"You really do have a lot of questions!" Hua Xiaomai muttered to herself inwardly, yet her face showed no sign of it. She could tell that this elder genuinely loved good food and didn’t put on airs. The next ti she spoke, she was much more relaxed.
"As for the Golden and Jade Fish, since it includes the word ’jade,’ the fish used must be white. Therefore, people usually use sea bass. Frankly speaking, if this dish is well made, it looks very beautiful, but I find its color a bit too monotonous." She said, and then she pursed her lips, "The flavor of sea bass is undoubtedly soft and delicious, but in my view, Guilin fish and carmine fish are just as good, if not even more refreshing. The blend of pink and white fish slices is a feast for the eyes with just a little decoration... after all, this is just my personal preference."
The elder nodded repeatedly, looked around, and suddenly stood up, bending slightly, leaned in a little closer, and with a voice barely audible, chuckled, "Naming this dish ’elegant’ wouldn’t be too much. Hey, just between us, I think your Two Treasures Sashimi is even more appealing!"
"Pfft!" Hua Xiaomai was amused by his sowhat childish deanor and pushed the white porcelain plate closer to him, "It looks good, but it might not suit your taste. You should try it first."
As instructed, the elder picked up a slice of carmine fish and Guilin fish each, dipped them into the sauce, and took a bite, but then he said no more. Hua Xiaomai was not worried, she picked up the white porcelain plate and moved on to the next gourt judge.
After all five judges had tasted the Two Treasures Sashimi, Hua Xiaomai was ready to leave. She had just lifted her foot to step out when she suddenly heard a commotion. Turning her head, she saw the man in white from Biyue Pavilion, who was arguing non-stop with the elder who had been seated in the first place.
"Could it be that you tasted it wrong? How could this happen?"
The man in white had looked rather graceful and refined, elegant in speech. However, now he appeared utterly indignant, staring intently at the elder’s face, his fist resting on the long table, as if trying hard to suppress the anger within, "Everything in my ’All-Encompassing Dish’ is top-notch, whether it’s abalone, chicken feet, or conch. I can guarantee, no one else in Tong’an City can get such superior ingredients. How could there be a problem?"
As he spoke, he snatched the spoon from the elder’s hand, scooped up a conch from the bowl, and thrust it forward: "Look at this conch, large in size, the flesh full and thick..."
"The problem with your All-Encompassing Dish lies exactly with this conch," the elder said, glancing up at him and slowly stroking his beard, "Biyue Pavilion enjoys a fine reputation in Provincial City. I am aware of the caliber of your cooking skills, but the issue with this dish is undeniable. Though this conch looks quite big, when you bite into it, it’s quite hollow inside, and the texture is dry and sandy, which even detracts from the flavor of the broth. You spend your days by the stove, no one is more aware of the quality of ingredients than you. If you don’t believe , just try it for yourself."
The man in white was taken aback for a mont and then put the conch from the spoon into his mouth, and after a re chew, his eyebrows imdiately furrowed into a frown.
"This isn’t... it’s definitely not the conch I bought! It looks very similar on the outside, but I had tasted it myself after purchasing, and it couldn’t possibly have this texture, how could this be..." he was sowhat at a loss, and his hand resting on the table trembled slightly.
The elder looked on, unable to bear it, shook his head, and sighed, "In this world, replacing inferior goods with superior ones isn’t uncommon, is it? To replicate an appearance perfectly isn’t that difficult. You are busy cooking and didn’t notice, it is totally normal. I ntioned it just because I couldn’t bear to see you kept in the dark. It could be your assistants conspiring with others, or soone deliberately setting you up, ultimately driven by ’benefits.’ Although I sympathize with you, a competition is a competition, and I’m afraid your dish might not make it..."
The man in white swayed slightly, and his eyes looked sowhat vacant as he unintentionally glanced towards Hua Xiaomai.
His expression was truly pitiable, and as fellow cooks, she could empathize with his feelings. Hua Xiaomai felt a pang of compassion and took a step forward, "You..."
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