Jiang Chengjin's "Taste of Huizhou"

"...Hmm, this texture!"

The moment his teeth touched the chicken, Manager Huang's pupils suddenly contracted!

The crispy chicken skin crumbles with a gentle bite, releasing a rich, oily aroma. The tender chicken meat melts on the tongue with almost no chewing, transforming into a warm current that slides down the throat and into the stomach.

Moreover, he could taste a wild flavor hidden deep inside the chicken, a blend of various mountain delicacies.

The aroma is not obvious at first taste, but after swallowing the meat, it lingers in the mouth for a long time, making people want to savor the unique fragrance again and again.

"Delicious! So delicious!" Manager Huang exclaimed sincerely.

At the same time, Prefect Zhao also swallowed the chicken in his mouth.

A warm sensation flowed into his abdomen, and he carefully observed the changes in his body.

He could sense that his physical strength had been significantly restored, and even subtly enhanced.

Although it didn't quite reach the sixth grade, the sheer amount of nutritional benefit demonstrates that this Auspicious Chicken is indeed quite nourishing.

"Not bad, very good." Prefect Zhao nodded slightly. "This Jiang Family Auspicious Chicken truly lives up to its reputation."

Jiang Chengjin's expression brightened: "Thank you for your praise, Prefect!"

"However, there are so many dishes that fit the theme of 'The Flavor of Huizhou,' so why did you choose this dish for the culinary competition?" Prefect Zhao asked again.

Jiang Chengjin clasped his hands in greeting and said, "Your Excellency, it is because, in my opinion, this Jiang Family Auspicious Chicken is the most perfect embodiment of the 'Taste of Huizhou'!"

"Oh? What makes you say that?" Prefect Zhao raised an eyebrow.

Jiang Chengjin replied confidently, "Firstly, this Ruyi Chicken has been praised by His Majesty, who has tasted delicacies from all over the world and can be said to be the most qualified person to evaluate all the food in the world."

"How can this Ruyi Chicken, which was praised by the Emperor, not be considered a representative of Huizhou cuisine?"

"Moreover, it was precisely because of this Ruyi Chicken that our Jiang family won the Emperor's favor, and since then, Huizhou has prospered. Huizhou's current prosperity is inseparable from this Ruyi Chicken."

Upon hearing this, Prefect Zhao unconsciously frowned.

The Jiang family has indeed made an undeniable contribution to the development of Huizhou, but this statement is somewhat arrogant and self-important.

However, since the other party had already invoked the Emperor's name, he, as an official of the court, couldn't say anything, and could only nod and say:

"Hmm... what's the second one?"

Jiang Chengjin gave a very faint smile: "Secondly, it originates from the prototype of this Ruyi Chicken."

"It was originally a type of chicken that my Jiang family carried with them when they went on business trips. And Huizhou has always had many merchants; it can be said that commerce is the foundation of Huizhou's existence."

"Thus, this Ruyi Chicken, originating from the cuisine of the roadside, is undoubtedly the representative of Huizhou flavor. Because it represents the food eaten by all the traveling merchants of Huizhou during their journeys!"

"That makes sense." Prefect Zhao nodded slightly.

Therefore, although Jiang Chengjin may have exaggerated the Jiang family's contributions, his overall intention is not problematic.

Jiang Chengjin's smile widened; he could tell from the two judges' reactions that his cooking skills had improved.

As for the rascals sent by Baiweilou, he never took them seriously.

How could a ninth-rank chef possibly defeat a seventh-rank chef?

In his eyes, his victory was already predetermined.

Thinking of this, Jiang Chengjin looked at Jiang Yuqiao, who was sitting at the end of the judges' table without saying a word, and a trace of displeasure flashed through his heart.

Jiang Yuqiao only took a small bite of his Ruyi Chicken before putting down his chopsticks and refusing to eat any more, clearly not very interested in his dishes.

It's obvious that there are plenty of chefs in the clan with higher ranks than him, and this kid has probably eaten countless Jiang's Ruyi Chickens that are even better than this.

But it was precisely because of this that Jiang Yuqiao's reaction angered him.

This kid only gets to eat so many good dishes because he's a direct descendant and has a higher status than him. What right does he have to look down on him?

Ultimately, Jiang Yuqiao's talent is probably not that great, otherwise he wouldn't still be a ninth-rank chef at this age despite the Jiang family's careful nurturing.

Hmph... Once Jiang Chengjin takes over Baiweilou and makes great contributions to the Jiang family, let's see how Jiang Yuqiao can still act arrogantly towards him!

Jiang Chengjin suppressed his dissatisfaction and thought to himself.

Just then.

Suddenly, a series of hurried footsteps came from below the arena.

"Excuse me, could you please make way?"

Luo Qinzhu pushed through the crowd and quickly arrived below the arena. Her hair was slightly disheveled, and sweat beaded on her forehead. She carried a bamboo basket covered with a blue cloth in her hand.

"Chef Luo, thank you for your hard work." Nan Xu took the bamboo basket.

"I'm sorry... the ingredient you requested is a bit rare. I went to several places before I found a piece of good quality."

Luo Qinzhu said between breaths, her words full of apology.

Nan Xu shook his head, a smile appearing on his face: "Not at all, you've arrived just in time."

As he spoke, he walked to the stove and lifted the blue cloth covering the bamboo basket—

"That, that is..."

"What kind of ingredient is this? I've never seen it before!"

"No way... how could it be it?"

A few spectators nearby whispered among themselves.

Nan Xu ignored these words, chopped the contents of the basket into small cubes, sealed the freshness with his Frost Finger, put them into the pot, covered it, and began to concentrate on controlling the fire.

He had already put the tofu in before Luo Qinzhu returned. All that was left was to simmer it for a short while, and his dish would be ready.

In less than the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, Nan Xu extinguished the stove fire.

Then, she skillfully and steadily poured the soup into a blue and white porcelain bowl, and carrying the large bowl, she walked step by step toward the judges' table.

Dusk had fallen. The lights on the judges' panel lit up one by one, illuminating the high platform.

On the table in front of the judges, the leftover plate of the elaborately presented Ruyi Chicken was pushed aside to make room for Baiweilou's dishes.

The onlookers cast mixed glances. Some were curious, some were skeptical, and some were gloating, but almost no one had any expectations for Nanxu's dishes.

Come to think of it, what makes a ninth-rank chef compare to a seventh-rank chef?

Nan Xu walked to the judges' table and gently placed the blue and white porcelain bowl on the table. The bottom of the bowl touched the table and made a soft sound.

"Thump."

All eyes simultaneously fell on the bowl.

then……

"Huh?" A member of the audience couldn't help but exclaim.

It was a bowl of soup that looked absolutely ordinary.

The soup is milky white and clear, with white tofu cubes, red ham cubes, black shiitake mushroom cubes, green scallions... all sorts of ingredients filling the soup bowl, with distinct colors.

It looked alright, but compared to the golden and gleaming Ruyi Chicken that Jiang Chengjin had just served, it was as plain as a village woman's crude creation.

"this……"

Manager Huang frowned slightly, his gaze sweeping over the bowl of soup before settling on Nan Xu's face.

"These are the dishes for your cooking competition?"

Nan Xu nodded, a faint smile appearing on his lips, and clasped his hands in a fist salute, saying:

"Please enjoy the White Jade and Emerald Harmonizing Soup."