Chapter 124

Chapter 124: Magnificent Mountains and Rivers!

The culinary competition on television had ended. The joyful advertisements were filled with New Year scenes, and fireworks exploded in the sky, lighting up the dark room again and again.

However, despite the noisy and festive atmosphere, Chen Boduan still felt a chill in the room.

He cautiously asked Chen Yuncong, "Grandfather, you..."

"That plaque, it's actually in her hands!"

Chen Yuncong interrupted Chen Boduan sharply, his voice rising unnaturally, "The 'Food is Heaven' plaque, it’s in her hands!"

He turned to look at Chen Boduan, his face appearing slightly ashen under the fireworks outside, "How could it be in her hands? Didn’t we say it was lost?"

Chen Boduan broke into a cold sweat, "I don't know either..."

He cautiously changed the subject, "As for the competition, are you planning to prepare something?"

This round of the competition was pre-recorded. Staff had already come before the New Year to rehearse with Chen Yuncong, confirming whether he would participate in the competition.

"Of course, I’ll participate."

Chen Yuncong’s voice had returned to its usual tone. He picked up his tea and took a slow sip, "I’ve discussed it with the staff. For this final round, I’ll prepare 'Fushou Quan.'"

The production team quickly received Chen Yuncong's response. The producers and director had a brief meeting to discuss the details.

"What kind of dish is 'Fushou Quan'?"

"Fushou Quan is Buddha Jumps Over the Wall, the hardest dish in the world. It's a stew made with all sorts of premium ingredients like abalone, sea cucumber, shark fin, and more."

"Although the competition isn’t live, they can’t possibly give him that much time, right? Can Buddha Jumps Over the Wall be finished in three hours? There are plenty of ingredients that need to be soaked and fried, right?"

"It definitely won’t be done in time. The feedback from the team is that, due to Chen Yuncong’s age, he’ll prepare the soup in advance and only do the final step on the show."

Zhao Dajun took a deep drag from his cigarette, frowning tightly. "This old man... What’s he doing? Isn’t this cheating? What did they say over there? What if they don’t let him cook this dish?"

The staff member who was responsible for communication looked a bit embarrassed. "He said he’s too old to handle the flipping of the pot, and this dish will save him some energy. If we change to another dish, he probably wouldn’t be able to make it to the competition."

Everyone in the room cursed inwardly.

This old fox!

Zhao Dajun finished his cigarette in two puffs and ground the butt out in the ashtray. "Contact Chen Ran, find out what they have to say."

The grandfather-granddaughter showdown would make a huge spectacle, and this competition absolutely couldn’t be missed.

When the staff contacted Chen Ran, the contrast between the lively atmosphere on the other end of the phone and the Chen family’s coldness was striking.

"It’s the production team, I can’t hear you clearly… Wait a moment!"

Chen Ran walked through the crowded living room, stepping outside to hear the voice more clearly.

Gao Shuxian followed her out, and the man who was recording a video, Zhu Nan, also leaned in to listen. Xu Zhuoxing, who had been smoking under the eaves, stood up, and when he saw Wu Chaomei slowly walking out, he quickly stubbed out his cigarette.

With the competition drawing near, everyone gathered to help Chen Ran brainstorm ideas.

— Of course, some people might just be there to get a free meal.

Chen Ran turned on the speakerphone, walking over to Wu Chaomei and Xu Zhuoxing so that everyone could hear the staff’s voice clearly."Chef Chen Ran, Chen Lao says he wants to use Fushou Quan in the competition... and only do the final step on the stage."

Before Chen Ran could respond, Xu Zhuoxing suddenly exploded in anger! He shouted at the phone in Chen Ran's hand, "That damn shameless bastard! He wants to use Buddha Jumps Over the Wall in a two-hour competition? Why doesn't he ask for a whole month to prepare a full Manchu Han Imperial Feast? Then he can just serve the dishes on the stage!"

The staff member on the other end hesitated, feeling a bit embarrassed to continue.

For many ordinary people like the staff, they would consider a dish like Buddha Jumps Over the Wall to be the pinnacle of gourmet cuisine.

As Chang Nian once said, the highest level of taste in food always comes from the ingredients.

A dish like Buddha Jumps Over the Wall, made with top-tier ingredients and time, is beyond the reach of any ordinary dish!

Zhu Nan, standing off to the side, indignantly said, "Fine! Let's also make Buddha Jumps Over the Wall! We’ll all work on it together!"

Chen Ran asked the staff, "What if I don’t agree?"

"He says he’s old and can't make any other dishes. His energy can’t keep up."

The chefs present all knew that this excuse was nonsense.

Even an amateur chef like Zhu Nan knew that while Buddha Jumps Over the Wall may look like a stew, the process of making the broth alone requires enormous effort.

To be able to make this dish, the old man’s health is probably better than that of many younger chefs.

"Ranran, don’t agree to it! We can’t let him take advantage of us!"

"It’s fine."

Chen Ran smiled at the angry Xu Zhuoxing and Wu Chaomei, and then said to the staff on the other end, "Okay, I agree."

The people inside the house heard the voices from outside and quickly came out.

"Ranran, if you really want that spatula, I’ll go in tonight and steal it for you!"

"Yeah, we can't let this old man bully us like that!"

A lot of Chen Ran’s fan club members showed up to cheer her on, and many had successfully signed up for the final competition as spectators.

Although everyone had confidence in Chen Ran’s cooking skills, this was Buddha Jumps Over the Wall! The dish had been prepared days in advance, and they would only be doing the final step on the competition stage…

That old man!

Chen Ran had already told the other party a few things before hanging up the voice call.

"It’s fine. What if he’s so scared he won’t dare to show up on the stage?"

While this request was clearly Chen Yuncong throwing a tantrum, from another perspective, it could be seen as him being afraid.

And then…

Chen Ran looked at the semi-transparent system panel that suddenly popped up in front of her and couldn’t help but smile sweetly.

That old man has Fushou Quan, thinking she doesn’t have any recipes?

When she goes back to slap the Chen family’s face, of course, she’ll use Chef Chen’s recipes!

[Main Mission: Defeat Chen Yuncong with dignity on the competition stage and obtain the Chef God Spatula.]

[Mission Requirement: Use Jin Xiu Shan He to defeat Chen Yuncong’s Fushou Quan.]Along with the mission, the recipe for Jin Xiu Shan He was also provided.

Chef Chen’s real name is Chen Gousheng. He comes from a beggar background, and even the surname "Chen" was picked up casually. Chen Ran has only made his recipe once, which was the clear-braised pork knuckle, the dish she made and Chen Boduan taught Lü Yi to make.

Most of his recipes can be considered common folk dishes, with simple and easily accessible ingredients.

Of course, there are exceptions.

Jin Xiu Shan He is one of the rare dishes in Chef Chen’s repertoire that demands very specific ingredients. Using this dish to compete against Fushou Quan is truly a match of equals.

Chen Ran turned to Tang Yang: "Tang Jie, the dish I’m practicing this time requires some ingredients that are a bit hard to get. I know your company..."

The ingredients for the competition can be arranged by the production team, but the ingredients she’s practicing with at home will have to be prepared by Tang Yang.

"No problem! Don’t worry."

From the second day of the Lunar New Year to the seventh day, five days passed in the blink of an eye.

The production team had already prepared the ingredients Chen Ran needed, and Chen Yuncong had also prepared his own broth and various prepped ingredients.

In this competition, he was the defending champion, so of course, he would take the stage first.

It must be said that this old man looked quite intimidating, wearing a spotless chef’s uniform and sporting all white hair and beard.

Unlike at home where he never smiled, on the show, Chen Yuncong always wore a very kind and warm smile.

—In this match, he had to turn around his brand image! Several supermarkets had already approached the company to discuss pulling his products off the shelves!

"Chen Lao, let me serve it for you."

Bai Jing quickly stepped forward but was dodged by Chen Yuncong. He froze for a moment.

"No need, as a chef, I must handle this broth from start to finish. Only then can it be a good pot of soup."

Chen Yuncong had done many interviews, and his camera presence was quite good. He subtly avoided Bai Jing, ensuring that the shot of him carrying the soup pot was caught on camera.

"I’ve prepared for this competition for several days to make this excellent broth…"

Bai Jing couldn’t help but be a bit shocked!

If he hadn’t heard complaints from the production team before, he might have actually been fooled by the old man.

With just that one sentence, his act of preparing the broth in advance turned from "intentionally using his age to take advantage" to "carefully preparing for the competition."

Just now, when he was standing upright outside, Chen Yuncong now, carrying the small soup pot onto the stage, suddenly became slightly hunched over. With his white hair and his smile, he truly looked somewhat kind.

Bai Jing couldn’t help but murmur to himself: "This old man is so skilled at changing faces. His seasoning products probably really are problematic."

Recalling the boxed meal he had eaten earlier at "Peach Blossom Spring," and how the old man had just used him as a stepping stone, Bai Jing smiled and added a line.

"It seems like you’re really taking this competition seriously, preparing for so many days. I’m really looking forward to this Buddha Jumps Over the Wall you’ve spent so much time making!"

Hearing the host’s attempt to sabotage him, Chen Yuncong’s eyelids twitched, but he still held the soup pot carefully and stepped onto the stage, standing in the position of the defending champion.

He looked up and saw Bai Jing leading his long-lost great-granddaughter into the arena.

In the audience, a small but enthusiastic cheer erupted.

"Ranran is so cool!""This chef's uniform is beautiful... Did Ms. Wang hire a stylist?"

If the system could hear the voices from the audience, it would definitely protest.

The host, of course, should be the one to dress themselves!

Chen Ran's dark-colored chef’s uniform was actually a reward from the mission after winning that match against Chen Boduan.

The stand-up collar, double-breasted, and the hem reaching just below her knees made her figure look especially slender. Under the spotlight, one could even see that the chef's uniform was embroidered with dragons and phoenixes using black silk thread. At first glance, it was hard to make out, but it made the whole outfit incredibly striking.

But the most eye-catching thing was still Chen Ran herself.

The panic she had when leaving the Chen family had long since faded. Now, Chen Ran could even be praised for her "grandmaster aura" in such a competition.

"Chef Chen Ran, the defending champion has prepared a Buddha Jumps Over the Wall dish to await your challenge. What dish have you prepared to compete with? Could you briefly introduce it?"

This sentence carried a lot of tension!

Everyone's gaze was fixed on Chen Ran. She turned her head to glance at Chen Yuncong and spoke softly.

"Since I’m challenging my great-grandfather, I naturally have to use the Chen family's ancestral recipes."

"The dish I’m making is called Jin Xiu Shan He, and it also has another name: Four Rivers Guard One Mountain."

The four rivers refer to the Yangtze, Yellow, Heilong, and Pearl Rivers, and the one mountain is Mount Tai.

With the representative ingredients from these five places, the final dish is called Jin Xiu Shan He!

You have Buddha Jumps Over the Wall, which represents longevity and wealth, but my Jin Xiu Shan He represents the magnificent landscapes of the country!