Unparalleled Duo
Chapter 48 - 48 33 First Grade_2

48: Chapter 33 “First Grade”_2 48: Chapter 33 “First Grade”_2 He puzzled to himself, “Where did these two clowns come from?

Are they here to amuse themselves at our expense?

Don’t they know what kind of place this is, or are they deliberately looking for trouble?”

Although he thought this, he wasn’t about to start a quarrel after just a few words.

After pondering for a few seconds, Xue Tui still adopted his slightly haughty tone, “Alright, since Mr.

Sun and Mr.

Huang have come up, this shows that you’re here prepared.

I won’t say much more about the rules…” He paused, glancing at the two men, “So, which one of you will take on this ‘First Grade’ challenge?”

Here, it should be explained that in Wisdom Immortal Pavilion’s “First Grade,” “One Look,” and “One Word” challenges, it’s not necessary for a single person to complete all three; as each private room here can host a party of eight dining together, as long as someone from these eight people could pass these three challenges, it doesn’t matter if one person takes all three challenges or three individuals each take one; but one rule remains unchanged…

each challenge can only be attempted once, if you fail, you can’t switch out and try again, and moreover, if you fail, all eight people at your table will be blacklisted in the future.

“Uh…” When they heard this, Sun Yixie and Huang Donglai both got a taste of the situation—they seemed to have guessed correctly with their casual speculations.

But with things as they stood, the prideful Brother Sun certainly wasn’t going to admit his ignorance and so, after a brief hesitation, he gritted his teeth and stomped his foot, stepping forward, “I’ll do it!”

“Heh…” Xue Tui sneered inwardly, seemingly reading something from the duo’s expressions, but he didn’t call them out, merely responding calmly, “Very well, gentlemen, please follow me.”

With that, he casually turned around, hands behind his back, leading the two along the corridor.

After taking a couple of turns, the trio arrived at a rather spacious tea hall where an old man was already waiting.

At just a glance, Sun Yixie and Mr.

Huang recognized that the old man was a chef, and not just any chef but a renowned one.

In the Great Ming, there were many specifics about clothing; generally speaking, the colors included red, green, blue, gold, indigo, black, brown, and white, while the styles included skirts, helmets, robes, scarves, silk, shawls, jackets, and turbans; of course, in reality, there were far more than these sixty-four combinations—these were just the most common combinations listed here.

These common colors and styles most often had symbolic meanings, which could signify one’s status, professional characteristics, or sometimes even correspond to the five elements, directions, or character traits…

These traits have a certain legacy on present-day opera stages, though there are few who take interest in them.

A chef, in those times, perhaps was considered a somewhat menial profession, and was expected to wear blue; but if the chef was famous, wealthy, he could also wear red, because the Stove God was associated with fire.

A rank above that, the Imperial Chef, had a specialized official robe, with a “Fire Skirt” for working on the exterior.

If an Imperial Chef was to retire…

not counting those who were kicked out…

the few who managed to leave the palace peacefully were no longer allowed to wear the official robe, but they could keep the Fire Skirt.

Furthermore, the badge a chef wore in the palace could also be taken out.

That badge was divided into yin and yang pieces, with two carved carp on it, one with its head swimming upwards, the other with its tail curling above; one fish bulging out like a relief and the other indented like a cake mold, the raised one being the yang badge, the indented one the yin badge; within the palace, the entrant and the imperial guards each held a piece, and during inspections, if the two pieces fit together perfectly, they could pass—quite ingenious.

When a chef left the palace, he could take the yang badge with him and the yin badge would be destroyed; after leaving the palace, this badge then symbolized that you once were an Imperial Chef…

Of course, this operation cost money, and you had to grease the palms of both eunuchs and guards, otherwise, they’d confiscate your badge.

Now, the old man standing before Sun Yixie and Huang Donglai had a badge and was wrapped in a Fire Skirt, thus his identity was self-evident.

“I am Yuan Fangzhi, a humble servant, greeting the two young masters.” After a brief introduction from Xue Tui, Yuan Fangzhi performed a modest bow, then asked, “May I inquire…

which type of ingredient would Mr.

Sun like to ‘taste’?”

Upon hearing this question, Sun Yixie finally understood that the so-called “First Grade” actually involved tasting food, he responded, “What options do I have to choose from?”

“Heh…” Yuan Fangzhi had already exchanged a knowing look with Xue Tui, aware that the two youngsters before him had likely stumbled in by mistake, so his answer came with a touch of arrogance, “Anything under the heavens, from the treasures of the mountains to the delicacies of the sea, the winged creatures of the air to the beasts of the field, the aquatic life to the fruits of the woods…

all are available.”

Hearing this, Sun Yixie thought to himself that this old guy was very cocky, as if flaunting in his face.

Add to that, Sun Yixie was already a bit hungry, which riled him up, “Heh…

so you’re saying anything that flies in the sky, runs underground, swims in the river, hops from a grass nest…

it’s all on the table?”

His remark was a line from a comic dialogue, which Huang Donglai had heard as well and knew that once the other party confirmed, Brother Sun’s next line would surely be “toilet paper.”

Huang Donglai felt that arguing wouldn’t get them any closer to eating, and if the other party did bring out toilet paper for Brother Sun to taste, Brother Sun might suffer greatly.

He hurriedly cut in, “Alright, alright…

Brother Sun, do me a favor, don’t freaking kill us all, alright?”

His crude language made both Xue Tui and Yuan Fangzhi frown, but Sun Yixie actually took notice, “Alright then.”

Sun Yixie took a deep breath once more, pausing before he said to Yuan Fangzhi, “Then I’ll…

choose ‘fish.'”

“Oh?” Yuan Fangzhi’s expression turned a bit peculiar when he heard the word “fish,” then he chuckled, “Heh…

Good, good, please wait a moment, young master.” Having said that, he turned and hurried towards the kitchen.

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