Amor bajo las estrellas lejanas

Capítulo 123

A portly chef stood before the assembled gentlemen, loudly announcing, "Today's competition for all gentlemen is: to fry a plate of egg fried rice right here."

The chef explained and demonstrated as he went, and the young men followed along, each word and action perfectly executed. Their expressions were tense and serious; it was likely their first and last time cooking.

The chef gently tapped the egg on the edge of the bowl and then cracked it into the bowl.

Everyone followed suit. Some people stared intently at the chef's movements and, together with the chef, cracked the eggs against the rim of the bowl. When they tried to crack the eggs into the bowl, they found that the eggs had fallen outside the bowl. Someone had cracked the eggs too hard and broke them. Without thinking about it, they simply threw the eggs, shells and all, into the bowl and stirred them together.

That was one thing, but perhaps the chef's desire to perform suddenly flared up. Just as he deftly tossed the fried rice in the wok with one arm, everyone else did the same. And that's when things went wrong. Some people's food flew out of their woks. It wouldn't have been so bad if it landed elsewhere, but it landed right on their heads! Now, no matter how handsome, cool, dashing, stylish, dazzling, or invincible you are, if you have fried rice on your head, you're not going to look any better.

So, after a meal of fried rice, the young men in the room almost came to blows.

This hilarious and thrilling cooking performance drove the women in the audience into a frenzy, screaming and cheering wildly for them.

Each plate of fried rice is tasted by the chef first and then sold on the spot, with the highest bidder winning.

Long Ming's charred fried rice with burnt eggs was so bad that Xi Ri would have felt nauseous just looking at it from afar, let alone the chef. He had to take a bite, and whether he had taken any medication beforehand or not, the chef reluctantly took a bite with a twitching face. He pursed his lips for a long time, unable to speak, and his face gradually turned pale. It was unclear whether he was poisoned or simply unable to speak because of the strange taste.

Ironically, this plate of rotten fried rice sold for an exorbitant price of one thousand taels of silver.

Their hearts sank. Tian Shuang and they exchanged a glance, clearly doubting whether the thing was even edible and worth a thousand taels.

But when the woman who won the bid for the plate of fried rice held it happily, Xi Ri finally realized that she wouldn't eat it. On the contrary, she might keep it for the rest of her life. What a terrible yet precious plate of fried rice!

Third Brother's dish was much better; at least you could tell there was an egg and rice in it. The chef smiled and took a bite, but immediately turned his back, nodded hastily and heavily, his shoulders twitching slightly, his expression unreadable.

That plate of rice sold for the astronomical price of a thousand taels of silver. A woman who bought it was so excited she shed tears of joy. She only managed to taste a tiny bit, her face immediately contorting in disbelief. She couldn't comprehend the taste... Only she knew the bittersweet flavor.

I used to think to myself that it would probably become a collectible.

As for Sogo's fried rice, it looked much better; the egg was separate from the rice, even though it was all mixed together. The chef took a bite, nodded, and said nothing, but at least his expression remained normal.

The woman who bought the plate of fried rice took a bite right there in front of everyone, and immediately burst into tears, laughing and crying at the same time, saying, "It's so delicious, the best fried rice I've ever eaten in my life."

Upon hearing this, Tian Xiri was greatly puzzled. Could it be that Suo Ge had a real talent for cooking? But then he noticed the eggshells in the plate... were eggshells delicious too? As for Fourth Brother Fu Jin's, needless to say, all he could see was rice; there was no egg at all. How strange, where did he put the egg? Later, seeing the half-cooked, egg-like, yellowish, sticky substance at his feet, Xiri finally understood that he had probably fried the egg away. He must have been the one wielding the spatula the most fiercely just now. After tasting it, the chef was clearly embarrassed to say anything and walked away with a sullen expression. However, even so, this plate of egg-free fried rice was still sold smoothly. And it also luckily became a certain woman's collectible.

Surprisingly, among the twenty-four young noblemen, the one who fried rice the best was Li Yu, the cousin. He was impeccably dressed, wearing a white apron, holding the spatula with the most correct and skillful technique. His fried rice was perfectly cooked, with evenly distributed egg pieces, and looked quite appetizing. After tasting it, the chef's expression seemed quite grateful, as if to say, "Finally, one of you is normal."

Tian Xiri suppressed her laughter, putting on the same excited expression as everyone else. But at the same time, she suddenly realized that many eyes seemed to be watching her from all directions. She was secretly surprised and looked around discreetly, but no one seemed to be deliberately watching them. She thought to herself: she has nothing special about her and should not attract attention. Just as she thought this, she looked up and glanced at Tian Shuang. Suddenly, she was shocked. How could she forget! Tian Shuang would definitely follow her cousin Li Yu with infatuated eyes.

Xi Ri inwardly cried out in alarm! She suddenly pinched Tian Shuang secretly and whispered, "Tian Shuang, wake up, we may have been discovered."

Tian Shuang suddenly snapped out of her daze and whispered, "What should we do? Should we leave immediately?"

Tian Xiri stared intently at the arena, her silk fan gently waving to cover her lips, seemingly watching the match intently. But as she spoke, her lips twitched slightly, and she said in a low voice, "I'm afraid it's too late. If we leave now, we'll attract their attention even more. It's better to stay here for now. Tian Shuang, listen to me, look at Fourth Brother with the same eyes you just gave him."

"Yes," Tian Shuang replied, her gaze shifting to Fu Jin as if she were in a daze.

I was filled with anxiety, unsure if this would work. I prayed that everything would go smoothly.

The fried rice performance has finally come to an end; the next program is a talent show.

After a short rest, the young masters made their appearance one by one.

It seems that the participants in this competition were carefully selected. Each of these young noblemen is exceptional, possessing their own unique skills. Some are skilled in poetry, some in the guqin, and some in swordsmanship. Each one is dashing and debonair.

Tian Shuang stared at each young master who appeared with the same gaze, and gradually Tian Xiri clearly felt that the number of eyes secretly watching them had decreased.

Just then, it was Suoge's turn to appear. He held a long spear behind his back, walked to the center of the arena, and suddenly pointed it diagonally upwards, displaying a dashing and heroic bearing. The spear danced wildly in his hands, immediately winning cheers from the audience, and many women were captivated and driven mad by his performance.

As a result, the betting odds at Yasuoge skyrocketed.

Shortly afterward, Long Ming appeared, his clothes fluttering, charming and dashing. His gaze swept over the crowd below the stage. He held a folding fan in his hand, and it was unclear what kind of performance he was going to give. Xi Ri was waiting with great interest.

Suddenly, Long Ming's gaze locked onto a certain spot, a hint of confusion flashing in his eyes.

When Tian Xiri saw Long Ming's gaze fixed on her, her heart trembled. She had a bad feeling; Long Ming seemed to have become suspicious of her. What should she do? At that moment, a sudden inspiration struck her, and she shouted, "I'll bet one tael on Young Master Long!"

The moment she finished speaking, she felt everyone glaring at her. At that moment, she and Tian Shuang were standing beside the women of the Red Silk Fan group who had just supported Long Ming. Her sudden movement was undoubtedly an insult to Long Ming, and the Red Silk Fan women immediately became enraged. Seeing her dressed as a maid and her contemptuous attitude towards Young Master Long, someone gritted their teeth and shouted, "Hit her!" Instantly, a group of women raised their fists at her. In the chaos, Tian Shuang protected Tian Xiri, who hurriedly said to Tian Shuang, "Quickly take off your clothes, quickly change your mask." Before coming here, they had planned that if they were discovered, they would create chaos, then take off their clothes and masks in the confusion. They had worn two masks beforehand and would escape in the chaos.

On the street, pursuers were behind them, and checkpoints were ahead. The two, now disguised again, looked at each other in bewilderment. What to do? The checks were so strict; Third Brother was already guarding the only exit from Qiong County. Even in disguise, she certainly wouldn't be able to leave the city. How hateful! How could they react so quickly? It seemed they were prepared all along; they were simply luring her into a trap.

"Miss, what should we do?" Tian Shuang asked Xi Ri in a low voice.

Xi Ri was at a loss and could only try to stall for time. He immediately instructed Tian Shuang, "Tian Shuang, buy all the carrots and vegetable baskets from that old woman selling vegetables on the street. We'll sell vegetables on the street; they won't be able to guard the city gate for long."

"Yes," Tian Shuang replied, and quickly did as instructed.

The two women were dressed as peasant women, squatting by the roadside selling vegetables. Apart from their overly bright eyes, there was nothing suspicious about them.

Just as they were preoccupied with their own business, constantly on the lookout for any signs of trouble, a man led a large group of people through the streets. The leader looked anxious and seemed to be in a very bad mood, shouting loudly. He was leading a hunting dog, which sniffed along the ground, while a group of guards behind him shouted and shoved passersby, causing a chorus of complaints from the crowd. Suddenly, Xi Ri felt a twitch in her eyelids, for the man was none other than her fourth brother, Fu Jin.

Oh no! Fu Jin isn't scary; what's scary is the hunting dog he's leading. It's definitely here looking for her. What should I do? What should I do?

Seeing the approaching hunting dogs, Xi Ri had a sudden inspiration. She immediately bought the vegetable basket from the aunt selling chives next to her, and together with Tian Shuang, they grabbed a handful of chives, kneaded them in their palms, smeared some chive juice on their cuffs and wrists, and placed the rest of the chives in front of the vegetable basket.

The hunting dog sniffed around in the street, gradually walking towards them.

Xi Ri and Tian Shuang exchanged a glance, and when their eyes met, they both saw the other's guilty conscience and hesitation.

The hunting dog sniffed and sniffed until it reached their vegetable basket. It sniffed and sniffed, refusing to leave. Xi Ri and Tian Shuang had both stood up, taking a large step back, their eyes darting around, already choosing their escape route. Fu Jin looked up at them with a puzzled expression, about to speak, when suddenly the dog reared up and urinated with a "plop" next to the basket.

Tian Xiri and Tian Shuang stared blankly at the hunting dog, seemingly unable to process what was happening for a moment.

Fu Jin glanced at the hunting dog, waited impatiently for it to finish, and then walked to the other side.

At that moment, Xi Ri and Tian Shuang almost collapsed from exhaustion, feeling weak in the knees and limbs. But then they heard Fu Jin, who had just walked away, instruct the guards behind him, "Give each of those old ladies one tael of silver as compensation for the vegetables that Xiao Hei ruined."

Tian Shuang looked down and noticed that the vegetables were now stained with dog feces and couldn't be sold. She thought to herself, "This Fu Jin doesn't seem so bad after all..."