Mountain Delicacies Soup

Jiang Yuqiao's words made Gao Wenjie exclaim in amazement: "It's incredible! Although the fish has been marinated, its natural sweetness has been perfectly preserved. After swallowing it, there is a peach blossom fragrance lingering in your mouth."

He closed his eyes, savoring the taste of the dish: "This dish gives one the feeling of swallowing an entire spring. Now, my mind is filled with the image of 'peach blossoms, flowing water, and plump mandarin fish' during the spring flood season."

"From the taste to the concept, it's impeccable. No wonder you're a direct descendant of the Jiang family. Your talent is probably no less than your sister's."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Yuqiao frowned almost imperceptibly, then calmly said, "Thank you for your praise, sir."

Ding Baozhen exchanged glances with the other two and announced, "Without a doubt, you have passed."

Jiang Yuqiao nodded slightly, his expression unchanged, and then walked straight off the stage.

"Strange, the young master of the Jiang family passed the test, but he doesn't seem very happy..." a sharp-eyed audience member wondered.

But his voice was quickly drowned out by the noisy cheers and applause.

……

As time passed, the remaining candidates, seemingly inspired by Jiang Yuqiao's achievements, successively submitted their own works.

However, the evaluations they received were not as good as Jiang Yuqiao's.

"Hmm... well... it's alright, I guess?"

Prefect Zhao smacked his lips. After tasting Jiang Yuqiao's peach blossom mandarin fish, eating this mediocre eighth-grade dish always felt rather bland.

"Passed, next." Ding Baozhen waved his hand. His judging criteria remained the same, but he was noticeably less talkative.

Soon, only one examinee remained in the square.

Nan Xu stood in front of the casserole, took a small spoon, scooped up a spoonful of soup, blew on it, and took a sip.

"Hmm, the heat is about right."

Nan Xu nodded in satisfaction before slowly turning off the stove.

He carried the casserole across the bluestone path, walked up to the high platform, and placed the casserole in front of the three examiners.

"This is my work—"

Nan Xu reached out and grabbed the edge of the pot lid, then lifted it up.

The moment the lid was lifted, a golden light burst forth from the pot!

Upon seeing this, the audience erupted in uproar:

"What...what is that?!"

"Am I seeing things...? The soup is glowing, is that for real?"

"No way, it's really glowing!"

Under the sunlight, the crystal-clear, pale golden broth refracted a shimmering golden light, dazzling the eye.

White steam billowed and rose, carrying a sweet and refreshing aroma of mountain delicacies that exploded in all directions, instantly enveloping the entire examiners' table. After the steam dissipated, the scene inside the casserole was clearly displayed before everyone's eyes.

Beneath the pale golden, translucent broth, various mountain delicacies are arranged: tender white bamboo shoots, dark purple rock tripe, deep brown mountain mushrooms, and bright red goji berries... Through the refraction of sunlight, they seem to tremble slightly in the soup, as if they truly possess life.

"—A soup of a hundred delicacies from the mountains, please enjoy." Nan Xu bowed slightly.

Gao Wenjie carefully examined the glowing soup, marveling, "Amazing, truly amazing... This soup of yours is a sight to behold just by looking at it."

"Mountain Delicacies Soup... The name sounds very characteristic of your Baiweilou Restaurant, but I wonder what it tastes like." Prefect Zhao couldn't help but lift his porcelain spoon.

At this moment, Ding Baozhen had already ladled out a small bowl of soup. He smelled the aroma wafting out and couldn't help but smile.

Then, he scooped up a spoonful of soup and put the pale golden broth into his mouth.

The moment he took a bite, Ding Baozhen's expression relaxed.

Despite being a broth made from a variety of ingredients, it is surprisingly easy to drink. The broth is not greasy at all, but rather has a unique fresh and elegant flavor.

But soon, he felt an extremely sweet and fresh taste spreading in his mouth.

The freshness of bamboo shoots and mushrooms, along with the savory flavor of ham, pigeon eggs, and old hen... the complex umami flavor created by a variety of ingredients is cleverly integrated into a whole, yet each ingredient retains its unique taste.

Ding Baozhen couldn't help but close his eyes.

In a daze, he felt as if he were standing in a mountain forest shrouded in mist.

Beneath his feet lay soft fallen leaves and moss, the air filled with the scent of earth after the rain. Bamboo fungus peeked out its snow-white veil, matsutake mushrooms revealed their brown caps with pointed tips, and bamboo shoots emerged from the soil, glistening with dew.

In the distance, birds frolicked among the mountains, wild boars sniffed at food on the ground, and a gentle breeze blew through the forest, bringing with it the clear, tinkling sound of a mountain spring.

"This is... a treasure trove of mountain delicacies!"

Ding Baozhen opened his eyes, looking surprised.

On the other side, Prefect Zhao also showed a surprised expression.

The taste of this mountain delicacies soup is naturally wonderful, with a refreshing sweetness that is similar to the signature dish of Baiweilou, Lingquan Yizhongxian.

But what surprised him even more was the efficacy of the dish.

The soup entered the stomach only a moment later, and a warm current rose from the lower abdomen, slowly spreading along the meridians to the limbs and bones.

Prefect Zhao felt as if his limbs and bones were soaking in a hot spring, every part of his body became incredibly relaxed, and he felt completely refreshed!

He subconsciously turned his neck, his cervical spine making a slight cracking sound, and then he felt a long-lost sense of comfort.

The neck and shoulder pain I had developed from years of working at my desk reviewing official documents has now completely disappeared!

"Although Chef Luo's dishes have always emphasized nutritional value, I really didn't expect... this soup made by you would have such a strong nourishing effect, and it also has the effect of eliminating hidden injuries and old ailments." Prefect Zhao looked at Nan Xu and sighed.

Gao Wenjie nodded in agreement, his gaze towards Nan Xu full of admiration: "You must have added ingredients such as goji berries and ginseng, along with high-quality mountain delicacies and old hen, to achieve this, right?"

Nan Xu smiled and said, "That's right. This method of using medicine and food from the same source was inspired by Chef Luo."

Ding Baozhen remained silent, his brow furrowed as he gazed at the soup in the casserole. He then scooped up a spoonful of soup and savored it carefully.

The next moment, his eyes widened suddenly!

"This soup...!"

Ding Baozhen's tone was filled with surprise and disbelief. Then, he scooped up a second spoonful, a third spoonful, a fourth spoonful...

After drinking several spoonfuls of soup, he finally finished the soup in the bowl. The spoon touched the bottom of the bowl, making a crisp "ding-dong" sound.

He let out a long breath and said in a deep voice, "When I drink this soup, the taste of each sip is subtly different."

"Although it's based on a soup with mountain delicacies, with every sip, I can taste the flavor of a new ingredient!"

"It's like constantly exploring and discovering new delicacies in a vast mountain forest treasure trove—such a wonderful experience has greatly whetted my appetite!"

Ding Baozhen put down his spoon and looked intently at Nan Xu:

"How exactly did you do that?"