My sister became the empress, but I'm still growing vegetables and raising chickens

Aunt Jin said, "We've already made it through the semi-finals, that's enough. We can do anything today. Mother Shuiqin, why are you so scared?"

Mother Shuiqin said with a sad face: "I... my stomach feels uncomfortable, I..."

Xiang Cuicui hurriedly helped her to go to the toilet.

Aunt Zhu said helplessly, "There's nothing we can do about it. Look at the other finalists, they're all men, only you two women...you're intimidating to everyone."

In addition to the contestants, there were many people dressed in gorgeous and luxurious clothes who came to watch the game. Officials and merchants from Lingnan City also sat on the stage.

Aunt Jin was better. She used to be the Marquis's personal aunt and had met countless nobles. Not only that, she had been a servant since she was a child, and she had to learn not to be afraid in any situation. Even if she was afraid in her heart, she would not show it on her face.

Lai Qianniang said, "Don't talk about her. If it were given to me, my legs would be weak before I even got on stage."

Shuiqin's mother prepared herself mentally for a long time, and with the encouragement of the three Si sisters, she finally calmed down.

Si Muyan said, "If you don't dare to speak, go up on stage and state your name and number. You don't need to say anything else. Just go to the stove and get busy. Don't look at the judges on stage, and don't look at the people in the audience. Just do your own thing."

Shuiqinniang closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and nodded.

This morning's match was a one-on-one match, with two teams competing. In the first round, Shuiqinniang faced a middle-aged man with a face full of flesh.

Looking at it this way, he doesn't look like a cook, but more like a gangster. With two knives, he would probably scare people away.

He glanced at Shuiqinniang and sneered, "So she's from the Si family's food shop, just trying to attract attention."

Everyone thought that Si's restaurant would only use their signature hot pot in the competition, but Si Muyan had already understood the rules of the competition and knew that Shuiqinniang should compete in more than two games, so he asked her not to make hot pot in the first game and taught her how to make a squirrel fish.

Shuiqin's mother was bullied so much that her face turned red and she didn't dare to breathe. Fortunately, she quickly adjusted herself, didn't respond, and went straight to her own table.

Squirrel fish is a complex dish, requiring both frying and deep-frying. The heart of the dish is, of course, the sauce. Si Muyan copied the recipe from a modern cookbook, and the side dishes are grown in her own garden, so the flavor is naturally different from others.

Moreover, this dish also requires great knife skills.

Since it had reached the final round, everyone's cooking skills were very superb. However, compared to the next round, this one didn't require much knife skills.

Shuiqinniang has a talent for cooking and has been concentrating on learning recently. Si Muyan does not restrict her and buys ingredients for her in different ways every day and teaches her what details to pay attention to. In addition, she has a good understanding and learns quickly.

Once she was immersed in it, she completely forgot everything around her and only knew that she was cooking. Just like usual, she wanted to make a dish that would satisfy herself, Si Muyan and the others.

When the squirrel fish came out, everyone present was surprised.

The judges had all eaten a variety of dishes. One of the old men had eaten squirrel fish before, but after eating the one made by Shuqin Niang, he still praised it highly and couldn't help asking.

"How do you make it sweet but not greasy, add so many seasonings, and still ensure the fish is fresh and fragrant?"

Shuiqinniang's face flushed red. She couldn't speak, and stammered, "Fire...heat...wrap...wrap...the water...drain it before...frying..."

Everyone around burst into laughter.

"I'm afraid this isn't a stutter."

When Shuiqin's mother heard the discussions, her face turned even redder and she stood there at a loss as to what to do.

Si Muyan frowned and said loudly, "This is a cooking competition, not a recitation competition. She's obsessed with cooking and naturally doesn't know much about other things. She doesn't know how to say anything to please the judges!"

The girl's voice was sonorous and powerful. In fact, it was not particularly obvious in the bustling crowd, but those who were a little closer could hear it.

Everyone agrees with this statement.

"Yes, in a cooking competition, the most important thing is to be able to cook and make it delicious. Everything else is secondary."

The old man gave a thumbs-up and nodded: "You are great, I voted for you, and I hope you will be even better!"

The other judges also praised her, but the man who looked down on Shuiqinniang from the beginning was eliminated directly. He stared at Shuiqinniang with wide eyes in disbelief.

"No, I don't accept it. There's an inside story. I don't accept it. Why should I be defeated by a woman like her? You must have done it on purpose!"

Seeing that the situation was not good, Si Muyan had no time to react. Her second sister had already stepped forward to protect Shui Qinniang behind her, looking at the man coldly.

"Just because you're one step behind in chess, you're attacking someone else's gender? Who says women are inferior to men?"

"Ask which restaurant's chef is a woman?"

The second sister sneered, looked around and asked, "Everyone, is it a man or a woman who cooks in your family?"

The audience, both men and women, shouted in unison: "Woman!"

In every household, women cook and wash. Is that even a question? Men are supposed to do the big things. Helping out occasionally is out of concern for their wives, but they can't do it every day, right?

The man's face flushed and he said angrily, "I'm talking about the big restaurant."

The second sister asked, "So you're saying that women are naturally not as good at cooking as men? Then why do women cook more in the world? According to you, men should cook, after all, men's food tastes better."

The women in the audience all laughed, and some of the bolder ones immediately joined in.

"This young lady is absolutely right. We women cook and serve men every day, and in the end, they still say our cooking isn't tasty?"

"That's right, you're still talking about inside information. You're not even as good as a woman, and you have the nerve to talk about inside information?"

"There are so many people here. We saw your competition clearly just now. That sister-in-law was so capable and meticulous. After she finished cooking a dish, the countertops and stoves were spotless. Look at your place. What does it look like?"

"Exactly. What the Si Family Food Shop said is right: cleanliness and hygiene always come before taste. Which shop are you from? Oh, it's Huibinlou. I guess we should be more careful next time."

The man was furious and said angrily: "This is a cooking competition. We are competing to see who can cook the best..."

"She must have made something delicious. Even though we can't eat it, we can see and smell it. The fish smells so good, and it's cooked like a flower. It must be both beautiful and delicious. What did you make? Mutton stew? Anyone can make that."

In fact, the man made the signature dish of Huibinlou, the secret mutton soup. This was no ordinary mutton soup, he prepared it with all his heart. He was also confident of winning, but he didn't expect to lose to such a woman. How could he be willing to accept it?