Chapter 531: Fu Yuan Breaks Out in a Cold Sweat: Aren’t You a Bun Maker?

Chapter 531: Chapter 531: Fu Yuan Breaks Out in a Cold Sweat: Aren’t You a Bun Maker?

With a dark expression, Fu Yuan walked over without a word, calmly picked up a spoon, and tasted Jiang Liu’s hot and sour soup.

?!?!?

Huh???

The moment the first spoonful went down, Fu Yuan froze.

’This soup... Why is the texture so unique!’

The anger and dissatisfaction he had just felt were instantly replaced by utter shock.

’How is this possible!’

Even though Fu Yuan was unwilling to believe that Jiang Liu could defeat him, the facts were right in front of his eyes. He had no choice but to accept it.

This flavor was indeed more complex and had a longer-lasting aftertaste than his own hot and sour soup.

Fu Yuan glanced at Jiang Liu, and a numbing sensation shot up his spine and exploded in his head.

He couldn’t help but think, ’But Jiang Liu doesn’t specialize in Sichuan cuisine...’

’What is going on!’

Yu Guoguang was beaming with pride, his wrinkled face crinkling up like a chrysanthemum. "So, what do you think? The work of our Hua Country’s Sichuan chefs isn’t too bad, is it? Head Chef Fu?"

His tone was dripping with sarcasm, the very picture of a petty man who’d gotten his way.

’I couldn’t beat you, but we have plenty of skilled people in Huaxia to teach you a lesson!!’

"Hmph, it was just so-so. I wasn’t taking this round seriously. Besides, he was the one who suggested the dish. I’d say he got lucky!" Fu Yuan was agitated inside, but he put on a show of disdain, squinting his eyes and refusing to admit defeat.

Yu Guoguang pursed his lips.

"Hahaha. Hey, Morse, you don’t look too happy. Did you forget to turn off the gas at home?" Jun Xinghe was feeling absolutely delighted.

He seized the opportunity to lay on the mockery thick and fast.

Morse’s face was a pale green, a mixture of shock and anger.

He was shocked that Jiang Liu had actually defeated Fu Yuan in the very first round of a Sichuan cuisine battle. He was angry because he was sure Fu Yuan had just been careless.

’I told him to take it seriously. Isn’t this just a public slap in the face for me?’

"What’s wrong, Morse?" Jun Xinghe walked over and patted him on the shoulder, saying in a heartfelt tone, "Winning and losing are a part of life. Don’t be sad. Once you’ve lost a few more times, you’ll get used to it."

Morse: ...

Jiang Tongtong looked at Jiang Liu with little stars in her eyes. "Daddy, did we win!"

"Mhm, we won," Jiang Liu said with a smile and a nod.

"Woohoo, wow!! Tongtong knew it! Daddy is the best! Daddy is the best in the whole wide world! Hehe."

"Jiang Liu, do your best in the second round!" Jun Qingmeng made a fist pump gesture at him.

’I want to call him honey,’ she thought, ’but there are too many people. It’s embarrassing.’

"What’s the second round?" Jun Xinghe steered the conversation back on topic.

Fu Yuan took a deep breath to compose himself. "We’ll compete with Maoxuewang. I’ve already prepared the ingredients."

Maoxuewang is a famous specialty of Sichuan cuisine.

Its main ingredient is duck blood curd, and the primary cooking method is boiling. The flavor profile is numbing and spicy. It’s a famous, traditional dish popular throughout the Southwest region. The name "Maoxuewang" comes from the main ingredients, which include fresh blood curd (xue) and tripe (mao), all boiled together in a hearty broth (wang).

Fu Yuan proposed this dish for the competition because he had absolute confidence in his own Maoxuewang.

He had once gained countless fans abroad with an exceptional Maoxuewang that had a top-tier and unique flavor!

’Maoxuewang...’ Jun Xinghe’s heart tightened. He had never seen Jiang Liu make this dish before. He hurried over and asked, "Xiao Jiang, do you know how to make this dish?"

Everyone looked at Jiang Liu.

’This dish...’ Yu Guoguang thought they were done for. Jiang Liu had proposed the first dish, so how was he going to handle a dish proposed by his opponent?

’Don’t tell me he can also make Maoxuewang?’

’That... doesn’t seem very likely!’

But Yu Guoguang was still full of hope.

"Maoxuewang?" Jiang Liu raised an eyebrow and nodded, his expression unreadable. "Fine. There’s no time to waste, let’s get started."

He just wanted to finish the competition and go home to rest. It had been a long, tiring day of work.

Yu Guoguang and the others were surprised. Jiang Liu knew how to make Maoxuewang? They’d never heard of him making it before.

"This young man has some hidden depths," the pot-bellied judge whispered to another.

"We’ll see if he has hidden depths after he cooks. After all, he was the one who picked the dish for the first round. It’s possible he won by a fluke."

"That’s right," the foreign judge said, leaning back in his chair.

Zhu Getting didn’t speak. His cloudy eyes carefully scrutinized Jiang Liu.

A thousand emotions welled up in his heart.

At that moment, the number of viewers on the Douyin livestream surged by another 80,000. And because Jiang Liu had defeated Fu Yuan in the first round, his follower count had shot up by more than 300,000, now approaching a total of two million!

The livestream chat exploded.

"This Jiang Liu guy is something else. He actually won the first round? Fu Yuan beat the top Sichuan chef in Huaxia, didn’t he?"

"So does that mean Jiang Liu is number one in Huaxia for Sichuan cuisine?? Holy crap, I’ve got to follow him. I’ll go try his food some other day."

"What’s the rush? There’s still a second round, right? I don’t see him winning. Master Jiang? Never heard of him. It’s all just internet hype."

"Go, Old Fu!!! Get serious!"

Inside the kitchen.

Fu Yuan’s expression was grim. He had to use his full strength this round. ’That Jiang Liu probably just learned a trick somewhere for the last round,’ he thought. ’I lost because I was careless.’

He wouldn’t make the same mistake twice!

The two returned to their kitchen stations without a word.

Jiang Liu casually inspected the duck blood. It was a dark, matte red, and had no fishy smell—definitely a top-quality, fresh product.

The main ingredient for Maoxuewang is duck blood, followed by other ingredients like tripe and tofu.

As for the selection of other ingredients in the cooking process, that came down to personal preference, but most variations didn’t stray too far from the standard.

The two of them lowered their heads and began processing their ingredients.

The flood of comments in the livestream chat slowed as everyone watched the cooking process with bated breath.

Even though they couldn’t see the specific details, it was still exciting.

After all, Fu Yuan had defeated Yu Guoguang, a Sichuan cuisine master renowned throughout Huaxia, and Jiang Liu had just won the first round on the flavor of his hot and sour soup. This match was guaranteed to be thrilling!

He turned on the stove, heated the wok, and added oil.

Jiang Liu added chili peppers, Sichuan peppercorns, doubanjiang, ginger, garlic, and salad oil to the wok. He stir-fried them over low heat until fragrant, added broth to simmer, then strained out the solids. After that, he put in high-quality white sugar, vinegar, and other seasonings.

He sliced the main and secondary ingredients, made decorative cuts, and blanched them before adding them to the prepared red broth. Once it came to a boil, he poured it all into a serving bowl and sprinkled it with chopped scallions...

Gradually.

The numbing, spicy, savory, and fragrant aroma of Maoxuewang filled the kitchen.

Behind him, Fu Yuan smelled the authentic aroma and broke out in a nervous sweat.

He was starting to get completely bewildered.

’Unbelievable!’

’How is this aroma even more authentic and more fragrant than mine!’

’I even used seasonings I got through special channels!!’

Fu Yuan’s normally aloof expression was now trembling with a hint of horror.

’What the hell is going on? Isn’t Jiang Liu supposed to just make steamed buns? Even Yu Guoguang wasn’t good enough, so where did he learn this...? He...’

Fu Yuan was bewildered and suspicious.

The neighbors, fans, and customers who had flooded the livestream chat were laughing.

"He really doesn’t know his own limits. What level is Brother Jiang on, and what level are you on? Don’t you have any self-awareness? You really shot yourself in the foot this time, huh?"

"To be honest, I feel like Boss Jiang knows how to do a lot of things. If only I could pay to have him cook some private dishes for me. I’m so jealous of his father-in-law."

"Hey??? Where are all the people who were just yelling that Xiao Jiang wasn’t any good?"

"Hahaha, you don’t know? Fu Yuan lost over 200,000 followers. Holy shit, that’s hilarious." ...

After about fifteen minutes, Jiang Liu’s Maoxuewang was ready.

Fu Yuan, on the other hand, had gotten flustered. He made a mistake and had to start over once. He was still at his station, sweating profusely as he tossed his wok.

Jiang Liu picked up a piece of tripe with his chopsticks. It was crisp and tender, with a rich, fragrant, and spicy flavor that was incredibly appetizing!

The bowl of Maoxuewang was filled with a bright red broth, highlighted by various chili oils, making it look like a sea of crimson.

Maoxuewang requires a generous amount of oil.

Too little oil would not only affect the flavor and texture but also fail to keep the dish warm.