The Reviled God of Cooking Tries to Slack Off - Chapter 89

At the stall, even Deputy Director He, who came today to join in the excitement, followed the crowd and took a portion of red-braised pork to try.

He had never considered himself someone particularly concerned with food. In fact, he had eaten before coming and was already about seventy percent full. Yet, after finishing two small bowls, he still didn’t feel satisfied. His mind was full of the rich flavor he’d just experienced. He wanted another bowl, but restrained himself for the sake of appearances.

Truly, appetite is one of the most primal human desires.

As he savored the dish, he couldn’t help but sigh to Lu Baiyu, who stood beside him:
“It’s done really well. Though these two chefs are young, they’re truly skilled. And this is just a warm-up—if they make it to the official competition, I’m sure there’ll be even more delicious dishes.”

He hadn’t expected this much interest. The crowd kept growing.

Those who had finished eating were reluctant to leave. Some were fans of Jiang Tingzhou and chatted excitedly about their impressions after eating. Even those who weren’t fans couldn’t help but praise the dish as “really delicious.”

Everyone had eaten braised pork before, but that’s precisely why the contrast was so striking—when it’s made by a top chef, it’s just different.

Lu Baiyu stood beside Deputy Director He and nodded. “Of course.”

Today, he hadn’t gone into the competition kitchen with Jiang Tingzhou. Lu Baiyu knew he wouldn’t be much help to Jiang Tingzhou in there—but out here, he could make a difference.

He seized the opportunity and continued, “Director He, Tingzhou—I mean, President Jiang—has always been very supportive. His views on the competition are sincere. If the results are promising, I hope you’ll support his side.”

“If he pulls it off, I’ll support him,” said Deputy He. “Don’t worry, Mr. Lu. If Director Zeng disagrees, I’ll talk to him again. Everyone wants the competition to go well.”

Lu Baiyu smiled. “That’s for the best.”

Even if Zeng Rong ultimately disagreed, it wouldn’t be easy for him to exert pressure on the TV station and get his way.

Under Lu Baiyu’s suggestion—or more accurately, his request—Deputy Director He didn’t come alone. Dongjiang TV had brought a reporter to cover the event. Even before the braised pork was served, the reporter was already conducting street interviews.

She randomly picked a man from the queue.

This man seemed to live nearby. He was wearing slippers, spoke with a strong local accent, and smiled at the camera, waving his hand: “I don’t know, I just saw people lining up, so I joined too. Heard it’s for braised pork? What’s so great about braised pork? I’m already sick of it. Just bored at home. Is this a scam?”

Reporter: “How long have you been in line?”

Man: “Oh, about an hour.”

…Clearly, he really did have time on his hands.

The reporter continued to interview a few others. 

When the braised pork was ready, the reporter also took a portion to try. Her facial expressions in front of the camera said it all—the meat was amazing. 

Just then, she spotted the man again, who had already finished eating.

He was still lingering nearby. His expression had changed completely—he stared at the leftover sauce in the bowl, asked for some rice to mix with it, and polished off every last bite. He was reluctant to leave, even with an empty bowl.

The reporter approached him: “Uncle, it’s me again. Now that you’ve tried it, how does it taste?”

“It’s so good! Worth waiting another hour for!” the uncle exclaimed, giving a thumbs-up. “If it’s this good every day, I’ll line up every day. I’ll even volunteer to stand in line for others—for free!”

Aside from this quickly converted old man, other diners also offered heartfelt praise in front of the cameras.

At this point, neither Jiang Tingzhou nor Ye Shunxin had come out yet. The line was longer than they had anticipated, and they had already started preparing the second batch.

But beyond the praise and excitement, the most important thing was the competition vote.

Many Jiang Tingzhou fans were among the crowd. They hoped he would win—but this was a blind taste test. Two versions of braised pork were presented, and no one knew which was his.

Jiang Tingzhou had used fruit in his recipe, but the fruit was removed before serving, and the flavor wasn’t obvious.

At first glance, the two versions looked nearly identical. Upon closer inspection, one had a thicker sauce and appeared fattier.

Both were excellent, but the flavors differed.

One had a richer, sweeter sauce; the other highlighted the meat more, with a perfect lean-to-fat ratio and a clean, non-greasy taste.

Many hesitated at the ballot box, discussing seriously.

“Mr. Jiang said to vote based on your true feelings. Don’t worry about who made which one.” Wen Qi, working as a temporary staff member, reminded the crowd. Many recognized him from previous livestreams. “Vote for the one you like best.”

Deputy Director He and the reporter also voted. Unsure of the outcome, he asked Lu Baiyu,
“What do you think, Mr. Lu?”

Lu Baiyu had been closely observing everything. He only just tasted the two dishes himself.

Others couldn’t tell them apart, but he could. He knew which was Jiang Tingzhou’s even before tasting.

He leaned over to Deputy Director He and whispered, then glanced at the opaque ballot box:
“…That one is the winner.”

Deputy Director He was surprised. “You’re that sure, Mr. Lu?”

Lu Baiyu nodded.

He hadn’t seen Jiang Tingzhou cook, nor did he know the technique used—but he could tell. A chef’s habits reveal themselves in the food.

The bustling crowd didn’t disperse for hours. More and more diners arrived after hearing the buzz. 

Eventually, both chefs ran out of pork belly and had to stop. This scale of activity was exhausting, even for seasoned chefs. 

To keep things fair, neither of them left the kitchen. 

Ye Shunxin sat wiping her sweat, hands trembling, and asked Zeng Rong, “Uncle, are the results out yet?”

Zeng Rong and staff from the sugar factory were on-site for the vote count, which had to be verified. In the meantime, the chefs tried each other’s dishes.

Jiang Tingzhou took a bite, nodded, and said: “You’ve improved a lot. This is delicious.”

Classic braised pork—flavors balanced. If chef training had a textbook, this dish would be featured.

He was honest. It really was delicious.

Ye Shunxin scoffed lightly and then tried Jiang Tingzhou’s dish.

But as soon as she tasted it, her previously confident heart faltered slightly.

It was outstanding—he had taken pork belly to its absolute peak. Tender, flavorful, not greasy. Even though he wasn’t a full-time chef, his skills had only improved. No wonder he was considered a top-tier talent among chefs.

Still, Ye Shunxin held on to a glimmer of hope.

She had done well. The gap wasn’t that big. Even if she lost, it shouldn’t be by much.

But when the results came out, she was stunned. “Seven to three? Why such a big gap?”

Jiang Tingzhou scored seven. She got three.

Zeng Rong confirmed it personally. He was also puzzled. He had tried both and thought the difference wasn’t so drastic.

It wasn’t likely due to Jiang Tingzhou fans—no one knew which dish was his, and the tasting order had been randomized.

Lu Baiyu heard the result at the booth. It was exactly as he expected, including the vote gap.

Deputy Director He was puzzled. He too thought the flavors were closely matched.

“That one is Tingzhou’s,” Lu Baiyu said, pointing to the pot on the right. “It’s got a lighter fat flavor.”

But that’s just a preference. Some people like richer meat, others prefer lighter. It wasn’t a question of technique.

“It’s simple. Yongqing folks prefer lighter flavors. Tingzhou’s dish matched local tastes better,” said Lu Baiyu. “And there’s another reason.”

Because of the large turnout, the portions were massive. Meat at the bottom of the pot was kept warm longer. Though served quickly, different layers had different textures.

Ye Shunxin, an experienced chef, had accounted for this—but Jiang Tingzhou managed it better.

Her distributed portions became slightly too soft and mushy.

Deputy Director He had eaten from the first batch and couldn’t detect the difference, but Lu Baiyu had later portions and could immediately tell.

In fact, the next few servings of Jiang Tingzhou’s braised pork still retained the original taste. As exhaustion set in, Ye Shunxin’s quality dipped slightly.

“Details determine success or failure.” 

Back in the kitchen, Jiang Tingzhou responded calmly after the results. “No matter the competition, dishes are meant for people to eat.”

No matter how refined the techniques, the diners’ experience matters most.

Ye Shunxin lowered her head, disappointed.

She knew why she had lost. A part of her was discouraged—maybe she could never beat Jiang Tingzhou. It wasn’t just about admitting defeat—she also began to question if her long-standing persistence had all been for nothing.

Jiang Tingzhou didn’t say much. He simply handed her a stack of voting tickets.

“Your food was really good,” he said.

The cardboard voting slips had anti-counterfeit stamps and blank sections where diners could write feedback—these were all for her.

“So delicious I could only moan ‘Aaaah…’”

“Incredibly delicious! I could only make ‘ah ah ah give me another piece!’ sounds!”

“How is red-braised pork this good?! Praise the pork! Praise the belly! Praise the pig that was born this delicious!”

“Feels like this wasn’t made by humans—but by gods!”

One after another, they were full of praise.

“There are always winners and losers in competitions, but good food will always be loved,” Jiang Tingzhou said. “There are many ways to make red-braised pork.”

He hadn’t entered to win. This was just a warm-up for the chef competition—to throw out a brick and draw out the jade.

Once the results were out, An Xiaoping quickly edited the footage and uploaded it.

He used the hashtag: #How Many Ways to Cook Braised Pork#—and the real buzz began.

This was the true launch of the pre-competition phase.

People were amazed by the idea of fruit-braised pork. Fans who had been there gushed about how good it was, and reposted it online. The topic gained more and more traction.

【“Ahhh I didn’t get to eat it! When’s the next round? Please do it again!”】

【“Begging for a red-braised pork comeback! Red-braised pork call back!!”】

With Jiang Tingzhou, a million-follower influencer, leading the trend, the hype was far from over.

The braised pork competition on Morning Market Street didn’t stop. New chefs, now arriving in Dongjiang Province, took the stage.

Normally, chefs would rest before the big competition. But participation here was voluntary, and many signed up. After all, everyone enters for fame and opportunity. Now that attention was high, and Jiang Tingzhou had laid the groundwork with a solid platform, everyone wanted a chance to shine.

And each chef had their own take on braised pork—far surpassing any food blogger in creativity and execution.

Two days later, the stall on Morning Market Street was officially marked as the warm-up venue for the chef competition. This time, even more people showed up.

Word was, today’s two special dishes were: Black Gold Braised Pork and Osmanthus & Preserved Plum Red-Braised Pork.

At mealtime, when the pot lids were lifted, the rich aroma of pork belly filled the air to once again greet the excited diners.