Chapter Forty-Two: A Culinary Showdown

Next, Su Wan-ning continued to introduce a series of essential household items to the viewers in her livestream, such as the water cup and the bag she used. The two fruit links arranged by the production team had long since been pushed to the end, completely ignored, while the transaction volume in Su Wan-ning’s livestream reached a new high.

At this point, Su Wan-ning’s livestream had the highest popularity among the four families, with the second place going to Yu Xin, who had changed her strategy. Instead of promoting products in the orchard, she took Da Xi around the village to visit the neighbors. Thanks to Yu Xin’s cheerful personality, she brought laughter and joy wherever she went.

The next morning after breakfast, the production team gathered everyone together to play a game.

“Let me say in advance, the two guests who rank last in today’s game will be responsible for preparing lunch for everyone.”

The temperature was not too high in the morning, so all four families were in high spirits, waiting for the production team to announce the rules.

“There is a line here, which will serve as the starting point. At the finish line, there are four bottles. The mothers and their children will play a relay by doing splits. Whoever’s foot touches the bottle first wins!”

The camera panned to the ground, showing the bottles placed three or four meters from the starting line.

[Isn’t this a bit too difficult?]

[Without years of dance training, I doubt anyone could manage this.]

[Isn’t this a free point for Su Wan-ning? She has two children!]

“To ensure fairness, Su Wan-ning can only choose one child to participate with her,” the director added, putting the audience’s concerns to rest.

Su Wan-ning chose Nian Nian, considering that girls tend to be more flexible. Although her son’s legs were longer, he wasn’t as skilled at doing splits.

Soon, at the director’s command, Yin Shan-shan, who had years of classical dance experience, executed a perfect side split, covering most of the distance. Yang Yang didn’t even need to exert himself and easily touched the bottle, winning first place.

“Congratulations to Yin Shan-shan!”

[Goddess, indeed! That split was beautiful, and her legs are so straight. I’m so envious!]

[This is hilarious. Look at Ming Ming, not cooperating at all.]

Feng Rui was naturally long-legged, but Ming Ming simply refused to cooperate. Even for that short distance, he wouldn’t obediently reach for the bottle.

Finally, Feng Rui threatened him quietly, “Ming Ming, if we don’t win, we’ll have to cook lunch ourselves today.”

Ming Ming’s small eyes darted about. Remembering Feng Rui’s terrible cooking, he decisively decided to help.

“The second group, Feng Rui’s family, wins!” announced the director, declaring the two losing teams.

[I don’t think this is very fair. Nian Nian is the youngest and has the shortest legs. There’s no way she could reach that distance.]

Even though Su Wan-ning tried her best to stretch her legs as far as possible, given Nian Nian’s height, the finish line bottle was simply out of reach for them.

On the other side, Yu Xin seemed rather stiff, and despite Da Xi’s efforts, they still fell just short.

The winners were already decided. Su Wan-ning didn’t dwell on it, simply pulling her daughter up. On the other side, Yu Xin also stood up, her gaze meeting Wang Zan’s behind the camera, both with subtle smiles in their eyes.

“So, Su Wan-ning and Yu Xin will be preparing lunch for everyone today!”

“We get to eat Auntie Su’s cooking again—great!” Ming Ming was the first to clap and cheer.

Feng Rui, standing beside him, looked down with a look of disdain.

[Ming Ming is such a little foodie. Looks like he’s never forgotten Su Wan-ning’s cooking since he last tasted it.]

[I can confirm that I made milk tea at home using her recipe last time, and my whole family said it was delicious. My mom even said it’s healthy and told me to make it myself from now on.]

The remaining two groups went off to rest. As noon approached, the temperature continued to rise. Su Wan-ning and Yu Xin stayed together in the kitchen. Even with a fan nearby, both were soon dripping with sweat.

The heat made Su Wan-ning irritable, and she lost her appetite. Suddenly, her gaze landed on something nearby, and an idea formed in her mind. She picked up a bag of pea starch.

Yu Xin, meanwhile, rolled up her sleeves and chose various ingredients, quickly chopping them on the cutting board despite the heat.

[Yu Xin seems pretty skilled; her knife work is more than a match for a professional chef!]

[And she picked a rich variety of ingredients to provide nutrition for the kids. But what is Su Wan-ning doing?]

Yu Xin glanced over to see Su Wan-ning mixing a bag of starch with water.

Clearing her throat, Yu Xin asked, “Xiao Ning, what are you planning to make? There are three stoves—how should we divide them?”

Su Wan-ning didn’t even look up. “I only need one.”

Yu Xin had no objections. She quickly lit the stove and heated oil, expertly managing two woks at once amid the swirling steam.

[Even in this heat, she’s so dedicated. Xin Xin is truly deserving of her national sweetheart title.]

[Is Su Wan-ning making glue or something? I really can’t figure it out.]

After mixing the pea starch with water, Su Wan-ning poured the mixture into a pot and stirred it continuously with a spatula until it thickened into a smooth, glossy paste. She found a large bowl, brushed it with oil, poured in the mixture, covered it with plastic wrap, and put it in the fridge.

After that, Su Wan-ning didn’t use the stove again. Instead, she took several large bowls and began mixing different sauces at the condiment station.

Time passed quickly. Yu Xin, skilled in all kinds of cooking, made sweet and sour pork ribs, braised crucian carp, and even the challenging steamed lion’s head meatballs—dishes loved by the children.

As they neared the end, Su Wan-ning glanced at Yu Xin’s dishes on the table, then took some fresh vegetables from the fridge, washed them, and in just five minutes, made a cold vegetable salad.

Once the food was ready, the other two families joined them in the dining room. But when they saw the dazzling array of hot dishes on the table, they only showed mild interest.

“Yu Xin is amazing—she can make so many dishes!” Feng Rui stood nearby, not picking up her chopsticks, but smiling in praise.

“Indeed, everything looks and smells wonderful. But did you make all of these?” Yin Shan-shan’s gaze turned to Su Wan-ning.

At that moment, Su Wan-ning took the large bowl from the fridge and placed a massive, half-spherical mold on the table.

“All the hot dishes were made by me; the salad was prepared by Xiao Ning,” Yu Xin explained. She had seen the show before and assumed Su Wan-ning had some special trick up her sleeve, but in terms of cooking skills, she was just so-so.

“It’s too hot today, so I didn’t cook much. I just made a vegetable salad, some fresh pea jelly, and a few types of cold noodles. There are several sauces here, with different flavors. The kids can choose the non-spicy ones if they like,” said Su Wan-ning.

[Honestly, with this heat, I can’t stomach those hot dishes. All I want is a bowl of cold jelly.]

[There’s even cold noodles—my favorite!]

Yu Xin’s expression changed.