Her Cultivation Diary
Chapter 1022 - 1002. Judges Taste Test 2

Chapter 1022: 1002. Judges Taste Test 2

The judges are chewing on cucumbers, their minds a chaotic mess at this moment...

Wait, how did they used to evaluate cucumbers again?

The water content... the texture...

It’s over.

Everyone looked at each other, speechless.

After a while, it was the little old lady at the head who asked first, "Did you only plant spiked cucumbers? If spiked cucumbers have this kind of texture, you might find drought-resistant cucumbers even more outstanding."

Spiked cucumbers are deep green in color, long and slender, and heavier. But drought-resistant cucumbers don’t need trellises, are light green with a touch of yellow, short and round in shape, delicately crisp, and resemble fruit cucumbers closer.

But as she spoke, her eyes remained fixed on the display table, as if cucumbers, like strawberries, had multiple varieties she could eat all over again.

Song Tan shook her head. "The greenhouse was a bit late this year, planted hastily, so we only have this variety. Would you like to try the tomatoes?"

She offered rare praise, "Our tomatoes are an old variety too, with thin skin, thick flesh, and sandy pulp—all harvested when perfectly ripe."

Upon hearing this, who could resist? Those tomatoes were sliced into pieces and served in bowls—the sandy pulp was right there, plain for everyone to see! Their dense granules looked ready to burst!

Song Tan thoughtfully handed out tissues, feigning regret. "This is what happens—once you slice them, the juice spills everywhere..." And spill it did! A bowl of tomato pieces sat on the table, with a bottom layer soaked in red, tangy sweet juice.

If it were summer or a warm room with heating, you could sprinkle a fine layer of white sugar on top and leave it for a few hours...

Hiss!

You can’t even begin to imagine how divine that tomato juice would taste!

The little old man at the head protested, glaring at her, "So, why not just give us a whole tomato to eat?" He was old, didn’t care for appearances, could eat messily while holding it—it wouldn’t matter!

Song Tan defended herself confidently, "You’ve already been tasting food all morning; I was worried a whole tomato would be too filling."

On that note, there was no way to argue.

The group reluctantly but eagerly finished the tomatoes, while one media person called out loudly, "How about letting me drink the leftover juice in the bowl? I’m a bit thirsty."

Everyone shot him furious looks: Shameless! Did he think they weren’t thirsty too?

Still, it seems those with thicker skin often get their way. As in this moment, everyone could only watch as Song Tan handed the remaining half-bowl of juice to the one who spoke first.

The man grabbed it without hesitation, poured it down in one gulp, and then shamelessly let out a heartfelt sigh of satisfaction.

The crowd: ... Damn it!!!

The judges had already given up wracking their brains for comments at this point, now craning their necks toward the display table like dragons guarding their treasure—

Cherry tomatoes, radish slices, sweet potato chunks... Which one to eat first?

...

Meanwhile, a few at the front who had started cleaning the display table in preparation for the afternoon’s public judging area were puzzled:

"Which company is A7 from? Do they have a lot of products displayed? Why is it taking so long to finish judging?"

"No idea. It’s been noisy over there—are they having a disagreement?"

"What’s there to argue about? Scoring isn’t discussed in front of us anyway..."

"Oh dear! I saw the media folks getting all fired up—could there be some kind of breaking news?"

"You stay right here. I’ll go take a look ahead."

"Gosh, I wonder what they displayed? My family entered eggplants this year. You know how awful they taste raw, but the judges tried them without even furrowing their brows... Later on, they tasted the cooked ones, and their expressions didn’t change much either."

"You don’t get it. They’ve spent their whole lives dealing with fruits and vegetables; they can tell whether it’s good or bad just from tasting a raw bite."

"My family entered cilantro. This variety grows upright and has a strong flavor—but one judge outright abstained from judging."

"Abstaining doesn’t really matter. Scores are calculated by excluding the highest and lowest ratings anyway, so it doesn’t affect things."

"Sigh, I prefer the kind of cilantro that sprawls across the ground; I think it tastes more authentic."

"Did none of you submit fruit? My family launched a new Snow Mountain apple this year, grown in cold regions, with an especially great taste."

"Give me a piece to try..."

"Sure! The company prepared several boxes—everyone gets one! And there’s more at the showcase ahead!"

"What’s still going on at the front? Someone went to inquire, didn’t they? Why hasn’t he returned yet?"

"I’ve finished packing up here; I’ll check it out too and tell you later."

...

Unnoticed, more and more people gathered around the small display at A7, forming an ever-widening circle, until even those in the adjacent agricultural machinery section began drifting over.

It’s well known that the greatest hobby of the people here is joining the fun; it’s practically imprinted into their instincts. Seeing a crowd, they couldn’t help but join in to take a look.

By now, several green-vested staff from the agricultural machinery section, taking advantage of the quiet lunchtime, had quietly slipped over.

Some relied on their agility, others on their towering height—but anyway, they all squeezed forward in a bustling swarm. Just as they entered the perimeter, a peculiar acrid scent hit them. Unable to resist, someone let out a "Achoo!" and sneezed.

It drew a chorus of complaints from those nearby: "Do you know how to be hygienic? At least cover it with a tissue—ahhhh Achoo!"

Fortunately, the display table was far away, and the agricultural machinery district maintained strict boundaries. Everyone remained on the yellow line, so a sneeze wouldn’t impact anything beyond three meters away from the table.

Though, the situation wasn’t much better over there; noses were covered with tissues, tears were streaming, and those more sensitive could hardly stay steady.

The culprit? Qiaoqiao was chopping chili peppers with a little fruit knife!

This chili was the family’s favorite variety this year. It was astonishingly spicy, intensely fragrant, and had thick flesh, so they decided to keep growing it this winter.

As for Qiaoqiao, who had already been chopping chili peppers for half a year, she donned gloves and was completely unaffected. But the sharp, eye-watering aroma of raw chili was something the uninitiated would surely struggle to adapt to.

Still... who could resist if they were a spice enthusiast?

The judges certainly didn’t.

Qiaoqiao warned them this chili was extremely spicy, but based on their experience, thicker-fleshed peppers usually packed less heat—though of course, there are exceptions. Unlike cilantro, which some people dislike but hardly anyone abhors, chilies... well, you’ve just got to try them, right?

They still had the crisp freshness of radish and the sweet crunch of sweet potato lingering in their mouths!

The green radishes, peeled and cut into chunks, glistened with moisture in their bowls and looked particularly refreshing in the warmly-lit exhibition hall.

Upon taking a bite, the crunchy sweetness and juicy burst were immediately followed by a slight hint of spiciness—making people want another bite.

And the sweet potatoes weren’t any less enticing.

They may have looked like plain, unremarkable old varieties, far from trending favorites like smoked sweet potatoes or honey-roasted ones, but once cut into chunks, even though not freshly dug, they were unmistakably crisp and sweet...

So far, every crop they’d tasted had flavors that exceeded even the ripest fruits from their regions!

Old Song, oh Old Song! You’ve been keeping secrets from everyone; you truly are wicked!