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

"A merchant from the Western Regions passed by and left behind a jar of spices. These spices were made from exotic flowers from the snow-capped mountains and rare fruits from the desert. When added to cooking, they can make the aroma open up the nine orifices..."

The shadow puppet show on the stage continued, and Shen Qing had already figured out what kind of story it was.

In order to raise the price, Yan Wenli and others made up a wonderful story about the hot pot, saying that she used the hearth soil of the Kitchen God and spices left by merchants from the Western Regions to finally make the hot pot.

The Kitchen God's sacred object was a legendary item, and the snow mountain flowers and desert fruits were unheard of. Therefore, those young masters were already quite eager to try them out.

"Is this shadow puppet show about the food we're going to eat today?"

"To be honest, if it really is a sacred relic from the hearth and miraculous spices, then six hundred taels of silver is well worth it!"

"According to this shadow puppet show, hot pot can also dispel cold and dampness, and is extremely beneficial to the body."

"I'm getting impatient!"

"..."

After the shadow puppet show ended, the group of young men below started discussing it, their faces filled with anticipation.

Just then, a deep, resonant bell rang out from afar, its sound deep and far-reaching. A row of maids cried out in unison, "Summon the tripod!"

The next moment, the maids carried in one cauldron after another and placed them in front of everyone.

"My God, this is the true meaning of 'the sound of bells and the clappers'!!" Lu Yan, dressed in a purple robe, shouted excitedly.

The phrase "living in luxury and extravagance" is a blatant display of adulation and recognition of their status.

In circles of the powerful and wealthy, which family wouldn't want to be known as a family of great wealth and influence?

These four characters represent the family's heritage and power.

Presented in this way, it undoubtedly made everyone present feel superior.

"Not only that, look, there are even names engraved here!!" Song He, the loudspeaker, pointed at the cauldron in front of him, his eyes lighting up.

Lu Yan looked closely: "There really is one! My pot has the words 'Lu Yan' engraved on it!"

"I have one too!"

"Good heavens, my name is on this pot!"

"..."

The other young masters also noticed, and they all exclaimed in surprise.

The maidservant serving nearby spoke up at the right moment: "Not only the pot, but also these chopsticks, spoons, and cups are all custom-made and engraved with the names of all the gentlemen. We will provide exclusive food boxes, and after you finish eating, you can put all of these into the food boxes and take them back as souvenirs."

"Great, great!" Lu Yan was absolutely delighted with the pot; it was the first time he had ever owned one with his name engraved on it.

Song He beamed with delight: "That's right, just these are already worth a hundred taels!"

"Putting aside the food itself, just the effort you put in is something ten restaurants couldn't match!"

"Excellent, excellent! I love it!"

Shen Qing watched from a distance, inwardly complaining:

Wow, they're really rich!

Of the six hundred taels of silver, ninety-nine point nine percent went to tableware.

Yan Wenli and Xin Heng could have easily taken it, but instead, they were given a set of tableware as a gift.

Perhaps... this is what is called emotional value.

She simply couldn't understand it.

"Please, Madam Shen, start cooking!" the maid's voice rang out again.

Shen Qing knew it was time for her to step up.

She brought the hot pot base and instructed the servants to bring out the broth that had already been prepared.

Hot pot base is added to the pot, broth is poured in, and the charcoal underneath is lit one by one.

"Madam Shen? Are you Madam Shen from the Culinary Competition?" Song He couldn't help but exclaim as he watched Shen Qing's actions.

A few days ago, a food competition was held in the capital. Although he didn't go to join in the fun, he heard many storytellers talk about Shen Qing's performance in the food competition.

He looked down on the food competition, but when he heard "Shen," he suddenly remembered it.

"I participated in a culinary competition," Shen Qing said without any attempt to hide it.

"Then why did you withdraw from the competition? Did you look down on the food competition or something?" Song He, always eager for gossip, quickly asked now that he had met the person in question.

"It's just that I don't want to participate anymore."

"So willful? Impressive! Impressive!!" Song He laughed even more heartily.

Shen Qing didn't understand, nor did she know what was so funny.

"Let me tell you, this Lady Shen is amazing! I heard she's the popular choice for the best food competition. We're in for a treat this time!" Song He chuckled.

Lu Yan, standing nearby, asked in confusion, "Have you eaten any of her food?"

"No, I've heard of it."

Lu Yan: "..."

At this moment, the red broth in the pot gradually began to boil, and strong, scalding white steam rose from the soup, carrying a domineering and heavy aroma into everyone's nostrils.

"This smell...it smells so good!" Lu Yan couldn't help but take a deep breath.

The smoky aroma of chili peppers, the numbing fragrance of Sichuan peppercorns, and other aromas he couldn't quite describe directly invaded his nasal cavity, instantly invigorating him.

"Want some soup? Is this the first course?" Song He couldn't help but drool, his eyes wide as he stared at the pot in front of him.

The others were equally assertive; in fact, they had never smelled such a domineering and aggressive odor before.

Shen Qing smiled and explained, "Everyone can put the ingredients next to you into the pot, and you can eat them once they're cooked."

"Ingredients?" Lu Yan glanced at the table and saw that there were indeed many ingredients on it, including vegetables and meat.

He was so focused on the red broth in the pot that he didn't notice when the ingredients were served.

"Shall we cook it ourselves?" He paused in mid-air, chopsticks in hand, his powdered face full of doubt and uncertainty.

"Hmm... You can have the maid cook it, but it's best to cook it yourself. Hot pot tastes better when you cook it yourself."

Shen Qing explained.

Especially for these spoiled sons of wealthy families, who are used to being waited on hand and foot, cooking their own food would certainly be a completely new experience.

Moreover, people always find food they've cooked themselves to taste especially delicious.

"I'll do it myself..." Lu Yan was still hesitating.

When has he, the heir of a noble family, ever cooked for himself?

Song He, standing nearby, didn't care about anything else and directly picked up a few slices of meat and threw them into the pot: "I'm saying, we're all here for the ultimate experience. If we let the maids cook, then the six hundred taels of silver will be wasted."

"Even Madam Shen said it would taste better if you cooked it yourself!"

Well, now that someone has taken the lead, he doesn't need to worry about anything anymore.

Thus, this pampered prince, who had never lifted a finger to cook, started cooking hot pot for the first time.

When the other young masters saw this, they weren't so awkward anymore.

They had never done anything like this before, which made it even more novel and brought them even greater joy.