1013 Kneel-Worthy Peach
"Yes… I'd like to…"
Uzuishi Akaihi nodded eagerly, and swallowed unconsciously.
Having sat on the throne as a legendary cook for more than a decade, just like how a seasoned womanizer could tell at one glance what a woman's body measurements are, Uzuishi Akaihi could identify and distinguish any dishes placed before him.
The water honey peach in Chen Xiaobei's hands was, without a question, the zenith of flavor, and taste.
Uzuishi Akaihi claimed to have partaken of more world-class delicacies than a regular person would have rice. But never had he ever eaten a peach like this.
How could he possibly resist having a taste of it?
"Alright, since you have requested for it so fervently, I will prepare a place for you!"
Chen Xiaobei took hold of a platter and got to work.
"He's starting… Let's see how he's going to plate it…"
Uzuishi Akaihi and Uzuishi Yasai looked on with grave anticipation and interest.
All nine of the chefs kept their mouth shut.
Everyone in the room held their breath as they waited to be dazzled by Chen Xiaobei's performance.
Crack!
But they did not expect this: Chen Xiaobie did not use a knife but his bare hands to split the peach into halves with the skin on; he then tossed it onto the plate, with the pit removed, and brought it to Uzuishi Akaihi!
"What the f*ck! This is called a fruit platter? Could this idiot be more spontaneous?!"
"He didn't even peel it! Do you think that Master Akaihi was born yesterday?"
"You might as well not have removed the pit! Why don't you just give the peach whole to Master Akaihi? That would be even more convenient! Did you really think you can pass this off as a fruit platter?"
The nine chefs were enraged. In their whole career, this was the time they've seen this sort of preparation of a fruit platter.
He used his bare hands to pull the peach apart and then put it on a plate!
This 'plating technique' was an insult to them as chefs!
"Are you chefs or gossipmongers? What is the use of all this babbling?" Chen Xiaobei said, "At the end of the day food is for eating not for looking at! Didn't we just eliminated all the dishes that looked good but tasted horrible?"
The truth was, if it was not to prevent the Japanese from doing research and planting the First Love Peach, Chen Xiaobei would have just left the pit in the fruit.
"That's right!" Uzuishi Akaihi agreed. "When judging a dish, the taste is the most important criteria! It's the key to a good dish! The embellishments are just for aesthetics! They are just the icing on the cake!"
"A master really is a master. A hundred million times wiser than these fools!" Chen Xiaobei laughed.
The nine chefs were infuriated, they wanted to wrap their hands around Chen Xiaobei's neck and teach him a lesson! But Uzuishi Akaihi had spoken in agreement so they could only restrain themselves.
Chen Xiaobei served up the dish and announced, "Master Akaihi, please enjoy!"
"Alright…" Master Akaihi picked up his cup again and gargled.
Then he picked up one half of the peach and took a whiff of the flesh. Without warning, the fragrance overtook his senses and he was so overcome with desire that he took a large bite!
"Grandfather…"
Uzuishi Yashi was was astonished.
She had seen her grandfather taste so many dishes before. Usually, he would decide their worthiness by the smell itself. They would normally be vetoed. However, if it passes the test, then the old legendary cook would take only a small portion with his chopsticks for tasting.
She had never seen her grandfather take such a large mouthful of tasting food before.
To a him, this was a completely out of character!
"Grandfather! Slow down! Be careful, you might choke…"
What was more puzzling to Uzuishi Yasai was the fact that instead of nibbling and tasting the food deliberately, her grandfather was gorging down on the peach halve like a hungry ghost.
He did not even pause before he reached for the other half and polished it off within seconds.
"Grandfather… Leave a piece for me to taste…"
Uzuishi Yasai stood motionless, a look of indignation hung on her face.
She had never seen her grandfather lose control over a dish! Even a fool would know that this peach must taste amazing!
But her grandfather cleaned the plate off! How could he?!
"Master Akaihi, how does the peach taste?" The others who did not know Uzuishi Akaihi's character too well were dying to know.
"My goodness! This peach… This peach is just too delicious! It's the most amazing thing I've ever tasted! Nothing can ever compare to it!" Uzuishi Akaihi reveled as he lifted his head and exclaimed.
"How… How could it be…" Everyone tried to make sense of what had just happened.
A top master chef's dish was just dubbed 'trash' and this simple peach was praised so enthusiastically?
How inconceivable! How baffling! Some of them even started to question their lives!
But what happened next completely wrecked their perspective!
"Grandfather… Why are you crying…" Uzuishi Yasai asked in a panic.
"I'm not crying…" Uzuishi Akaihi trembled. His face was flushed and in the corners of his wrinkled eyes, were hot tears. He said, impassioned, "These are tears of joy!"
There was no way…
The reputable, skilled and experienced Master Akaihi shed tears for a peach?
This was as surreal as the sun rising from the North!
A minute ago, these master chefs had looked at Chen Xiaobei like he was retarded fool.
But at this very moment, they had to eat their own words!
The world is huge! There are so many unusual things in the world. It was only that these fools were so ignorant!
"Grandfather, what does it taste like?"
Uzuishi Yasai's curiosity was roused.
"It's the taste of first love!" There were still traces of tears on Uzuishi Akaihi's face and there was a faraway look in his eyes. "Young man, was that what I tasted?"
"You truly are a master!" Chen Xiaobei nodded and said, "You're right! Seeing the way you gobbled it up, you must have had a fiery first love!"
"You sniffed me out…" Uzuishi Akaihi face turned a beet red—Chen Xiaobei had guessed correctly.
"How could it be? How could there be such an amazing peach? Let me have a taste!" The most wily of the group, the prime minster, had ran over and taken hold of the plate when no one was paying attention, and licked the juice that was left.
Bam!
He had only just started licking when he got down on his knees.
"Prime minister! Why are you on your knees?" The rest of the crowd could not understand what was happening.
Yamagushi Takaki said nothing.
He just knelt there, dazed.
Chen Xiaobei smiled smugly and said, "The answer is simple—he must have had a bad first love! Hehe…"