Sludge suction system

In the ancient-style main hall of the Gao family compound, the dim light filtering through the carved windows illuminated the solemn and dignified atmosphere. Gao He, dressed in a blue robe, looked haggard and dragged his leaden legs as he slowly entered the oppressive space. The moment he appeared, the gazes of the clan elders pierced him like icy blades.

"Hmph, look at you, so wretched, and you still have the nerve to come back home!" An elderly man with white hair and piercing eyes glared angrily, slamming his hand on the heavy mahogany table, sending the writing brush, ink, paper, and inkstone flying. "The family poured all its resources into nurturing you, finding renowned spice masters to teach you, collecting spices from all over the world for you to study, hoping you would make a name for yourself in the Lemongrass Kingdom's culinary competition and bring home the championship trophy. And what was the result? You lost miserably, how can you still stand here with such a shameful face!" The other elders also shook their heads and criticized him, their voices booming like thunder, instantly drowning out Gao He.

Gao He lowered his head, his disheveled hair obscuring his forlorn eyes, his shoulders trembling slightly, betraying his inner sorrow. The scene from the competition kept replaying in his mind.

On the competition field, top competitors abounded, making for an exceptionally fierce contest. Fang Xiaobei's composure and confidence while preparing lemongrass grilled fish still left a deep impression on him. He himself prepared Sichuan peppercorn chicken. Before the competition, he carefully selected plump, tender yellow-feathered chickens, hoping to make this dish stand out with his unique use of spices. When preparing the chicken, he washed it thoroughly, boiled it in a pot with scallions, ginger, and cooking wine, and then quickly immersed it in ice water to make the chicken meat firmer and more tender.

The key is in preparing the Sichuan peppercorn sauce. He finely chops freshly picked lemongrass leaves and grinds them together with spices such as Sichuan peppercorns, chili peppers, scallions, and garlic. Then he adds appropriate amounts of salt, sugar, light soy sauce, and sesame oil, mixing it all together according to the proportions he has been working on for a long time. The unique aroma, a blend of the freshness of lemongrass and the numbing fragrance of Sichuan peppercorns, fills the air as soon as it's ready.

However, during the competition, nervousness caused him to falter. When applying the Sichuan peppercorn sauce, he failed to coat the chicken evenly, resulting in some parts being overly numbing while others were bland. His knife skills also became inaccurate due to his panic, resulting in unevenly sized pieces. Even worse, during the presentation, the chicken skin lost its original luster due to sitting for a while, significantly diminishing the dish's appearance. In contrast, Fang Xiaobei's lemongrass grilled fish was a feast for the eyes, nose, and palate, earning high praise from the judges.

"I really practiced day and night, thinking I was in the best of luck, but who knew..." Gao He cried out silently in his heart, filled with grievance and resentment.

At this moment, the family steward stepped forward expressionlessly, breaking the silence: "Stop sighing. Now that Fang Xiaobei has won the championship, her strength and connections are of great significance to the family. You must immediately pursue her again and win her over. This is your only chance to turn things around. If you mess it up, don't blame the family for being ruthless and kicking you out!"

Upon hearing this, Gao He's hands clenched instinctively, his knuckles turning white, his nails digging into his palms, drawing bright red blood. Humiliation, resentment, and helplessness surged within him. But faced with the authority of his family, he could only grit his teeth and force out a single word: "Yes..."

At this moment, Ye Keke was dragging her legs, which felt as heavy as lead, as she stepped into her home. As soon as she crossed the threshold, the oppressive and suffocating silence inside the house, like a surging black tide, mercilessly swallowed her up.

The parents sat upright in the main hall, their faces as gloomy as the night sky before a storm, covered with dark clouds and devoid of any light. The father's gaze, cold and sharp as an ice blade, broke the chilling silence first: "Coco, you have truly disappointed us!" His voice was as hard as ice in the dead of winter, each word like a sharp blade, cutting into the heart with pain. "The family has invested countless resources in cultivating you. From your childhood, we have spared no effort in searching for renowned masters in the world of spices, even rare spices hidden deep in valleys, priceless treasures, all for you to study. We even sent you to participate in this Lemongrass Kingdom Culinary Competition, which would determine the rise and fall of the family, hoping that you could use your superb spice manipulation skills to win the championship, bring home the trophy symbolizing supreme glory and the hope of the family, and bring honor to our Ye clan, paving a bright future. But now, you have returned so humiliatingly defeated. Have you even considered the devastating loss this will bring to the family?"

The mother sat beside her, her face full of reproach, her eyes filled with heartache and regret that seemed to well up with tears: "All those days and nights of hard training, all those countless failures and getting back up, were they all for nothing? How could you be so disappointing!" As she spoke, the mother's eyes also reddened slightly, a product of anger and helplessness towards her daughter's disappointment.

Ye Keke lowered her head, biting her lower lip so hard that deep teeth marks appeared, and blood seeped out, but she seemed oblivious. Her eyes were red, and large tears welled up, threatening to spill over. She was about to speak, recounting the numerous difficulties she had encountered in the competition, the strength of her opponents, and the unpredictable situations, when her father impatiently and rudely interrupted her: "Don't make excuses. This isn't the time to listen to your complaints. There's a way to atone for your sins right now. You know in your heart that the competition between the major families in our Xiangmao Kingdom has always been fierce. Those few geniuses are exceptionally talented, and the family power behind them is deeply entrenched. They will inevitably become a huge obstacle to the rise of our Ye family in the future. Therefore, you must find a way to harm them, and eliminate these potential threats to the family by any means necessary. Whether it's tampering with the spice formula or smearing their reputation, anything can achieve your goal."

The father paused, his eyes growing even sharper, like the most ferocious wolf in the night sky, and continued, "Also, your affair with that Gao He must end here. He has already lost the competition and is barely able to protect himself; he has no future to speak of. If you continue to entangle yourself with him, you will only jeopardize the family's important affairs. The rise and fall of our Ye family depends entirely on your next actions; you must not be confused!"

Upon hearing this, Ye Keke felt as if struck by lightning, a sharp pain shooting through her heart. Memories of her time with Gao He, those beautiful moments, flooded her mind like the most vibrant flowers of spring. They had wandered together through fragrant spice gardens, carefully selecting the freshest ingredients; they had stayed up late by candlelight, discussing and encouraging each other to create a unique spice blend. Those days were the most precious part of her life, and now they were to be cruelly severed. She was about to plead with her parents to give Gao He another chance, and also to give her love another chance, but she saw the resolute look in their eyes, leaving no room for negotiation.

At this moment, the hatred in Ye Keke's heart grew wildly like weeds. She thought of Fang Xiaobei, so full of confidence on the competition stage, the woman who had stolen her championship. Fang Xiaobei had conquered the judges with her lemongrass-grilled fish, and trampled on her head. She hated Fang Xiaobei, hated her smug face, as if mocking her incompetence; hated every move of hers, so effortless on the stage, making her look clumsy; hated her skillful use of spices, which highlighted her own panic and disarray; hated her lemongrass-grilled fish, so fragrant, making her carefully prepared Sichuan peppercorn chicken pale in comparison. This hatred, like a deadly poison, spread rapidly in her heart, eroding her reason.

Driven by the immense pressure from her family and the hatred within her heart, Ye Keke's eyes gradually turned cold and ruthless, as if she had become a completely different person. She slightly raised her head, tears welling up in her eyes, but she stubbornly refused to let them fall. A twisted, bitter smile tugged at the corner of her mouth as she silently nodded in agreement. From this moment on, she decided to turn to the dark side, to use every means possible to achieve her family's demands, and to make Fang Xiaobei pay the price for her "humiliation of losing the championship."