Chapter Ninety-Five: The Battle for the Culinary Crown

After everything had been arranged, under the gaze of the whole crowd, ten inns and restaurants sent their chefs forward one after another.

Most of them were seasoned veterans, some even hailing from families that had passed down their culinary craft for generations.

They all appeared here for one purpose only: to see who would truly deserve the title of the finest chef.

The victor’s business behind it would also rise swiftly in stature.

The ingredients provided were all ordinary vegetables.

Lord Chen and several other officials then set the challenge.

Each contestant had to prepare five main dishes, all centered on three kinds of meat.

Every judge and every spectator would taste them one by one.

A banquet of color, aroma, and flavor began at once.

Han Qing stood nearby watching, his expression surprisingly calm.

If that thug had put in even a little effort and learned seven or eight parts of the dishes from that cookbook, he would not have fared so badly.

“Sir, this is Huaiyang cuisine; the first course leans sweet...”

“Gentlemen, this is Cantonese cuisine; its main dish...”

About an hour later, every cuisine had taken its turn.

All of them looked exquisitely delicious, except for the dishes cooked by the little thug, whose colors were far less dazzling.

Instead, they had a clumsy, almost shabby appearance.

Yet one glance from Han Qing was enough for him to understand exactly what the man had done.

He had taken the palates of all the judges into account.

The first soup was cool and refreshing, so that after tasting the later dishes, their taste buds would not be overwhelmed.

The final four dishes grew steadily more intense in flavor.

On the surface they seemed like simple fare, yet they revealed a taste unlike anything else.

In the end, after the officials and the crowd had cast their votes,

the little thug had, unexpectedly, come out on top.

It was almost unbelievable.

Yet everyone present knew they had truly tasted the pure, original freshness of the food itself.

“After discussion, the final vote is in. Congratulations to Zhou Tingjun of the Hot Pot House for winning the title of Culinary King this time!”

What?

The little thug stared blankly, stunned.

He froze for a moment.

He had only followed the cookbook’s instructions; he had never imagined it would produce such a result.

Just as the various inns had been rolling up their sleeves, ready for a fierce contest, they discovered that the winner was an obscure nobody.

They were all shaken to the core.

Some chefs felt so humiliated that they left immediately.

And in an instant, the Hot Pot House attracted even more customers.

Perhaps this was the power of fame.

What had once been a rather deserted shop suddenly became packed to the rafters.

Some people who wanted to come taste the food now had to book several days in advance just to get a seat.

The whole of Blue City was turned upside down by it.

The Du family was, naturally, the most displeased.

“Didn’t I tell you to arrange for a few capable people? How could you not even handle a little thug?”

“Father, those were indeed our restaurant’s signature dishes. Perhaps those officials were simply too fussy?”

“Fussy? How fussy can they possibly be?”

Old Master Du refused to believe such a verdict.

But so many people had voted on the spot; it could not have been caused by a handful of officials alone.

Moreover, the real voting pool was indeed in the hands of the common people.

What could they do?

Admit that they were inferior to others.

“And another thing: that Hot Pot House is doing better and better now. Everything we did before has no effect on them anymore,” Second Young Master Du said angrily.

Who could have imagined that in just two short weeks things would already become so worrying?

These twists and turns had thrown their entire restaurant business into turmoil.

“And our own customers are getting fewer and fewer. Many of them say they’re already tired of our dishes.”

There was nothing to be done about that.

After all, when something fresh appears, people are naturally eager to try it.

“Can’t you think of a way? Didn’t we already introduce some new dishes before? Why haven’t we launched any more now?”

The old man was truly beside himself with anger.

After all these years of running the business, he had been challenged by a mere upstart.

And not even a local one at that, but someone who seemed to know nothing at all.

“Yes, I’ve already had them rush the preparations,” Second Young Master Du said slowly.

He quickly found an excuse and slipped away.

He had no desire to keep listening to the old man’s scolding.

Besides, this was not something he alone could be blamed for.

What else could he do but accept his bad luck?

Meanwhile, the Hot Pot House only grew more and more prosperous.

But with success came even more envious eyes.

Some people, driven by jealousy, would use underhanded methods in secret, yet he had long since been on guard.

And this little thug was no fool.

He knew who might move against them, and so he had already made every necessary preparation in advance.

Even so, the Second Young Master of the Zhou family, who had visited before, had come again.

“Mr. Han, I’m sure I came by some time ago; you must have seen me then and have at least a little impression of me, yes?”

“I know you. You’re from the Zhou family.”

“That’s right. I’m Zhou Chenjing, and my family is in the textile business. I’ve come today because I have something I’d like to ask your advice on.”

He spoke with mild respect.

“Go on.”

“I hear that you also have some enmity with the Du family, and our Zhou family has been at odds with them for decades as well. So I thought, since our two families share a common enemy, wouldn’t it be better to discuss certain matters together?”

He spoke calmly.

Yet there was a hint of probing hidden in his gaze.

“I’m afraid you have that wrong. We have no hostility toward the Du family. It’s simply that Old Master Du seems dissatisfied with our shop.”

Han Qing shook his head.

“So you don’t want revenge against them?”

“No need. They haven’t harmed our core interests, so what revenge could there be? Besides, those restaurants of the Du family are not our competitors right now.”

That did make some sense.

Zhou Chenjing was slightly puzzled. Could it be that he had overthought the matter?

Ordinarily, once someone is targeted by others, they would surely want revenge.

But this man did not seem like someone who would simply endure things.

Why, then, would he say such a thing?

He could not quite figure it out.

But he also could not ask outright.

After all, the two of them were not yet close enough for such direct talk.

“Mr. Han, it seems I have troubled you.”

He offered a polite apology, then took his leave.

Yet Zhu Young Master had heard seven or eight parts of the conversation.

He had originally wanted to step out and greet them, but later felt it improper to interrupt.

The more he listened, however, the stranger it seemed.

Since he also bore a grudge against the Du family, did that not mean the two sides shared a common enemy?