Chapter 10

"衣襟绽裂。"

Carefully recalling, the original plot only reached the autumn selection stage when the Far Moon General often exhibited this phenomenon.

Clothes would burst from eating delicious food.

This phrase might sound casual, but in the autumn selection, who wasn't a genius? Each dish contained the heart and soul of their years of culinary expertise.

Xia Yu couldn't think of any reason why his magic Mapo Tofu, which he had only been working on for a few days, would make Teruyoshi Akiyama's clothes burst.

Taste?

It seemed ordinary.

But perhaps it wasn't entirely fair to say that. After tasting so many failed dishes, his tongue and mouth were numb from the spiciness, and his taste system might have missed a delicious dish.

"70 points for this dish..." Xia Yu suddenly became curious about the dish.

Teruyoshi Akiyama silently pulled up his clothes.

"Very good!"

"Color, aroma, taste, heat, spiciness, and finally the 'crispness' created by the ground soy meat, all six elements are very well integrated... This is the best Mapo Tofu I've ever eaten. What's its name?"

Teruyoshi Akiyama's eyes were bright, staring intently at Xia Yu.

"Magic Mapo Tofu," Xia Yu said humbly. "Actually, I haven't been studying the recipe for long, and I haven't fully captured the essence of this dish, so there are many flaws."

"Magic?"

"Indeed, it has an almost magical taste!" Teruyoshi Akiyama nodded.

"Eri, try it too!" He turned to his granddaughter.

"No!"

The God Tongue refused outright. She turned her head away, looking like a proud little peacock.

"Don't let your temper make you miss a good dish. This is a rare experience. Tasting various dishes can also help you absorb the culinary skills they contain and improve yourself." Teruyoshi Akiyama said solemnly.

"..."

Eri Akiyama was stubborn with anyone, but she couldn't be as defiant with her grandfather, the Demon King of Cooking.

She picked up the chopsticks with a reluctant and conflicted expression.

Seeing her hesitation, Xia Yu teased, "Miss, that's not how you use chopsticks. Do you want me to get you a spoon?"

"Hmph!"

She expressed her dissatisfaction with a nasal sound.

Eri Akiyama immediately picked up a piece of white jade tofu and put it in her mouth, her movements and speed perfect.

The tofu entered her mouth, and the scalding spiciness exploded like a bomb. Eri Akiyama's eyes widened, and she bent over, coughing, her face flushed. Realizing her inappropriate behavior, she straightened up, but the tofu had already slipped down her throat.

Whether Eri Akiyama liked it or not, the 'God Tongue' fulfilled its duty.

The ingredients of the dish—tofu, soy, Sichuan pepper, spicy sauce, sesame oil, even the basic oil and salt, and the negligible amounts of sugar and five-spice powder—were all presented in Eri Akiyama's mind.

Moreover, the cooking steps were replayed in her mind, and a young boy's figure appeared, his head buried in the kitchen, sometimes frowning, sometimes suddenly enlightened.

Shaking her head to dispel the image, Eri Akiyama couldn't help but exhale a hot breath, her cheeks flushed as if she had just finished intense exercise.

"Give me water—"

She picked up the second piece of tofu with her chopsticks and, without turning her head, instructed Xia Yu.

"Sure, sure!"

Xia Yu, knowing the character of the 'God Tongue,' didn't argue. He nodded and returned to the shop, bringing her a clean glass of pure water and placing it on the low table.

"Cold, take your time." Xia Yu stepped aside.

Next was a bizarre scene. The chief of the Far Moon Middle School, one of the Ten Elite Chefs, devoured the remaining Mapo Tofu without any decorum.

Gulping down the glass of cold water, Eri Akiyama handed the empty glass to Xia Yu, "Another one!"

"Sure, sure!"

Xia Yu smiled and quickly returned with the second glass of water for the 'God Tongue.'

"Phew—"

Eri Akiyama exhaled a long breath, feeling the scalding spiciness in her mouth and body gradually subside. She sighed in relief, savoring the aftertaste.

Her tongue was still numb.

The 'God Tongue' was very sensitive, and after eating this dish, Eri Akiyama knew that other dishes today would likely taste bland.

This was the dominance of Sichuan cuisine, and this Mapo Tofu was even more so.

The combination of heat and spiciness was like a real bomb, exploding in the mouth with a bang...

But this dish wasn't just dominant; it was also smooth and tender.

The tofu was smooth.

The ground soy meat provided a tender texture.

"Domination and gentleness..." Eri Akiyama murmured, feeling a bit hot and sweating, she subconsciously unbuttoned the high collar of her uniform, revealing the white, delicate skin of her neck.

Hmm?

She finally noticed a pair of eyes that had been on her the whole time and raised an eyebrow, glaring back.

Though the gaze was pure and appreciative, Eri Akiyama, who had never been scrutinized by peers like this, felt secretly annoyed and a faint blush she didn't want to admit.

"What?" she glared.

"How was my dish?" Xia Yu asked.

Eri Akiyama noticed the eagerness in his eyes and was about to harshly criticize him, but she suddenly realized the two respected old men beside her. Her lips moved, and after a moment, she grumbled, "Passable."

"What does 'passable' mean?" Xia Yu glared.

"It means barely acceptable!"

Stimulated by Xia Yu's gaze, Eri Akiyama's temper flared. She crossed her arms, looking cold.

"Where was it barely acceptable?"

"Too many places."

"Like what?"

"First, the ground soy meat. The flavor was just right, but you fried it for two seconds too long, making the texture too hard and weakening the 'crispness.'"

"Second, when you stir-fried the garlic, ground soy meat, fermented black beans, and broad bean paste, and added soy sauce, salt, and sugar, you added the broth a second too early, before the red oil was fully cooked out."

"Third, the stir-frying of the tofu. You're definitely a beginner. The tofu wasn't broken, but the heat was uneven. Others might not notice, but with my God Tongue, every detail is exposed!"

Eri Akiyama rattled off her evaluation in one breath.

Xia Yu's expression remained unchanged, like a student listening attentively, "Anything else?"

"Anything else..."

Eri Akiyama was about to continue but noticed his expression, and the corners of her mouth curled slightly, deliberately adopting a mocking, arrogant stance.

"You're completely a beginner!"

"Do you know the technique of thickening the sauce? It's a basic skill for chefs, but you just followed the recipe step by step without understanding the essence of thickening. You wasted the excellent tofu and the well-prepared broth. Because of your lack of thickening skills, the dish hasn't truly 'absorbed the flavors'..."

"Otherwise, it would have been a killer dish!"