Chef Hua
Chapter 175: Episode 111: One Chicken Three Flavors (Part 2) (Second Update)_2

Chapter 175: Episode 111: One Chicken Three Flavors (Part 2) (Second Update)_2

Unsurprisingly, a huge wave of adulation erupted from the crowd, with endless lavish praises that truly made one blush on their behalf.

Hua Xiaomai, unruffled, casually took a small piece to taste and slightly turned her body, giving Wen Huaren a meaningful glance with a few whispered words. Scholar Wen, seemingly unable to wait, immediately threw his chopsticks to the ground and bellowed, "How can anyone stomach such greasy food?!" Typically cloaked in scholarly elegance, his sudden shouting strangely resembled a fishwife cursing in the street. Hua Xiaomai clenched her teeth, barely holding back her laughter.

While murmurs of admiration filled the air, a sudden dissent caught everyone’s attention. Immediately, two followers pushed through the crowd and approached Wen Huaren, sizing him up before sternly scolding, "What nonsense are you spouting?!" They then exchanged puzzled looks and lowered their voices, "You seem unfamiliar; has today’s matter nothing to do with you? If so, why join this commotion? Hurry along, do what you must, but don’t bring trouble upon yourself!"

Scholar Wen, though physically weak, was then filled with a fiery sense of justice and was not intimidated by the two men. He clapped his hands, lifted his chin, and his voice grew even louder, "What now, you arrange a public contest and can’t take criticism when it tastes bad? I indeed find this fried chicken too tough and bland to eat, what about it?"

"Exactly, it’s terribly unpalatable; with such skills, to dare compete in public? Ridiculous, it will surely make people laugh their heads off!" Hua Erniang chimed in, not satisfied with just words, she even spat on the ground to show her disdain for the distasteful dish.

Upon hearing the commotion, Mr. Huang’s brows furrowed and he strode over, his gaze shifting back and forth between Wen Huaren and Hua Erniang, suddenly cracking a slight smile, "Who are these country bumpkins? If you haven’t seen much of the world, better hold your wild opinions, else, you might find yourselves in trouble you cannot handle."

"I fail to understand, sir, why speaking the truth should bring trouble upon myself?" Wen Huaren straightened his back and calmly waved his folding fan, "I indeed find this fried chicken mediocre, and seeing everyone around praising it, I was confused and thus courageously voiced my thoughts. Since you set up a public challenge, you must be prepared for both applause and criticism, so why be so irritated?"

"Indeed, why be angry?" Hua Erniang leaned in and added.

Mr. Huang looked sharply at Scholar Wen, giving him a dismissive snort, "What fine fare could you have possibly tasted to discern good from bad? Don’t cause a scene here, I..."

"Though poor, I have indeed sampled fine foods," Wen Huaren pointed to Hua Xiaomai, who had been silent beside him, "My sister here, young as she is, possesses remarkable culinary skills; even from a simple bowl of porridge, she can conjure a myriad of flavors. Your fried chicken, taken alone, might not taste too bad, but when compared to her dishes, they are worlds apart. It is only natural that, accustomed to her cooking, I find your skills unimpressive, isn’t it?"

"Right, you don’t even measure up to a strand of my sister’s hair!" Hua Erniang spoke for the third time, looking up to the sky as she did.

Hua Xiaomai almost burst out laughing.

Big sister, you truly are a born straight man in comedic duos...

"You!" Boss Huang, having been dressing-down by Wen Huaren with some instigation from Er Nai, felt his face couldn’t hold up, turned to look at Hua Xiaomai, and sneered, "Her? Cooking is all about solid fundamentals, and she’s still wet behind the ears. What kind of dish can she make?"

He then turned towards Hua Xiaomai: "Little girl, don’t tell me you really think my fried chicken is beneath you? This is Dongchang Pavilion’s signature dish, a family craft; even if others wanted to learn, there would be neither way nor door!"

Was it finally her turn? Hua Xiaomai pursed her lips and smiled, stepping forward to speak evenly, "If you wish to hear the truth... frankly, there is nothing terribly wrong with your dish, only that there was too much oil in the pot, making the chicken somewhat greasy, and due to the overly high heat, the skin was over-fried, giving off a slightly burnt flavor. Though not a grave error, it is a mistake nonetheless."

Her remarks were an honest account, yet to Boss Huang, they sounded full of mockery and ridicule. He glared at her, eyes wide as brass bells; after circling around Hua Xiaomai and taking a few heavy breaths in agitation, he burst out, "You’ve got some nerve! You think you can lecture me? Who do you think you are! You..."

"Additionally, there’s another matter I find quite improper," Hua Xiaomai, completely ignoring his fury, continued calmly, "You and that Master Tan competing in culinary skills in the street—do you really rely only on the spectators to judge? Owning a renowned restaurant as you do, you must understand that cooking is no trivial matter. If there must be a competition, then it should involve a true expert to decide the winner. The tastes of ordinary people vary greatly; without clear criteria, how can it be fair?"

She felt her words left ample dignity intact; however, Boss Huang remained incensed, slammed his fist on the table, and bellowed, "You mean you want to be the judge? What qualifies you?!"

Hua Xiaomai didn’t respond and walked directly to the table where the vegetables were placed. She picked and chose, eventually selecting a tender squash that had just come to market, and grabbed a random knife. In mere moments, with a few swift cuts, she transformed the rotund little squash into a sculpted vessel adorned with a peony pattern. The movements weren’t showy, yet they had the elegance of threading flowers through a needle, the petals and leaves on the squash meticulously exquisite, almost seeming to come alive.

The crowd burst into exclamations of awe, but Hua Xiaomai acted as if she hadn’t heard and simply cradled the squash vessel in her palm, holding it out directly in front of Boss Huang: "With this, am I qualified?"

Then, without waiting for a response, she chuckled, placed the squash back on the table, and added, "Or perhaps, would you care for me to stand in for Master Tan and have a competition with you?" (To be continued. If you like this work, please visit Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for it with your recommendation ticket and monthly ticket. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please read at m.qidian.com.)