Chef Hua-Chapter 672: Episode 356: Leader

Hua Xiaomai seemed rather indifferent as she uncovered the white porcelain bowl, revealing a soup inside that resembled clouds at sunrise.

The hibiscus petals were brilliantly red, the tofu snow-white. Without any added seasonings, not even a speck of oil to be seen, the broth was crystal clear. With a gentle sway, it rippled outward, mirroring the scenery of Huayin Pond somewhat.

"The rule is to taste two dishes, you should still try it."

She served out five small bowls and handed them to the judges, smiling as she said, "Yellow Lip Jelly and dragon dishes might seem light, but their flavor is quite strong and lingers in the mouth for a long time. Instead of using tea to wash it away, why not try a sip of my Snow Cloud Soup—I know the second dish isn’t highly regarded, but at least let it be of some use, don’t you think?"

Old Man Xue went with the flow and truly took a small sip from the bowl, praising, "Indeed very sweet and pleasant." 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺

The remaining four judges nodded repeatedly, "Not just us, all the chefs have also tasted the craftsmanship of the owner of Daoxiang Garden. She undoubtedly deserves the title of leader of this Eight Treasures Conference, and I think nobody will object to that."

The Chixing Pavilion fell silent, no one lamented, no one felt sorry.

There were no surprises, thus, nothing to be said.

The leader of the Eight Treasures Conference seemed just a nominal title, it couldn’t even bring the privilege of hosting the Moon Banquet like in the previous years, but no one could ignore the unshakable reputation and fame that would soon follow.

There was no need to wait for the people from the other restaurants to leave Huayin Pond, the final result would spread throughout the city and even the whole Tong’an Prefecture at the fastest speed. Perhaps it wouldn’t be long before the whole world would hear, what more could a chef and an owner of a restaurant hope for?

"Miss..."

Old Man Xue appeared a bit excited, his hand trembling slightly as he touched his beard, he called out to Hua Xiaomai but couldn’t speak.

"Could it be you still want to give me some reward? Ah, you’ve already brought out your best Yellow Lip Jelly, how could I, as a junior, ask you to spend more?" Hua Xiaomai tilted her head and teased with a smile.

"Go!"

Old Man Xue was amused by her and pointed at her face with his finger, "The title of the leader of the Eight Treasures Conference has brought you many benefits, countless really, and you still expect something from me? Don’t say I didn’t remind you, don’t get too proud and forget yourself, this title will only stay on your head for a year, what happens this time next year, no one knows. If I find you slacking then, I won’t be courteous!"

Hua Xiaomai dutifully responded with a smile, but couldn’t help turning her head to look outside the Chixing Pavilion.

Unfortunately, she couldn’t see Song Jingxi’s expression right now... Nonetheless, she had certainly gotten some revenge, and that woman’s upcoming days might not be so easy.

After some pleasantries in the pavilion, thanking Old Man Xue and the other four judges, Hua Xiaomai spoke briefly with Han Fengzhi, then led Zhou Yunyun and Xiu Miao out, leaving Wang Zhanrui behind with Old Man Xue, not knowing what they might discuss.

The three of them walked along the stony path toward the kitchen tent of Daoxiang Garden. Hua Xiaomai remained silent the whole way, while Xiu Miao, smiling like a blooming flower, finally couldn’t hold back and suddenly tugged on Hua Xiaomai’s arm, "Owner, if you want to laugh, just laugh, why pretend to be calm? Our Daoxiang Garden might not yet be the top in the food industry of Tong’an Prefecture, but it’s certainly among the best... "

This girl worked every day in the shop doing miscellaneous tasks, her strength was quite formidable, causing Hua Xiaomai to stumble as she was pulled, before she could finish her sentence, she suddenly gasped in pain.

"Let go!"

Zhou Yunyun rushed forward to support Hua Xiaomai’s arm and, with a worried face, said, "Master, is your hand okay?"

Hua Xiaomai frowned, "I’m afraid the tendon might be injured..."

Using the Sand Explosion Method to prepare the Yellow Lip Jelly, which was as pliable as pig skin and needed to be granulated finer than salt particles, required not only excellent knife skills but also great physical strength. First, one would stir-fry it repeatedly in river sand, then continuously chop it for the duration of an incense stick burning; not just women, even strong men could end up with sore arms and strained muscles and bones.

"Oh dear..."

Zhou Yunyun, not daring to apply too much force while massaging, held Hua Xiaomai’s arm gently and sighed, "Earlier, we all offered to do it for you, but you insisted on doing it yourself—you might not trust me, but don’t you trust Master Wang? This Eight Treasures Conference, no matter how important, is just a competition after all, why push yourself to this state?"