Chef Hua
Chapter 213 - 130th Episode: Eight Treasures Conference (Part 2)_2

Chapter 213: 130th Episode: Eight Treasures Conference (Part 2)_2

"Umm..." the elder nodded slightly, "If we really want to talk about it, there is indeed some sense to it... Ah, I have delayed you a little time, I apologize profusely. You go ahead and carefully prepare the next dish."

Hua Xiaomai smiled in response and took two steps forward, presenting the plate to the next gourmand.

Because she had already drawn everyone’s attention earlier, with every judge she approached, she invariably had to answer a few extra questions, which took up quite a bit of time in the pavilion. When she came out, she once again ran into the man in white.

"Is the young lady a new chef hired by Taoyuan House?" The man was just about to leave when he saw Hua Xiaomai and quickly approached her, "I see the young lady is not old, yet she has such an in-depth knowledge of ancient dishes like ’Da Zhen’; it’s truly impressive."

Hua Xiaomai lifted her eyes and smiled at him, "To be strict, I’m not exactly a chef at Taoyuan House yet. Shopkeeper Song places great importance on this Eight Treasures Conference, so he had me come to help out..."

"Is that so?" The man raised his eyebrows slightly, "With a great helper like you, this year’s Moon Banquet is probably within ready grasp, isn’t it?"

Hua Xiaomai was completely puzzled and looked at him in confusion, "What... Moon Banquet?"

"You don’t know?" The man’s smile grew more playful, "Well then, consider that I’ve spoken out of turn."

With that, he walked away without waiting for any reaction from Hua Xiaomai.

Baffled, Hua Xiaomai followed behind him to the door of the small shed by Huayin Pond, which was assigned to Taoyuan House. Without meaning to, she looked up and at a distance of about a dozen feet from another shed, she saw a small figure in a pink dress quickly flash by. Immediately afterward, the man in white took a few strides over, lifted the thin felt at the entrance, and went inside.

Was that Qing Tao? Hua Xiaomai’s brows suddenly furrowed.

Since early this morning, she had constantly felt that there was some secret between Song Jingxi and Qing Tao, but... what exactly were they planning?

And, what was this "Moon Banquet" the man in white had mentioned?

While pondering, Qing He just happened to come out of the shed. Seeing Hua Xiaomai, she followed her gaze and glanced forward, then whispered in her ear, "Look, the shed of Biyue Pavilion is over there, quite close to ours! The lady had gone to the pavilion to deliver the dish, you must have met that Mr. Han, right? Tsk, all dressed in white, so pretentious!"

"The man in white clothes is the owner of Biyue Pavilion?" Hua Xiaomai’s eyes suddenly became round as saucers, and she turned her head to stare fixedly at Qing He’s face.

"Isn’t that so?" Qing He, however, did not pay attention to her expression and nodded, dragging her into the tent.

Song Jingxi was very concerned about the assessment of the first meat dish, following closely behind Hua Xiaomai and asking non-stop. Hua Xiaomai, preoccupied with her thoughts, had no energy to beat around the bush with her and simply replied, "It went smoothly, I guess," forcing herself to perk up and start preparing the Two Treasures Sashimi.

She cleaned both the rouge fish and Guilin fish by removing the scales, deboning, and washing thoroughly, chopping off the heads and keeping only the most succulent parts of the belly and the back. With the fish skin facing down on the chopping board, she then took out the knife that Shopkeeper Tao had spent a good deal of money to have custom-made.

The delicate fish flesh could easily fall apart and required quick slicing. Honestly, the knife Shopkeeper Tao bought didn’t look like much from the outside—its dark, dull blade made one suspect it might be exceedingly blunt. However, the moment she angled the blade and touched the fish, the flesh seemed to come to life, bouncing once against the edge of the knife, and then, a piece of fish as thin as paper softly slid down the side of the blade.

"My goodness, is this knife possessed by a ghost?!" Qing He, standing behind Hua Xiaomai and craning her neck to see, gasped in shock at the sight, "That’s way too fast!"

"Why else would I have asked Shopkeeper Tao to buy it?" Hua Xiaomai did not turn to look at her and responded softly, her hands never ceasing their work. Song Jingxi, on the other hand, slapped Qing He lightly on the back and sternly said, "Don’t disturb her!"

The flesh of the rouge fish was a soft pink color, appearing almost translucent and endearingly charming. The slices of Guilin fish, on the other hand, were pure white and lustrous, glinting here and there. Alternating red and white fish slices were arranged on a white porcelain plate, with a carved radish flower with a red center placed in the middle and a couple of mint leaves casually adorned on the side. The vibrant and distinct colors were exquisite and lovely, almost making one reluctant to eat it.

With swift and efficient movements, Hua Xiaomai arranged the plate and took a small dish. She put in some minced green onion and ginger, white plum, dried tangerine peel powder, and a bit of soy sauce, finally scooping two small spoonfuls of mustard and mixing it with all the other ingredients.

Mustard not only neutralizes fishiness and enhances flavor but also highlights the fresh and sweet taste of the raw sashimi. Both the rouge fish and Guilin fish were rare delicacies that deserved to be paired with the finest condiments to match the valuable ingredients without doing them a disservice.

Sashimi is difficult to keep fresh. If not consumed promptly after cutting, the flesh soon darkens, becomes soft, and loses its crisp texture. Hua Xiaomai swiftly completed all the steps, piled a small mound of crushed ice next to the fish slices, nodded to Song Jingxi, and then lifted the tent flap and went out.

She had completed the Two Treasures Sashimi remarkably fast. When she left the tent, most of the restaurants and eateries were still bustling with activity. Feeling a bit anxious, she couldn’t help but glance over at the tent where Biyue Pavilion was located, furrowing her brow, biting her lower lip, exhaling a long breath from her chest, and quickly stepping into the cool pavilion.

Her first dish had made an impression on the five gourmet judges, and seeing her deliver the second dish so soon, they instinctively stood up and leaned out to look her way.

The elderly man who had spoken earlier glanced at the plate and looked up with interest, "Oh, the Two Treasures Sashimi? When others face such a challenge, to showcase their superior skills, they often choose the famous ’Golden and Jade Fish’. Why did you choose this instead?" (To be continued. If you like this work, welcome to Qidian (qidian.com) to cast your recommendation ticket, monthly ticket. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please read on m.qidian.com.)