian Jianan couldn't help laughing when listening to Shan Jiqing's passionate accusation. This little friend was good in every way, except for one thing that was quite strange. He looked cold and aloof on weekdays and didn't like to talk. However, sometimes when he got involved in his own affairs, he would immediately become more active than anyone else. It was really strange.
However, Jian Jianan also knew that this was his friend's care and protection for him, and he was very touched.
Jian Jianan was not worried at all that the public opinion storm would completely turn to the side of He Jiao and Lu Zude, and she had no intention of stepping forward to use her eloquence. She just stood there and observed the situation, and occasionally said a few words to her friends.
"Look, my parents are about to take action." Jian Jianan pointed forward and motioned everyone to look.
Su Qinxuan sneered, "It's hard? If it were hard, why do we have so many people applying for jobs at Jinhuiju every day? The Ma Clan has been gone for ten years, and only you, Lü Zude, has left. Is it because you're greedy, or are we being mean to you? You know the answer."
Jian Yangping immediately followed up: "Exactly, don't you see that the turnover rate in Dragon and Phoenix Pavilion is so high? Don't you want to reflect on yourself?"
As for the Dragon and Phoenix Pavilion, he thought it was just a rat's nest, a den of snakes and rats. This time, he also dug Lu Zude in. He had some self-knowledge and didn't harm other good people.
He Jiao was suddenly choked by the two people on the opposite side. He was so angry that he couldn't speak. He just pointed at Jian Yangping and Su Qinxuan with his hands in hatred, "Okay, good, good, very good, you can still laugh here when disaster strikes, let's see the real tricks on the field, I want to see, after seeing the result, whether you can still laugh!"
Su Qinxuan wasn't worried at all. "Why can't I laugh anymore? I'm telling you, I can laugh from the beginning to the end of the competition. I just laugh all the time and let it happen naturally. Besides, our Xiu Li is so talented. Didn't the person you recruit go to your side because they were afraid of her? What's the point of comparing? The result is so obvious!"
All the little friends were stunned and looked at Jian Jianan with admiration. Your mother is so amazing!
Duan Duan even spoke directly: "Oh my God, Nannan, uncle and aunt are so eloquent, I never noticed it before!"
When you think about Jian Jianan's usual eloquence, it's no surprise that it's because of his parents who taught him by example.
Jian Jianan spread his hands and said, "See, I told you, there's no need to rush, my parents can handle everything!"
The pre-match boasting session was over quickly, but the specific outcome still depended on the situation on the field.
Ma Xiuli was originally shocked by this sudden change like everyone else, mainly because Lu Zude betrayed the Ma family and defected to Longfeng Pavilion. However, after hearing the affirmation of her companions and the protection of Su Qinxuan and Jian Yangping, she immediately calmed down a lot.
She looked in the direction of my old father. Ma Zhiping was in tears and was very sad.
But strangely, Ma Xiuli didn't feel much about this scene. She just thought silently in her heart that He Jiao had just said something very good, the true test will be revealed in the competition. Even though she is a woman, even if she is not the successor of the Ma family that her father is satisfied with, even if she is betrayed by her fellow brothers, she can definitely defeat all opponents and bring back this extraordinary first cooking competition trophy for Jinhuiju!
The competition started quickly, and the parties immediately stopped bickering and waited for the judges to announce the precautions.
Jian Jianan listened attentively and found that the final was no different from the preliminary round. There were no restrictions on dishes or recipes, and there was nothing else to pay attention to except preparing their own raw materials. This time they learned their lesson and were becoming more and more meticulous in controlling the raw materials, so there was nothing to worry about.
The judges are all chefs from Guangdong Province, and there is also a jury composed of audience members. The audience judges are carefully selected from diners who know how to eat. This is the fairest way to judge the results of the competition.
The chefs came on stage one by one, and the order was decided by drawing lots. Ma Xiuli drew the third from the last. She paid special attention to Lu Zude's position, which was just before her.
Realizing that Ma Xiuli was looking at him, Lu Zude gave her a provocative look and said, "Hey, little guy, do you know what I brought to this competition and what I prepared for it? You want to beat me? Bullshit!"
Ma Xiuli quickly turned her head away and stopped looking at Lu Zude.
The first and second chefs finished the competition very quickly. They prepared some home-cooked dishes that were quick to cook and delicious, such as crispy crab balls and salt-baked pigeon.
As the fire began to boil, everyone at the competition venue could smell the unique fragrance of the food, but looking at the indifferent expressions on the judges' faces, they knew that this little trick would not impress the judges.
Jian Jianan put his hands on his hips and watched the action on the field.
Most of the chefs who came today are self-employed, that is, they participate in the competition as one individual, and a small number of them represent their respective employers, that is, hotels and restaurants, who send them to participate in the competition.
Jian Jianan observed that no one had any particularly outstanding skills. Most of them were innovative in cooking methods or ingredients. Therefore, he was more confident in Ma Xiuli's next dishes.
Among these contestants, Ma Xiuli from Jinhuiju and Lu Zude from Longfengge are particularly eye-catching.
Everyone's eyes were focused on these two people, trying to see which one had the unique trick to win the first place.
Seeing many of his friends around him nervous, Jian Jianan immediately spoke to comfort them, "Don't worry, everyone. You have to believe that Sister Xiu Li can do it. Think about it, even when they were at Jinhuiju, Lu Zude's craftsmanship couldn't match Sister Xiu Li's. How could he have caught up in just a few days?"
What Jian Jianan had not said yet was that unless Lu Zude found some external support, such as the ancestral recipe of Ma Zhiping's family.
But how could that be possible? It was said that it was a fair competition, based on ability. Furthermore, Ma Xiuli was at least his biological daughter. Jian Jianan felt that no matter what, Ma Zhiping would not do this.
But what happened next quickly surprised Jian Jianan.
Soon it was Lu Zude's turn. He walked onto the competition venue with a proud look on his face, prepared everything, and started cooking.
Jian Jianan held his breath, wanting to know what Lu Zude was going to do.
When they were still in Jinhuiju, the works they submitted for the competition were kept confidential. No one else knew the inside story except themselves. After Lu Zude betrayed Jinhuiju, he would never tell anyone else.
As Lu Zude moved, the dishes he was going to make gradually appeared in front of everyone.
Seeing his parents' brows furrowing more and more, and Grandpa Ma Zhiping almost unable to stand and looking like he would have fallen if Yang Tao hadn't been supporting him, Jian Jianan suddenly had a bad suspicion in his heart.
No way, the thought I just had won’t really come true, right?
Don’t do that!
Ma Zhiping said in a trembling voice: "Dinghu Sushi, it's actually Dinghu Sushi. This is clearly only in my recipe, it's my secret treasure that I won't pass on. How did he know about it? Could it be..."
In a flash, Jian Jianan suddenly remembered the time when he went to visit Ma Zhiping's grandfather's house and accidentally ran into Lu Zude who was also there, acting sneaky and trying to avoid other people.
Now that I think about it, he was just trying to avoid being seen and steal Ma Zhiping's recipe!
It seems that it was at that time that Lu Zude had decided to betray Jinhuiju and join Longfeng Pavilion.
This person is despicable. He had already decided to stab Jin Huiju in the back without informing him in advance. He was just waiting to give Jin Huiju a slap in the face today. He completely disregarded the friendship we had in the past and is an ungrateful person!
Although Mr. Ma quickly shut up, everyone present was smart enough to immediately understand his unfinished intention.
It's interesting, really interesting. People are most interested in reading gossip and other things. Everyone intentionally or unintentionally approaches the central figure of the matter, wanting to find out more information from him.
I heard that this Lu Zude who was competing now was originally representing Jinhuiju. How could this proud disciple, who was personally trained by Mr. Ma Zhiping, have completely changed his appearance today? It's amazing!
Shan Jiqing leaned close to Jian Jianan's ear and comforted him, "Don't worry, I believe Sister Xiuli can handle it alone. Even if God has eyes, he won't let such a mean person go on so smoothly."
The two people were very close to each other, and the tone of Shan Jiqing's voice tickled Jian Jianan's ears.
This made Jian Jianan a little uncomfortable.
She tilted her head to avoid him and said to Shan Jiqing, "Don't panic. Let's see what other actions Sister Xiuli takes. I believe that with Sister Xiuli's many years of experience, she will still have a way to deal with it."
Jian Jianan's words were just a consolation without any real basis. After all, at this time, no one believed that Ma Xiuli, who was ranked behind Lu Zude, could make any amazing dishes.
I saw Lu Zude soaking and washing various dry goods such as snow fungus, yellow fungus, straw mushrooms, shiitake mushrooms, etc., and then simmering them with oil and seasonings so that each dry good was soaked in oil. Then he put them into a large bowl and turned it upside down on another large plate. Under Lu Zude's skillful cooking, each dry good was in its place, like an inverted triangle shape, with clear layers.
But this is far from the end. After Lu Zude arranged the dry goods into three shapes, he also picked up the cabbage and soaked bamboo shoots and placed them neatly around them one by one. This is the final shape.
But we haven’t reached the main event yet.
Lu Zude began to carefully season various sauces, including vegetarian soup, light soy sauce, sugar, and MSG. Lu Zude's skillful hands flew, and in a short while he had prepared the required sauces. Finally, he thickened it with water and starch and poured it on the shaped mountain of vegetables.
Finally, put it into the steamer and steam it for five minutes, and this famous Dinghu dish is done.
It was not until the moment he saw them come out of the pot that Lu Zude showed a sincere smile on his face.
Although he had obtained the master's ancestral recipe, seen the raw materials and preparation methods of Dinghu Suozhang, and tried the cooking process seven or eight times, the stolen things were not reliable after all. Lu Zude was always worried that he would suddenly forget a step or miss an important step during the competition, resulting in the failure of the dish.
But now that I’m driving, God is on my side after all!
Lu Zude's works are freshly produced and the jury begins to appreciate them.
The commentator from Zhujiang TV provided narration at the right time to explain the Dinghu Appeal.
Dinghu shao shao is a Guangdong specialty vegetable from the Ming Dynasty, with a history of a hundred years. Although the ingredients are all vegetarian, the chef uses superb cooking techniques to make each vegetarian dish taste fragrant and original, restoring their original flavor, which is in no way inferior to the meat dishes..."
Lu Zude waited proudly for the judges' comments. Although it was not time for the final scoring yet, when he saw the smiles on their faces, Lu Zude knew that there was a great possibility that he would succeed, and he was naturally very proud.
Faced with the judges' curious questions, Lu Zude was very humble. He nodded in agreement for almost every question the judges asked, and he wished he could hang up the judges' questions and frame them at home.
"Yes, yes, yes. I haven't eaten this dish anywhere else. If I hadn't gotten the recipe by chance and practiced diligently to improve it, I wouldn't be able to recreate this exquisite dish that only appears in ancient books."
"This is all thanks to you all. I am so lucky to be able to stand on this stage and recreate this long-lost famous dish for you all."
These words naturally pleased the judges.
When Lu Zude walked down the stage and passed by Ma Xiuli, he deliberately nodded at Ma Xiuli with his shoulder, looked at her smugly, snorted provocatively, and then left.
But Ma Xiuli acted just like when she was bullied by him in the Ma family troupe. She pretended not to see it and continued to go on stage with her own steps.
Jian Jianan was extremely worried watching from below the stage. Lu Zude was so proud because of his Dinghu Shangsu. You have to know that although Dinghu Shangsu was a famous dish, it was made during the Ming Dynasty, hundreds of years ago. It was normal for it to be lost. If the recipe of this dish had not been included in the ancestral recipe of Master Ma Zhiping, it would definitely not be possible to reproduce it.
Lu Zude has now stolen other people's hard work and is proudly representing other stores on the stage. It is no exaggeration to say that he is betraying his teacher and ancestors.
However, in cooking competitions, only the results are considered, not the process. Even if Lu Zude used dishonorable means, so what? You can't tell the judges that the dishes he cooked were not tasty because of his corrupt morals, right?
Shan Jiqing was infected by the intense atmosphere of the competition and couldn't help but ask Jian Jianan anxiously, "What dish did Sister Xiuli originally prepare?"
Jian Jianan replied in a low voice: "It's Hakka stuffed tofu. Sister Xiuli and her father were both born in Chaoshan, but her mother is a Hakka. Hakka cuisine is Sister Xiuli's mother's specialty."
Shan Jiqing nodded thoughtfully. Guangdong cuisine can be roughly divided into three branches. One is Guangzhou local cuisine, also known as Cantonese cuisine, one is Hakka cuisine, and the last one is Chaoshan cuisine.
These three types of dishes have their own characteristics, and the only thing they have in common is that they are all very delicious.
Ma Xiuli is from Chaoshan, and her mother is Hakka. Growing up in the kitchen with her father, she is naturally best at Hakka and Chaoshan cuisine. Therefore, in the finals, she chose Hakka stuffed tofu, which requires both skills and craftsmanship. It looks simple but is very complicated and difficult to make.
However, the appearance of Lu Zude disrupted their original plan. With the famous ancient dish Dinghu Shangsu in front of them, an ordinary Hakka stuffed tofu had no way of getting high scores and winning the competition.
Ma Xiuli must do something to turn the situation around.
At this point, Jian Jianan finally started to get worried. "Sister Xiuli is under too much pressure right now. Lu Zude, that treacherous villain, has taken all the hard work of others for himself and doesn't play by the rules. He's brought us so much trouble!"
Jian Jianan could imagine that if Ma Xiuli failed, not only would Lu Zude be in high spirits after winning the championship, which would hit their Jinhuiju, but He Jiao could also use this award to promote Longfeng Pavilion. At that time, Jian Jianan could not imagine how bad the impact would be on their opening of chain stores.
Jian Jianan glanced outside and accidentally heard his mother Su Qinxuan discussing with Yang Tao, what if, what if Ma Xiuli lost the game and things got to the worst point, what remedies could be found.
Jian Jianan did not raise any objection to this scenario. He always had to prepare for the worst. This was what his mother taught him.
The three friends seemed to be infected by the depressed mood on the field, and wanted to comfort Jianan. Unexpectedly, they saw her eyes suddenly light up and her neck suddenly raised.
Jian Jianan's eyes sparkled as he spoke in a resounding voice, "But, but I don't think Sister Xiuli will lose. She has a second plan. We still have a chance!"
The second-hand preparation here refers to their second prepared dish.
To be on the safe side, although each contestant was only required to cook one dish in the final, in order to deal with emergencies, each of them privately prepared a second dish.
Ma Xiuli is no exception.
"If I remember correctly, the second dish actually has a better chance of winning. Now it depends on whether Sister Xiu Li will use the second dish."
Jian Jianan muttered to himself.
This earth-shattering statement stunned everyone present. They all thought that failure was the inevitable outcome, but they didn't expect that there was still a chance to turn the situation around. Is it going to be a comeback from now on?
Jian Jianan ignored their fuss and just stared at the table.
Ma Xiu Li was seen walking towards the food preparation table. On the left was the stuffed tofu she had prepared. It was obviously the raw material for Hakka stuffed tofu. However, she turned her body and stretched out her hands to the table on the right. It seemed that she was going to try her hand at making a new dish!
Every move of Ma Xiuli on the stage attracted the attention of the audience. When they saw Ma Xiuli's unusual behavior, they immediately started talking about it.
"What is she going to do? Isn't she going to cook the dishes she reported?"
But no one answered. Everyone stared at Ma Xiuli, waiting for her next move.
After Ma Xiuli decided to use the new dish in the finals, she changed her previous hesitation and became quick and decisive in her actions.
She prepared the cooking first, chopped the ginger, onion, garlic and other spices and set them aside, then washed half a goose and cut it into small pieces.
Heat the wok, add appropriate amount of oil, and stir-fry ginger, onion and garlic until fragrant.
Ma Xiuli prepared the ingredients before she stood up to prepare the seasoning sauce. Her fingers were flying among various bottles and jars. People could only see her fingers moving in the air, like she was dancing. After more than ten seconds, a bowl of perfect seasoning sauce was ready.
While Ma Xiuli was seasoning the goose meat, the goose meat was already being cooked in a large iron pot. The unique aroma of the meat fat wafted into the air. If it were any other time, who knows how many people would have jumped at the chance to eat it.
But today is a cooking competition, and many people have cooked before Ma Xiu Li. Everyone is used to the aroma of meat, so they are not very surprised at this time, unless Ma Xiu Li can give them a bigger surprise.
Ma Xiuli did it. When the goose meat was cooked to 70% done, she lifted the lid of the pot, poured in half a bottle of rice wine and the secret sauce she had just prepared, and quickly stirred the goose meat fried with ginger, onion and garlic.
In an instant, almost the next second after the rice wine was poured in, a strange aroma of wine immediately emanated.
Adding wine to dishes had not yet become a trend at that time. When everyone saw Ma Xiuli trying to pour the wine, they thought it was quite strange. However, now they could tell by the smell that the rice wine and goose meat were strangely and perfectly fused together. The aroma of wine was mixed with the aroma of meat, and the flavor of meat was mixed with the aroma of wine. People couldn't help but imagine the taste of this drunken goose on their lips.
Ma Xiuli is an old hand who can control the heat skillfully. After about ten minutes, she knew it was almost done. Before turning off the heat, she added a little salt and adjusted the taste, then put it on a plate and sent it to the judges.
Ma Xiu Li anxiously waited for the judges' comments in front of the camera.
When the flame-drunken goose was served in front of the judges, they even stretched out their chopsticks to the dish with a bit of urgency, as if all the food they had eaten before was just appetizers and the main course was this dish made by Ma Xiuli.
The judges finished eating quickly one by one. Jian Jianan could clearly notice that unlike before when they only ate one or two pieces perfunctorily, they all rushed to eat the Flame Drunken Goose. A large area of the plate was soon empty. If there was not an audience and judges outside, the experts would have undoubtedly cleared it out.
After coming to their senses, the first expert asked Lu Xiuli a question.
"Little girl, I saw the order you submitted earlier. You originally wanted to prepare Hakka Yong Tau Foo. Why did you change your mind now?"
Ma Xiu Li said firmly, "Hakka Yong Tau Foo is the first dish I learned to cook since I became a chef. It also has special meaning to me, but I don't think it is suitable for this occasion today."
"Oh, why is that?"
"Because dried tofu is pure and innocent, but someone on the field tarnished that innocence, so I don't want to make Hakka Yong Tau Foo today. I'll be having this Flame Drunken Goose instead."
The judges actually had some understanding of the relationship between Lu Zude and Ma Xiu Li. If they were not in the competition, they might have gossiped about it, but now that there were cameras pointing at them, they quickly changed the subject.
"Then tell me what you think of the dish called Flame Drunken Goose."
When talking about her strengths, Ma Xiuli became more confident.
"Flame Drunken Goose is a dish not found in any known recipes. It was developed, refined, and innovated entirely by me over more than a decade of culinary experience. It's the fruit of my years of hard work, and today, I want to share my achievements with everyone."
"Okay." The judges all nodded with a smile.
"We appreciate your kindness, now let's give it to the jury of citizens present."
When the Flame Drunken Goose went around the audience seats and came back, only a bare plate was left. It seemed that many audience members stretched their chopsticks towards this creative dish of Flame Drunken Goose.
All fifty contestants have finished their performances, and now it’s time to announce the scores and final results.
Ma Xiuli and Lu Zude stood under the stage, waiting anxiously.
The scores and rankings of the competition are all announced on the spot. In a few minutes, the results of the top three and bottom three will be announced.
Ma Xiuli's heart was beating like a drum. She felt that if it weren't for this thin layer of chest cavity blocking it, her heart would definitely jump out of her chest.
The names were announced in order from the first contestant to the last. Lu Zude was ahead of Ma Xiu Li, so his name was naturally announced earlier.
"Lü Zude, ninety-five!"
It was such a high score! Even Lu Zude couldn't believe his eyes!
The next one was Ma Xiuli. She became more and more nervous, and her fingers almost pinched into her flesh.
The judge looked over with a smile and announced her score.
"Ma Xiuli, ninety-six!"
She scored one point higher than Lu Zude, which was very close to being the best. She won!
The judge in the middle looked at Ma Xiuli with a smile and said, "Little girl, that extra point is for your well-thought-out innovation. Don't let it go to waste!"
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