CHAPTER 663: EPISODE 351 CRAFTY_2

Hua Xiaomai understood and didn’t mind, turning back and casting a reassuring glance at Zhou Yunyun, who was trembling in excitement and tension at her side.

After paying respects to Lord Stove with incense, one of the organizers stepped forward and announced, "Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for setting aside your business to grace the Eight Treasures Conference. As you may already know, this year’s conference will be held over two days, with one session each in the morning and afternoon today, and the final showdown tomorrow. Now I’ll go over the rules for this event with everyone."

He paused briefly, noticing everyone’s eager gaze on him, and smiled lightly, "Thirty-six restaurants are participating in this grand event. Twenty will be eliminated in this morning’s first round, and another ten in the afternoon. In tomorrow morning’s round, the final six establishments will compete to determine the ultimate winner. Each round will feature one dish, and the ingredients will be drawn by Elder Xue. Each chef may only add one additional ingredient they bring, while sauces and spices are provided by the organizers and may be used freely. Anyone who violates the rules will be disqualified immediately."

There was a burst of discussion down below, and the friendly-looking Elder Xue walked out, took a pottery jar handed to him by a servant, drew out one of the numerous paper scrolls inside, and slowly unfolded it.

"Swimmer crab, matsutake mushroom, orange, and venison."

After showing the paper scroll to everyone, he said cheerily, "For one dish, all four of these ingredients must be used; the challenge lies in how you will arrange them. I fear that will require some creative thought."

The crowd was abuzz with all kinds of remarks, creating a chaotic scene.

Zhou Yunyun, puzzled, glanced at Wang Zhanrui, then turned to Hua Xiaomai, frowning, "Master, this is far too difficult! The swimmer crab and orange might be manageable, but... matsutake and venison, they don’t match at all, how can we make a dish with them?"

Hua Xiaomai patted her shoulder, "Don’t panic. Look, everyone is scratching their heads right now, it’s not as if we’re the only ones confused. What’s there to worry about? We have the whole morning to think about it. Let’s collect the ingredients and head back to our cooking tent to discuss further."

After speaking, the three of them went to a long table to collect the four ingredients, took some of the various sauces and spices provided, and returned to Daoxiang Garden’s cooking tent.

Meng Yuhuai and the others had been waiting in the tent for quite a while. When they saw Hua Xiaomai and her party return, Qing You and Xiu Miao immediately gathered around, peppering them with questions.

"How did it go?"

After the two had their say, Meng Yuhuai finally looked up at Hua Xiaomai, "I heard the people from the next tent complaining as they returned, cursing up a storm. Is the first challenge really that difficult?"

"It’s no problem, everyone is facing the same difficulty," Hua Xiaomai replied nonchalantly with a smile, "If even I’m at a loss, what remarkable solutions could they possibly come up with? I don’t believe they could."

Her normal disposition was lively and dramatic, only when it came to culinary matters could one see such calm confidence on her face. Meng Yuhai’s lips curved into a smile, and considering the people nearby, he restrained himself from reaching out to touch her head.

Ever since he returned to the tent, Wang Zhanrui had been lost in thought, not responding to anything Qing You said. Suddenly, he looked up and addressed Hua Xiaomai, "If you trust me, let me take care of the first dish, how about that?"

His expression clearly showed he had a plan, and naturally, Hua Xiaomai immediately agreed, "If I didn’t trust you, I wouldn’t have asked you to join us. Since that’s the case, the first dish is yours. I’m so worn out from the sun, I need a break. Put your effort into it, I’m going to rest!"

She then turned to instruct Zhou Yunyun, "Your knife skills are diligent, and from what I’ve seen lately, it seems even more precise than mine. Now assist Wang Zhanrui, leave all the chopping and prep work to you—since you’re still inexperienced in this field, I won’t let you cook this time round at the Eight Treasures Conference, just don’t curse me in your heart."

"Why would I?" Zhou Yunyun hurriedly shook her head vigorously, "Just being here and seeing the world makes me happy already, even if you asked me to cook, I wouldn’t have the courage! You... don’t worry, I’ll make sure to assist Master Wang properly with the meal."

Hua Xiaomai nodded, smiling as she pulled up a chair beside Meng Yuhuai, propping her chin in her hand as she watched Wang Zhanrui go about his preparations.

Zhou Yunyun complied with Wang Zhanrui’s instructions; first, she thinly sliced the pine mushrooms and venison, soaking them in the hot, melted chicken fat. Meanwhile, Wang Zhanrui picked out four or five large swimmer crabs from the bunch he had brought along, slightly boiled them in saltwater until they gradually turned red, and then scooped them out. He removed the top shells, dug out all the meat and roe, leaving behind empty shells. He then heated a stone slab and laid out the oil-soaked pine mushrooms and venison slices to roast.

The pine mushrooms, inherently rich in fragrance, began to diffuse their potent aroma the moment they touched the hot stone slab, enveloping everyone present in its captivating scent.

This method of roasting was precisely what best accentuated the fresh taste of the pine mushrooms. Hua Xiaomai watched and nodded repeatedly, unable to help but laugh and ask, "Master Wang, we can use one of our own ingredients for each dish, right? When will your tea come into play?"

Wang Zhanrui looked back at her and said, "No, this time, we’ll use honey."

"Master Wang will definitely be fine!" Qing You and Xiu Miao clenched their fists and cheered him on, prompting a slight smile from Wang Zhanrui.

"Anyway... it’s not as if I’m going to be eliminated in the first round."

...

By the mid-hour of the Snake, the first dishes from the various eateries were successively delivered to Chixing Pavilion.

With over thirty dishes to sample, even tasting a bite of each required some effort. Old Xue, after tasting more than a dozen dishes, looked up with a smile, joking with those beside him that he could skip lunch. Internally, he held Hua Xiaomai in some regard; lifting his head, he inquired, "Has Daoxiang Garden’s dish been sent over yet?"

"It’s right here," said someone, stepping forward with a plain porcelain plate.

The deep yellow of the orange peel was carved into a flower shape, housing a fiery-red whole crab, adorned on the sides with two slices of lemongrass for decoration. At first glance, it looked pleasing, but on closer inspection, there wasn’t anything particularly remarkable about it.

"Isn’t this just a different version of crab-stuffed orange?" one of the judges leaned in for a closer look and asked, "The tofu and pine mushrooms aren’t hiding inside, are they?"

Old Xue didn’t answer; he simply chuckled and lifted the crab’s top shell.

Inside the crab shell was a minced paste of venison and pine mushrooms, the surface glazed with a layer of honey that had partially solidified, glistening as soon as it was exposed to the daylight.

"How come there’s not even a hint of fragrance?" the judge grew even more puzzled, leaning in to take a sniff.

Before he finished speaking, he heard a crisp "crack" at his ear.

Old Xue poked a chopstick into the minced paste, the layer of honey cracked, and an incredibly potent fragrance burst forth aggressively, assaulting the senses.

"This..." The judge recoiled in surprise, taking a step back. (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to go to Qidian (qidian.com) to cast your recommendation votes and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to read.)