Yun Zhaozhao: "I did receive further training, but I didn't go anywhere else. I just studied for a while at the old canteen of Clear Breeze Temple."
Daoist Jingyang greatly alarmed.
If the chef at this vegetarian restaurant is already so skilled, I wonder just how amazing the chef at the Jiuguan Restaurant that Yun Zhaozhao mentioned must be.
Yun Zhaozhao was very generous. "If any of the monks at True Yang Temple want to learn how to make vegetarian food, they can come over anytime. I can arrange for our head monks to come over, and they won't charge you any money!"
Daoist Jingyang was somewhat tempted, but he was also genuinely concerned for Yun Zhaozhao: "Wouldn't that affect your business here?"
Yun Zhaozhao: "It's alright. Some university cafeteria chefs have come to learn before, so consider it a mutual exchange and help. But don't come to learn anytime soon, wait another month or so."
Daoist Jingyang: "Why?"
Yun Zhaozhao: "There's a vegetarian food competition in City A soon, and I heard that the Buddhist community will also be participating. Our head monk is even going to bring glory to Daoism!"
Daoist Jingyang had heard a little about this vegetarian competition, and in competitions like this, everyone hopes that their own people can win.
So he immediately sat up straight and said, "Then you should prepare well during this time. If you need any help from True Yang Temple, please don't hesitate to ask."
-
When it came to the vegetarian food competition, Yun Zhaozhao's initial idea was to have Daoist Chang Kong participate.
As a result, after she told Daoist Chang Kong about this, Daoist Chang Kong recommended Daoist Zhu from the vegetarian restaurant to participate.
Of course, Daoist Chang Kong will also participate; he will assist Daoist Zhu as a cook.
Daoist Zhu has been in charge of the vegetarian canteen at Xin Guan for the past year, and the vegetarian dishes he makes are indeed both popular and well-received.
When Yun Zhaozhao first opened this vegetarian canteen in Xin Guan, she just thought that as a Daoist temple, it should have its own vegetarian canteen. She didn't expect that Daoist Zhu would be so capable, and in just one year, he made Clear Breeze Temple's vegetarian canteen the number one vegetarian canteen in City A.
Nowadays, when many vegetarian enthusiasts mention vegetarianism, the first thing that comes to mind is not the various vegetarian restaurants in the city, but the unassuming vegetarian canteen at Clear Breeze Temple.
Yun Zhaozhao didn't care who participated in the competition; she only had one requirement—whoever participated had to bring back a trophy.
But Daoist Zhu was deeply moved after hearing this. He was both touched and nervous.
He was moved because Daoist Chang Kong and Yun Zhaozhao thought so highly of him, and nervous because he was afraid of letting them down.
Daoist Chang Kong comforted him, "Don't be afraid. Our Clear Breeze Temple might lose in other areas, but when it comes to cooking, just look at all this fat on me, you'll know we have absolutely no chance of losing."
Daoist Zhu glanced down at Daoist Chang Kong's round figure and inexplicably felt a surge of confidence.
Daoist Chang Kong and Daoist Zhu were going to participate in a vegetarian food competition, and Jingting certainly couldn't have been unaware of this.
He found out, and so did Wen Xu.
After all, they hung out together every Wednesday.
Moreover, after spending so much time together, they've developed a pretty good relationship. Jingting tells Wen Xu everything, even things she's too embarrassed to tell Yun Zhaozhao Wen Xu.
When Wen Xu first heard about the food competition, he was quite interested in joining in the fun. But when he heard it was a vegetarian competition, he immediately lost interest. After all, he was a carnivore who didn't like vegetarian food.
Jingting then told him, "Don't underestimate vegetarian food. Many of the vegetarian dishes at our Daoist temple are even tastier than meat!"
Jingting this, Wen Xu felt Wen Xu again.
He asked Jingting, "Will your abbot go that day?"
Jingting, "This is the first time our Clear Breeze Temple has participated in an outside competition, and it's also the first time City A has held a vegetarian food competition. With so many firsts, our abbot must go, right?"
Wen Xu: "If the factory isn't too busy then, let's go and join in the fun."
Jingting was only a bit slow on the uptake when it came to matters of the heart, but he wasn't stupid, so he quickly realized what was going on. "You want to see our abbot?"
Wen Xu was startled. "Nonsense! Who wants to see your abbot? I just want to participate in this vegetarian competition."
Jingting looked at him with a skeptical expression. "Really?"
Wen Xu: "Of course it's real, more real than gold."
Jingting, "But our abbot once said that a lot of gold sold outside is fake, and that I shouldn't buy gold randomly outside; I should buy it from a physical store."
Wen Xu: "..."Who wants to discuss the authenticity of gold with you!
-
On the day of the vegetarian competition, not only Yun Zhaozhao, Daoist Zhu, and Daoist Chang Kong went, but also Jingting, Tang Li, Wen Xu, and Lin Banxia.
The reason so many people went was because Chairman Jiang said that in addition to the public judges' selection and scoring, there would be a lot of delicious food to taste and even performances to watch.
Yun Zhaozhao thought that these people stayed in Clear Breeze Temple every day and didn't have any special entertainment activities. Since this was a rare opportunity, she took them out to have some fun.
Because there were so many people, it took two cars to get everyone to sit down.
This event was held on the first floor of the most luxurious shopping mall in City A.
The event venue was packed with people, but the performances and snack tastings were held in the open-air plaza outside the mall.
The real competition wouldn't require so many people, so Yun Zhaozhao told the others to wander around outside, have some food, and watch the show.
She wasn't too worried about the others, but she was particularly concerned about Jingting.
So she specifically called Wen Xu aside and asked him to help take good care of Jingting.
Although Wen Xu appeared to be listening to Yun Zhaozhao, his mind was actually focused on Yun Zhaozhao's outfit that day.
Yun Zhaozhao wore a white dress today, which was unusual for her.
The dress is sleeveless, off-the-shoulder, and decorated with flowers. The fabric is drapey and smooth, and combined with Yun Zhaozhao's fair skin, it looks exceptionally beautiful.
Wen Xu felt that he was probably possessed by an evil spirit.
Moreover, this wasn't the first time he'd been possessed. Last time, when he escorted Jingting back to Clear Breeze Temple, he saw Yun Zhaozhao Yun Zhaozhao the night after she had just washed her hair, and he immediately thought she was really beautiful.
After talking for a while without getting a response Wen Xu, Yun Zhaozhao couldn't help but wave her hand in front of him. "What are you daydreaming about? I'm talking to you!"
As if waking from a dream, Wen Xu raised his hand to rub his face, and suddenly said, "I think I might be going crazy."
Yun Zhaozhao: "You're only just realizing this? I already thought you might be crazy when you flew all the way to Clear Breeze Temple for dinner."
Wen Xu: "..."
Wen Xu never told anyone else about his secret trip to Clear Breeze Temple for dinner; the only person he told was Jingting.
Clearly, this was absolutely a case of someone Jingting to a whistleblower.
Wen Xu turned and glared at Jingting Ting, Jingting immediately pretended to look at the stage.
--As long as I don't look at you, you won't know that I'm the one who snitched.
-
Yun Zhaozhao handed Jingting over to Wen Xu and then went to the competition venue with Daoist Chang Kong and Daoist Zhu.
The vegetarian food competition is divided into individual and team events. The individual events are further divided into two categories: a designated dish and a dish of your choice.
Team competitions cover a much wider range of topics, encompassing a vast array of elements.
Daoist Chang Kong and Daoist Zhu participated in the individual competition.
The specific dishes must be selected by drawing lots.
Daoist Chang Kong and Daoist Zhu were really lucky; they drew the cold-cut carving prize in the lottery.
As soon as Yun Zhaozhao saw the fortune slip, she knew that today's outcome was in the bag. This was because Daoist Chang Kong could carve and engrave words on bamboo leaves, and Daoist Zhu's cold dishes were also famously sought after at Clear Breeze Temple. This was a powerful combination.
And this proved to be true.
In the first round of the competition, the two teamed up to create a lotus-shaped cold dish. They carved food into the shape of a lotus flower, and it was even a double-petaled lotus. How stunning was that lotus-shaped cold dish? It was almost indistinguishable from the real thing.
Whether viewed up close or from afar, it resembles a real lotus flower. Even each petal has a gradual change in color.
Yun Zhaozhao felt fortunate that she wasn't a judge in this competition; otherwise, she probably wouldn't have been able to bear eating such a beautiful lotus flower.
The judges on site gave it high praise, with two judges even giving it full marks.
Both players performed well, and thus smoothly entered the second round.
During the second game, other people from Clear Breeze Temple also came over.
It was so hot and sunny outside that they wanted to come inside and enjoy the air conditioning.
Yun Zhaozhao said with a hint of helplessness, "I thought you were worried and wanted to come and see how the competition was going!"
Lin Banxia: "You're kidding! Those are the two men who have conquered the entire Clear Breeze Temple. Who would dare to distrust them!"
Jingting blurted out, "They not only conquered Clear Breeze Temple, but also Wen Xu!"
Wen Xu, standing to the side, said, "..." Were you a loudmouth in your past life?
Chapter 118
After a short break, the vegetarian food competition began its second round of the day.
This time, it's a self-selection of dishes.
Daoist Chang Kong had agreed to assist Daoist Zhu in this competition, so Daoist Zhu was allowed to choose his own specialty dishes for the self-selection menu.
Daoist Zhu hesitated for a moment, then finally chose a relatively difficult "seasonal delicacy".
The so-called "seasonal delicacies" are vegetarian dishes prepared according to the corresponding solar term. Some familiar examples include eating spring rolls on the day of Lichun (Beginning of Spring), shepherd's purse on the day of Yushui (Rain Water), bamboo shoots on the day of Jingzhe (Awakening of Insects), and qingtuan (green glutinous rice dumplings) on the spring equinox...
In fact, Clear Breeze Temple had previously held a food festival, during which Daoist Chang Kong prepared five-colored rice and five-colored cakes, and even made a dish of cucumbers and bamboo shoots...
At that time, Daoist Zhu had not yet come to Clear Breeze Temple. He only learned about this matter by chance when he saw the news report in the reading room of Clear Breeze Temple.