The competition started, and after the host finished firing up everyone's excitent, he announced the topic of today's competition—Flying Dragon Plays Phoenix.
Qian Xiang was sitting in the audience, he had a lot of confidence in Zheng Junming winning the competition. Even though he couldn't control the judges or the competition results, but he still had thods to control the topic writers, and under his threats and promises, the dishes that the competitors had to make in the two rounds were all the ones that Zheng Junming was the best at.
And he had also thought of ways to let the program organizers arrange Zheng Junming and Lu Jingyu in adjacent positions, this way the cara could film both of them at the sa ti. The purpose was to let Zheng Junming to show his appearance of cooking skillfully and easily, and contrast it with Lu Jingyu's rushed and flustered appearance.
The ingredients area had a large variety of ingredients, there were good and bad ones, the competitors needed to go over themselves to choose their own.
The chicken was already killed and only needed the competitors to clean out the internal organs themselves after picking out their chicken. The fresh squid and shrimp were still alive and also needed the competitors to handle them themselves.
The way the chicken was raised and the food that they ate directly affects the chicken at's taste. In these ten or so chickens, the ones with especially good quality really weren’t many, Jing Yang even saw that there was so chicken at that had already been sitting for too long and were almost becoming bad.
After picking out all of the ingredients that he wanted, Jing Yang started to handle the chicken, Zheng Junming couldn't resist looking over at him many tis. In his heart he was very doubtful, Lu Jingyu actually dared to participate in this kind of competition. Those judges not only had high standards, their mouths were also very malicious, even if he had gotten the youth group champion twice, the amount of praise he had gotten was very sparse. Lu Jingyu actually wasn't afraid of being scolded in a torrent of abuse.
Jing Yang raised his hand and then lowered the knife, he kept on switching between the large knife and small knife to handle the ingredients, his movents were like moving clouds and flowing water. Looking at his movents it didn't appear like he was cooking, but that he was performing a kind of motion that people were unable to see clearly, and only felt that it was a brilliant form of martial arts.
Zhao Bocheng looked at this kind of Jing Yang, his eyes had a smiling expression and an appreciation. Ever since the first ti he saw this person, he had been attracted by his each and every move.
Because of being young and handso and having graceful cooking movents, as well as because he went on many cooking TV programs, Zheng Junming had attracted many many young female fans.
After all these two people had the sa father, if you look closely, you could see that the two people had three points of resemblance. But right now when they were standing together like this in comparison, obviously it was Lu Jingyu's facial features that were more exquisite, it seed that he was also more handso and elegant, his cooking movents were also more imposing and proficient, it let people feel a sort of visual enjoynt.
In the audience there ca waves of admiring exclamations, the gazes were basically all attracted over to Jing Yang.
And Zheng Junming's movents that had seed pretty graceful before, upon comparison with Jing Yang, obviously beca sluggish and petty. Everyone says that with no comparison cos no harm, these two people no matter whether it was temperant or their technique in handling their ingredients, ford a distinct contrast.
Qian Xiang sitting below looked at the stage with a complicated gaze. His original purpose was to let Zheng Junming show his superiority to Lu Jingyu, but right now he actually let Junming be defeated by Lu Jingyu. Even though he intended to favor Zheng Junming, in his heart he was also unwilling to admit, just from looking at the skill and technique exhibited, Zheng Junming was actually not able to compare to Lu Jingyu.
But there was no need to worry, Qian Xiang comforted himself, and also used his gaze to comfort the Zheng Junming on stage, no matter how fancy his technique was it was still useless, that part of the score was very small, the taste was still the most important part. He had eaten this dish of Zheng Junming's before, the taste definitely had no deficiencies, and it was exactly because of this dish that they had beco friends. So he believed that Zheng Junming would definitely not let him be disappointed.
The audience below the stage began chatting by whispering into each other's ears, even though they did their best to lower their voice, but Qian Xiang could still hear clearly so conversation content from those sitting relatively close to him.
"So handso! I never knew before that originally Lu Jingyu's appearance while cooking was actually this handso!”
"Quickly take a picture, rember to turn off the flash, don't be discovered, just take a picture of Lu Jingyu by himself.”
A person on his other side said, "Hey hey, let’s also take so pictures of Lu Jingyu ba.”
"Didn't you exhaust all thods to crowd in to see Zheng Junming? Didn't you say that Zheng Junming was your husband? Changing your mind so quickly, where's your integrity?”
"I am just a face dog, whoever is handso then I'll like whoever, integrity this kind of thing is only worth a few dollars.”
"Before didn't everyone online say that Lu Jingyu actually didn't know at all how to cook? They even said that with confidence and evidence, I even thought that he really didn't know how to cook. But seeing his attitude now, obviously he is very proficient.”
"What use does his movents being practiced to be handso have? If the taste isn't good then it's done in vain, we should still wait until the judges' reviews and then talk about it, otherwise if you now think that he seems like he will do well, at that ti your face will be hit.”
Flying Dragon Plays Phoenix is a soup dish, whether the soup flavor is delicious is especially important, the squid and chicken's taste needs to be mutually flavorful. Not only could you not destroy their original flavor, but you also needed to get an effect of complenting each other, it was very demanding.
Even plating the dish required the competitors to choose their own tableware. Jing Yang selected a relatively flat round soup bowl, and set the bowl on top of an oval plate. He used his extra ti to carve vegetables into a yellow dragon and a multicolored phoenix and plated it on the edge of the plate. Instantly this added a sowhat imposing atmosphere to the plate, precisely the sa grandeur as in the dish's na.
Jing Yang pressed the bell to indicate to the host that he had already finished, the cara gave his dish a close up. Obviously they wouldn't be able to see out how it would taste, but this one dragon and phoenix were carved vividly and lifelike, it seed like they were coming alive. Even the most amateur could see that his carving skills were very powerful.
The host declared that ti was up, and all of the participants all had to imdiately stop moving their hands. Because Jing Yang was the first done, he was also the first to carry his dish over to give the judges to taste.
After the several judges finished tasting the dish, they repeatedly nodded, discussed with each other their own thoughts for a bit, and then each individually gave a score and evaluation.
Zhao Bocheng also tasted it, and then admiringly glanced at Jing Yang, Jing Yang also coincidentally looked at him face to face, the two people quickly communicated for a while with their gazes. Jing Yang could sense his praise, Zhao Bocheng also could sense his pride.
Zheng Junming heard the judges' evaluations and scores and couldn't resist becoming flustered. This was his first ti hearing such high evaluations and scores in the youth group, even he who had been the youth champion twice had never gotten this high of a score. This kind of score had already reached the elderly group's standard.
When the final result ca out, even though Zheng Junming had entered the youth finals, but his score had already been shaken off a big length by Lu Jingyu, and his evaluations when compared to Lu Jingyu, also had too big of a difference.
When Zheng Junming was leaving the competition site, his complexion was extrely unpleasant. The reporters waiting outside surrounded him wanting to interview him, but he pursed his lips not saying a word, and under the protection of his bodyguards he got on the car and left.
The people who watched the live broadcast once again started a new round of fervent discussion online, there were people who took out those remarks that had claid Lu Jingyu simply didn't know how to cook, and questioned the people who had issued those remarks, weren't you guys extrely sure in saying that Lu Jingyu didn't know how to cook? Now other people's score on the competition had shaken off Zheng Junming by that much, now how are you going to explain that?
The majority of the people who had earlier said that Lu Jingyu didn't know how to cook now had no sound, but there were still a small portion of people who persisted. They felt that Zheng Junming definitely was just in a bad state today, didn't you see that today his complexion was not good? Could the performance from one competition represent soone's entire ability? The final result was still not definite yet.
There were people who sarcastically comnted, Zheng Junming's complexion wasn't good, don't tell that it wasn't because his score had lost to Lu Jingyu by too much?
"Congratulations, today your performance was really great." Zhao Bocheng looked at Jing Yang.
"Thank you, Mr. Zhao." Jing Yang smiled.
"I feel like we can already be considered as quite familiar with each other, you can directly call my na.”
"Na?" Jing Yang slightly froze. "You're letting call you Zhao Bocheng?”
"Just my first na is fine, you don't have to call my full na.”
Jing Yang looked at his eyes, he always felt that there was so feeling of seeming to have even his soul being sucked into them. This person shouldn't know so sort of sorcery ba.
Zhao Bocheng raised his hand to help him fix his hair. "I am really looking forward to your performance tomorrow.”
~
The topic of the youth finals was Dongpo pork.
The finals has a portion for the public to evaluate the dishes, 50 nas were randomly chosen to be the public judges, they would stay by themselves in a big dining hall waiting for the dishes. Before entering the dining hall, all of the people had to hand up their phones. These 50 people were kept not knowing about the competition situation and not being able to keep in contact with the outside. After they were served the dishes, then they would start tasting, and then bring the bowl for the dish that they had been most satisfied with to the staff mbers. The bottom of those bowls would all have a white sticker with a number on it.
Dongpo pork this dish could be said to be the dish that made Zheng Junming famous. When he was 17, he made this dish at Zheng Jianlin's birthday feast and reaped favorable reviews from the guests, this let Zheng Jianlin feel like he had a lot of face. In his happiness, he also didn't forget to announce publicly how good his son's Dongpo pork was. At that ti, the custors who went to Zheng De Ji to eat would all order a serving of Dongpo pork that Zheng Junming made personally.
Because of the addition of the audience judges, the chefs participating in the competition not only had to pay attention to quality but also had to pay attention to quantity and speed. Every person had to make 56 small servings of Dongpo pork in a set amount of ti.
There were a lot of thods to make Dongpo pork, but the main ingredients and side ingredients, as well as the final product, were all roughly the sa. Usually the dish is made with half fat half lean pork, the final product should be approximately around 2 inches thick, and the color and luster should be similar to the shining red of cornelian or agate. And the most crucial was that it had to be tender but not mushy, fatty but not greasy.
After the participants finished their dishes, the staff mbers carried them to the back to plate and then served them to the audience judges. The tasting and voting were all recorded and live broadcasted from beginning to end.
The judges on the competition site here did the sa thing as in the semifinals, after they finished tasting, they directly gave evaluations and scores.
Zheng Junming was anxious to the point of having sweaty palms, this round he definitely couldn't lose, if he lost to Lu Jingyu again, that wouldn't only be his own dignity receiving a blow, but Zheng De Ji would also be influenced.
When the judges on site finished all of the scoring, Zheng Junming's mind was already blank, he lost again? How could that be possible, this was definitely not possible. Calm, he had to stay calm, there was still the final public vote, even if he lost on the overall score, as long as his public votes were relatively higher, then he would not have completely lost to him.
Besides the highest scoring Jing Yang who had the most close up shots, the person who received the second most close ups was the Zheng Junming whose complexion kept changing erratically.
The public judges finished eating and then started voting, the program host interviewed so of the public judges.
"I just picked this one, it was too delicious, I'm currently trying to diet, there were so many servings that I didn't dare to completely eat all of them. For every serving I only tasted a small mouthful, but only for this bowl did I finish eating the entire thing.”
"Because I don't know who made each of these dishes, I could only go with my truest feelings, I really truly felt that this one was the best.”
"There were so that were a little greasy, and there were so that couldn't show out all the flavor, there was only this bowl that really achieved being fatty but not greasy. The fatty at part truly lted in my mouth, yet after it lted it wasn't the taste of at oil, but the delicious flavor of the broth.”
"This plate was truly especially especially delicious, I am an insane fan of Dongpo pork, right now I really want to know which chef made this serving of Dongpo pork. In the future I will definitely go to his restaurant to eat every day, and I will only order Dongpo pork.”
"My standards aren't high for food, I thought that all of them were quite good, but there was only this dish that was especially especially delicious.”
The staff mbers tore off all of the white stickers from the collected bowls, and then covered them with a cloth and sent it over to the live broadcast site.
The host first pulled open the red flannel cloth to take a look, then opened his mouth in astonishnt and turned around. "I am truly too shocked, this is actually the first ti in the competition that this situation appeared.”
The spectators' curiosity were all inspired, they wanted to know what kind of situation it was in the end that let the host beco this shocked.
"I think that the spectators who are currently watching the live broadcast definitely really want to know the results, I believe that after you all find out, you will also be as shocked as I am. So everyone please first support your chin well, now I will announce, 3, 2, 1, …" The host rapidly opened the red flannel cloth, using an excited voice to say, "All of the people chose bowl number 1, this is the first ti that soone passed by unanimous vote! Congratulations number 1 Lu Jingyu, you have received the youth group finals first place.”
The scene sounded with enthusiastic applause, it was actually an unanimous vote, Lu Jingyu's this first place was completely deserved.
[1] flying dragon plays phoenix – 游龙戏凤, this is the literal translation. In terms of food, it seems to be chicken, shrimp, and squid with vegetables.
[2] skillfully and easily – 游刃有余, idiom, literally handling a butcher's cleaver with ease
[3] torrent of abuse – 狗血淋头, idiom, literally to pour dog's blood on
[4] moving clouds and flowing water – 行云流水, idiom, ans natural and unforced, flowing
[5] waves – 此起彼伏, literally up here, down there, aning waves in succession
[6] face dog – 颜狗, slang, fans who only care about appearance (usually self-deprecating)
[7] complenting each other – 相辅相成, idiom
[8] vivid and lifelike – 栩栩如生, idiom, ans realistic
[9] not saying a word – 一言不发, idiom, pretty literal
[10] completely deserved – 实至名归, idiom, literally fa follows rit
We are back. Here’s my long awaited competition chapter, mostly bc whenever I think back to this arc I usually just rember about the cooking competition. This is probably bc I used to watch a bunch of Chopped and other cooking competitions. Oh also and I read God of Cooking (also a great LN, but Korean unfortunately, so I was unable to obtain the raws and MTL it, and also bc I do not understand Korean at all) which also has a big cooking competition. Spoiler? Oh, and I also love food.
Alright so this was from 3.9k-ish characters to 3k words, and took 3 hours, from 9 am – 10:30 am, 3 pm – 4:30 pm. I’ve been on a roll for the past couple of days bc school has just started and none of my hw has been posted yet. Instead the profs are probably all going to give all the hw at once so I can be really busy. That’s great ti managent. Anyways~ the competition part is done, so the plot will be moving on to focus more on romance 😉 and on revenge. We’ve already passed the halfway point of this arc!
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