Chapter 164: The Cooking Competition

At 12:00, the show invited villagers to be food judges.

Oranges were a specialty of Shanyao Village, so each villager brought an orange with them. Whoever’s dish they liked, they would give their orange to, and the one with the most oranges would win.

When Jiang Mi lifted the lid off her pot, a rich aroma filled the air, immediately drawing several judges toward Jiang Mi and Gu Chuan’s area.

Inside the iron pot was a large portion of stewed chicken, paired with winter melon and vermicelli. A circle of golden flatbread was stuck around the pot’s edge, creating a visually appealing and aromatic dish.

A little boy among the crowd became excited, exclaiming, “That’s our pot!”

The boy’s mother felt a bit embarrassed and was about to explain that they had lent the pot to Jiang Mi and Gu Chuan when Jiang Mi spoke up. “Yes, yes, it’s your family’s pot. Come over and try the chicken drumstick, see if it’s good.”

Jiang Mi scooped a drumstick into a small bowl and handed it to the boy.

The boy’s eyes lit up as he eagerly reached out for it. After taking a bite, he turned to his mother with bright eyes and said, “Mom, it’s delicious! I want to give my orange to the pretty sister!”

Jiang Mi, amused, praised him, “Good boy, you can also have the chicken wing.”

The boy, even happier now, cheerfully took the wing.

The boy’s mother felt a bit embarrassed and quickly placed her orange in the small basket in front of Jiang Mi. “Just let him have a taste; there are many more people waiting.”

Jiang Mi smiled. “It’s fine, there’s plenty for everyone.”

The woman seemed a little confused by what Jiang Mi meant, but before she could ask, more voices chimed in from the crowd.

“This chicken stew is really tasty.”

“The flatbread soaked in the broth is the best part.”

“I thought celebrities didn’t know how to cook, but this is really delicious. Here, take my orange!”

Jiang Mi and Gu Chuan’s chicken stew received praise after praise, and more and more villagers flocked to their side.

Bai Ruoruo, witnessing the scene, scoffed in disdain.

She had expected Jiang Mi to prepare something special, but it was just chicken stew! How rustic, common, and, in her opinion, unappetizing. What was so great about it?

Rolling her eyes, Bai Ruoruo turned to Mr. Fu and said, “Just wait, Mr. Fu. Our steak will be the most popular dish. These villagers have never tasted something like this before; they’ll definitely be impressed.”

Mr. Fu withdrew his gaze from Jiang Mi and glanced at Bai Ruoruo, smiling slightly. “I look forward to seeing that.”

Bai Ruoruo took his words as a sign that he was anticipating her victory. Feeling a bit more confident, she opened the lid of her own pot.

A sizzling sound filled the air as she revealed a perfectly seared steak, topped with a thick black pepper sauce and accompanied by pasta and eggs. The presentation looked impressive.

Bai Ruoruo immediately began to boast. “Sister, today I’ve made steak. It’s very popular abroad and considered a high-class Western dish that most people can’t afford.”

Although the woman had never tasted steak before, she was intrigued by Bai Ruoruo’s description of it as an expensive foreign delicacy. She picked up her prepared chopsticks and tried to grab some meat.

However, the steak was still a whole piece.

The woman awkwardly attempted to pick up the entire steak with her chopsticks and bring it to her mouth.

Bai Ruoruo panicked and harshly reprimanded her, “You’re supposed to cut steak with a knife and fork, not pick it up with chopsticks! Don’t you know that?”

The woman froze, feeling embarrassed and unsure of what to do.

Seeing this, Bai Ruoruo’s anxiety turned into smugness. She raised her chin slightly, as if this moment proved her superiority.

Ever since Jiang Mi’s transformation, Bai Ruoruo had been feeling stifled. Finally, she found a moment of satisfaction.

Once she had relished her small victory, she pretended to be warm and caring. “Oh dear, it’s okay if you don’t know how to use a knife and fork. Let me show you.”

As she spoke, Bai Ruoruo took the knife and fork from the woman’s hands and cut off a tiny piece of steak, no bigger than a fingernail, handing it to her.

The woman looked at the piece of steak, which was crispy on the outside but undercooked on the inside, still oozing blood. She hesitated, worried it would upset her stomach.

However, with the cameras rolling and Bai Ruoruo watching closely, the woman reluctantly took a bite. Though it was tender, the strong taste of blood made her immediately spit it out, shaking her head. “No, no, I can’t eat this.”

Spitting out the steak was a direct insult to Bai Ruoruo.

Furious, she snapped, “Do you even know how expensive that little piece of steak is? It costs over a hundred yuan! I thought people in the countryside were honest, but now it seems like you’re just wasting food—and my kindness!”

While Bai Ruoruo’s reasoning sounded fair, her arrogant attitude was grating and harsh on the ears.

The woman, now angry herself, retorted, “High-class steak? It’s not even fully cooked, it’s bloody! Undercooked meat carries bacteria. The news says you shouldn’t eat it.”

Bai Ruoruo felt uncomfortable and raised her voice. “What do you know? This is steak cooked to a perfect medium-rare! It’s the most popular way to eat it abroad.”

Her words were dripping with disdain, implying that the woman was ignorant and unrefined—a country bumpkin.

[What’s Bai Ruoruo’s problem? Just because she’s a celebrity, she thinks she’s better than everyone?]

[Isn’t the woman a judge? How can Bai Ruoruo talk to a judge like that? Unbelievable.]

[Wasn’t Bai Ruoruo from the countryside too? Now that she’s a celebrity, does she look down on rural people?]

The woman, feeling humiliated by Bai Ruoruo’s scolding, didn’t know how to respond. At that moment, Jiang Mi’s voice broke the tension. “Just because it’s popular abroad doesn’t mean everyone here will like it. If you don’t enjoy it, try something else! There are plenty of other dishes to taste.”

Someone had spoken up in support, and the woman’s face brightened a bit. However, Bai Ruoruo was not willing to back down.

Ever since joining the reality dating show, Bai Ruoruo had felt increasingly repressed by Jiang Mi’s success, pushing her to the brink of madness. No longer able to contain herself, she dropped the pretense.

“Jiang Mi, stop pretending to be the good guy. The lady never said my steak was bad! In fact, she wanted to give me her orange!”

Jiang Mi’s tone turned cold. “Even if she wanted to give you her orange, as a judge, she has the right to try food from the other teams as well.”

Bai Ruoruo couldn’t find a way to refute that.

The older woman also decided she wasn’t going to hold back. “I’d never give her my orange! That meat wasn’t even cooked. If I ate that, I’d definitely end up with stomach issues.”

Bai Ruoruo’s hands trembled in anger.

The older woman swiftly walked away, intending to try Jiang Mi’s food, but as she passed Lu Yu and Fu Li’s table, the sweet smile on the young girl’s face eased her frustration.

Lu Yu warmly greeted her, “Sister, we made Peking-style shredded pork, and we even have pancakes to go with it.”

The woman rolled up a pancake and took a bite, complimenting, “Did you make this, young lady? It’s delicious! It’s fully cooked, and it tastes great too.”

Lu Yu burst into laughter, even glancing slyly at Bai Ruoruo, who unsurprisingly looked furious.

“No, it wasn’t me. He made it. I was just helping out.”

Fu Li pushed up his glasses, correcting her. “We made it together.”

The woman couldn’t quite grasp what the celebrities were doing in their village, but seeing such a handsome man and pretty girl standing together, she couldn’t help but assume they were a couple.

“Oh, I see! Well, young lady, you’re lucky. A man who can cook for you means you can sleep in every morning while he prepares the meals.”

Her comment was clearly hinting at them being a newlywed couple.

Lu Yu’s face flushed red, and she stammered, “W-we…”

Before she could finish her sentence, Fu Li handed the woman a few small cherry tomatoes they had prepared earlier. “Thank you for your blessings.”

The woman hadn’t really meant to give them a blessing, but since he had already thanked her, she added, “You two make such a great couple! Perfect for each other. I wish you an early marriage and a lifetime of happiness.”

Lu Yu, unable to handle the situation, rushed off, muttering something about needing the restroom.

She really didn’t know how to respond to such an awkward situation. How did it escalate to early marriage and children? She and Fu Li weren’t even at that stage!

Fu Li smiled, his eyes gleaming with determination.

Meanwhile, Bai Ruoruo’s poor attitude, coupled with her undercooked, bloody steak, had driven most of the villagers away from her stall.

Gradually, Jiang Mi and Gu Chuan’s booth attracted the most judges and gathered the largest pile of oranges.

Next in line were Qin Ling and Chen Wanruo, who both knew how to cook and also received a good number of oranges.

Then came Fu Li and Lu Yu. Jiang Mi believed that their fewer numbers were mainly because Lu Yu wasn’t around, and Fu Li, standing alone, appeared somewhat intimidating, causing some villagers to hesitate.

Fourth place went to Cheng Lin and Yang Yang.

Lastly, there were Bai Ruoruo and Mr. Fu. Almost no one was at their steak booth, and they had barely collected any oranges.

Thus, the cooking competition came to an end.

The judges had tasted the dishes and enjoyed the event, but they were ready to head home to prepare their own meals. After all, they had only sampled a few bites here and were still hungry.

At that moment, the director raised a megaphone and spoke.

“Dear villagers, our competition has officially ended, but please don’t leave just yet!”

Instantly, all the villagers, the celebrity guests, and even the audience watching the livestream became curious. The competition was over, so what did the production team have in store now?