Chapter 549: The Cooking Competition for the Sang Charm Demon Cup
Sang Zhe was feeling a bit gloomy.
It was supposed to be a refreshing day. He arrived at the company to find Li Shanyan, who had been working through the night, looking all ethereal, reporting on the movements of various gods and demons.
Especially after having spent a delightful night in his wife’s warm embrace, comparing it with Li Shanyan’s exhausting night of work, Sang Zhe felt a joy that made him want to hang a lamp post just to celebrate.
“Read it out.”
Li Shanyan gave him a disdainful glance and then sluggishly started to read: “Ancestral Cang worked late yesterday, got home and slept peacefully all night.”
“Old Woman Xi killed four little white mice in her experiment yesterday. Xu Yao drank with clients at the brothel until the ugly hour and ended up sleeping on a courtesan’s belly.”
“Long Huan was busy with official business until the late hour, and Foolish Child played ‘Original Immortal’ all night, now mastering it well enough to tackle the Abyss.”
“Jiang Mei’s debut went well yesterday, gaining 3,000 fans as the captain, setting the record for best newcomer at the Crimson Pavilion. Hong Yi is plotting to host a wild party at your place…”
Sang Zhe nodded frequently until suddenly he asked, “Wait. What is Hong Yi doing?”
“Plotting to host a wild party at your place.”
“?”
Li Shanyan gleefully handed him a surveillance communication device, and Sang Zhe quickly leaned in.
On the screen was his own home.
In his living room, Zhang Xiaoying and Yu Xia were sitting on chairs, a long table in front of them with tea and sunflower seeds.
The plaque that originally said “Sang Residence” was now covered by a banner reading “The First Sang Charm Demon Cup Cooking Competition.”
In front of Zhang Xiaoying and Yu Xia were ten cooking stations, and all the women of the Sang family were gathered there.
Yan Rouwan, Shi Qingyan, Hua Jianglian, Si Jingzhu, Tang Yubbing, and even Meng Qiyan, who had been on business trips, along with Gu Yingmian and Huo Ningxue who traveled for miles, and even Bai Ming, who was still in confinement, had shown up to join the fun.
However, what surprised him the most was that amidst all these flowers, there was someone he didn’t want to see.
Xu Hongyi.
“……What the heck?”
Sang Zhe turned his head with difficulty: “What is going on here?”
“You’re asking about the women in your life?”
Li Shanyan smirked, “If you ask me, your harem seems to be quite harmonious. They can pull off a family cooking competition, sounds pretty harmonious to me.”
“I bet they’ll follow the motto of friendship first, competition second, living together harmoniously.”
Never in his life had Sang Zhe thought that this old coot with a kid’s face would be so annoying.
“……I’ll deal with you later,” he spat, immediately tearing open a space next to him and stepping into his own residence.
Behind him, Li Shanyan’s cheerful voice echoed, “Take care, my friend. Wishing you a harmonious harem!”
——
——
Sang Residence.
“Cough, cough.”
Dressed in a rather formal outfit, Long Huan pulled her hair into a neat bun and began holding a cucumber elegantly:
“Dear family members, beloved sisters of the Sang family.”
“Welcome to the First Sang Charm Demon Cup Cooking Competition. I am your host, Long Huan.”
Applause resonated not only from the audience but also came from the judging panel.
Sitting in the judges’ seats were Zhang Xiaoying and Yu Xia, each holding a child, with Little Ying You on the left and Little Lonely on the right, clapping with their little hands.
“For this competition, we uphold the principles of unfairness, injustice, and non-transparency, and solemnly promise that all forms of bribery towards judges and hosts are allowed, and contestants may add personal grudges to obstruct their opponents’ normal performance.”
“The rules are quite simple. Our first-class chef, Aunt Yu, will demonstrate how to cook fish-flavored shredded pork, then each contestant will replicate and innovate, with the dishes being scored by two judges (Yu Xia and Zhang Xiaoying), two sponsors (Little Ying You and Little Lonely), and me, your host.”
“The contestant with the highest average score will receive the luxurious three-day exclusive prize of the Sang Charm Demon!”
Sang Zhe: “?”
Just as he stepped through the gate, he heard this line, and his head was filled with giant question marks.
“In addition, contestants can do their utmost to bribe and collude with judges and the host to learn exclusive cooking secrets and score high, or add wasabi, chili peppers, or even aphrodisiacs and laxatives to other contestants’ dishes; our production team imposes absolutely no restrictions.”
“If there are grievances, blame Sang Zhe!”
Sang Zhe: “?”
“Now let’s officially begin the competition!”
Long Huan called out, “First, let’s welcome our judge, the chief chef of the Sang family—Aunt Yu, to demonstrate how to cook fish-flavored shredded pork.”
Amidst everyone’s applause, Yu Xia handed Little Lonely to Long Huan and smiled a bit shyly, “Thank you, ladies, I’m afraid I’ll embarrass myself.”
After saying this, she walked to the cooking station, putting on an apron.
Then, her expression suddenly changed.
From a gentle demeanor, she became extremely serious.
Under her command, every ingredient seemed to have a spirit of its own, being prepared flawlessly as if they were doing it on their own.
With her knife skills, tossing the wok, and controlling the heat, every move looked divine, captivating the audience who applauded endlessly.
During this time, Sang Zhe quietly slipped to Zhang Xiaoying’s side and asked, “Seriously, what is going on here?”
“Things you don’t know, my husband.”
Zhang Xiaoying explained, “To maintain harmony in the harem, it requires effort from all sides. Since you entrusted me with the responsibility of stabilizing family relations, I naturally must set an example.”
“Look, occasionally hosting an event like this for the whole family to participate allows everyone to bond, doesn’t that sound great?” She smiled at the crowd.
“But why is the competition’s name so weird? What is ‘Sang Charm Demon’?”
“Weird? Is that not common knowledge anymore?”
Sang Zhe: “?”
“Why is the prize me?”
“You should think about it; what does our Sang family lack? What can attract a bunch of sisters?”
Zhang Xiaoying answered nonchalantly: “Of course, it’s your body.”
Sang Zhe: “…… Aren’t you going to ask for my opinion?”
“Anyway, you’ll be accompanying any sister, so why care so much?”
Zhang Xiaoying gently rubbed his cheek and said, “Alright, as long as you wish for a united family.”
Sang Zhe felt that Zhang Xiaoying’s tone was somewhat like talking to Little Ying You.
However, he couldn’t deny that her small hand on his face felt so soft it melted his heart.
“Let’s backtrack a hundred thousand steps.”
Sang Zhe then asked: “I can accept Senior Sister Yan since she’s an elder of the Sang family.”
“But how come Xu Hongyi is also participating in this competition? Did you allow this?”
“Eh? Isn’t it allowed?”
Zhang Xiaoying blinked: “I heard her say that you’ve always treated her as a secretary for work-related matters and as for personal matters—”
Sang Zhe covered Zhang Xiaoying’s mouth while painfully covering his own face.
…Xu Hongyi.
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