Shocking! The entire court was drooling with envy because of me.

"Are you sure?" Jin squinted, he hadn't expected anyone to refuse such a good opportunity.

"I'm sure." Shen Qing nodded calmly.

She takes every dish with the same seriousness; in her mind, there is no difference in status between cold cucumber salad and other hot dishes.

If she agrees to Mr. Jin's suggestion today, it means that she herself will also give up this cucumber salad.

This dish should not be treated like this.

Jin snorted coldly, turned his head, and slowly began to drink his tea.

It was clear that he was no longer going to pay any attention to Shen Qing.

The choice then fell to Fang Shanren.

He sighed and said, "I only have one gold token, and this is only the first round..."

"Whether this dish is worth a gold token or not, you can try it first and then tell me." Shen Qing exuded extreme confidence.

Fang Shanren paused for a moment before turning his gaze to the plate of cucumber salad in Shen Qing's hand.

On an ordinary plain porcelain plate, cucumber slices are piled up into a small mountain, varying in size and with sharp edges, like shattered pieces of green jade.

The sauce dyed the cut surface of the cucumber a deep amber color, giving it a glossy sheen that refracted sparse light under the sunlight.

Minced garlic sprinkled into the cracks of the cucumber, and red chili threads curled into various shapes, some hanging on the cucumber, others sinking into the juice at the bottom of the plate.

I must say, this cucumber salad is extremely beautiful; it can even be described as pleasing to the eye.

"Since you put it that way, then I'll give it a try," Fang Shanren decided.

Firstly, he sympathized with Shen Qing, since none of the judges present had ever tasted this dish of smashed cucumbers.

Secondly, he also wanted to make Shen Qing accept defeat wholeheartedly.

As for the Golden Order, he certainly wouldn't use it in the first round.

"Please," Shen Qing said with a smile.

Fang Shanren picked up a piece of cucumber, but instead of eating it right away, he held it to his nose and sniffed it gently.

The first scent you smell is the sour aroma of vinegar, and this sourness has layers, one soft and one strong.

Next comes the aroma of charred garlic and chili threads, the numbing fragrance of Sichuan peppercorns, and the salty aroma of soy sauce.

Finally, among all the aromas, there is the refreshing fragrance of cucumber itself.

For a moment, Fang Shanren couldn't help but look forward to the taste of the cucumber.

Use chopsticks to put the cucumber into your mouth.

click-

The moment his teeth struck, he felt an extreme crispness, like biting into a thin layer of ice, while the flesh inside was full of juice.

The cucumber juice mixed with the sauce spread across the tip of the tongue.

The sharpness of rice vinegar cuts directly into the tongue, awakening the taste buds, while the mellowness of balsamic vinegar spreads slowly. The two vinegars create a layered sourness in the mouth.

Then comes a subtle sweetness, the refreshing sweetness of cucumber and the sweetness of sugar rising simultaneously, dancing in the mouth.

The spiciness of garlic and chili gradually emerges.

Swallowing it down, a slight tingling sensation rises from the tip of the tongue, as if countless tiny bubbles are bursting on the surface of the tongue. After a few breaths, the tingling sensation gradually fades, leaving a cool feeling.

After eating it in one bite, there was no greasy feeling in my mouth, just a refreshing and clean feeling, and the sweetness of the cucumber lingered in my mouth for a long time.

Fang Shanren stood there, stunned for a long time, surprise and astonishment creeping onto his face.

No wonder, no wonder...

No wonder this girl dared to speak so arrogantly.

I have to say, this cucumber salad is amazing, it's more delicious than anything I've ever eaten.

He tasted so many dishes today, some good and some bad, but the only one that shocked him was this cucumber salad.

It has a magical taste that he can't quite describe.

"You're right, this dish is worth it." After a while, Fang Shanren looked at Shen Qing and spoke.

While everyone was still in a daze, Fang Shanren pulled out the golden token from his pocket.

"I'll use this golden chopstick token to exchange for her advancement!!"

The sound of the command caused an uproar throughout the hall.

"??? What's going on?"

"The Golden Chopsticks Token? Why is Fang Shanren taking out the Golden Chopsticks Token at this time?"

"What on earth is happening? Oh my god, am I dreaming?"

"......"

Everyone was stunned. They thought Shen Qing would definitely be eliminated, but Fang Shanren unexpectedly took out the Golden Chopstick Token.

The judges on the stage all stared wide-eyed at Fang Shanren in disbelief.

"Fang Shanren, are you sure you want to use the gold token?" It was Master Jin who spoke, his face full of shock, as if he had encountered something unbelievable.

"That's right, Mr. Fang, have you thought it through? This is the Golden Chopsticks Token."

"Each judge only has one golden chopstick; are you sure you want to use it here?"

The judges started talking all at once, and they even felt that Fang Shanren was bewitched.

How could a simple cucumber salad possibly warrant the use of the Golden Chopsticks?

"I'm sure this cucumber salad is worth it."

Fang Shanren spoke in a strong and clear voice. After finishing his sentence, he handed over the golden chopstick token in his hand, then hurriedly picked up the bowl of cucumber salad and began to eat heartily.

He even got chili oil on his lips, but he didn't care and just kept eating his cucumber salad.

"This cold dish would be absolutely amazing with a little wine, or even better with a big steamed bun!" Fang Shanren couldn't help but exclaim.

Everyone else was stunned. What was going on? Why was Fang Shanren suddenly eating?

Is it really that delicious?

"Is it possible that this Madam Shen knows Fang Shanren and is deliberately putting on an act for us?"

"That makes sense, that makes sense. Fang Shanren is definitely putting on a show. He's afraid people will suspect him, so he's eating that cucumber salad so diligently."

"Really? Fang Shanren is such a good person, he wouldn't do something like this, would he?"

"Even the best person has selfish motives; perhaps he and Madam Shen have some kind of relationship..."

"..."

Immediately, speculation arose, with both the audience and the contestants feeling that something was amiss.

The judges on stage were completely baffled; they even thought that Fang Shanren had taken the wrong medicine.

But the competition must continue.

With the established rules in place, now that Fang Shanren has produced the Golden Chopsticks Token, no matter what others say, Shen Qing will directly advance to the next level.

"The Golden Chopsticks Decree is in effect, Shen Qing advances!" The host, after observing Jin Ye's expression for a long time, finally announced it.

Situ Liang and Guo Tiancheng were so excited that they jumped and danced around, even more excited than Shen Qing.

But apart from the two of them, everyone else present fell into an eerie silence.

Everyone thought it was outrageous, and they increasingly felt that there was an inexplicable relationship between Shen Qing and Fang Shanren.

Even Jin Ye gradually came to think so.

He leaned back in his armchair, and said with a hint of displeasure, "Fang Shanren's golden chopsticks token can only be used once."

The implication is that once Shen Qing reaches the second stage, he will not be able to advance directly.