Life After Being Claimed by the Disabled Dragon Lady - Chapter 39

Their worry didn’t last long; Mina quickly finished slicing all the sashimi.

The few chefs across from Mina were either burning their pots until the food was scorched or creating chaos by having fish flop around when they were trying to butcher them.

A competition originally featuring thousands of participants saw many withdraw for various reasons within half an hour, leaving fewer than a hundred people. Nora went around gathering intelligence and found that only Jones’s fish-cooking technique seemed to have real skill.

It was a false alarm. Long Ling had thought they had some incredible hidden talent.

Just as Long Ling felt everything was secure, the middle-aged woman cooking food across from her suddenly craned her neck and peered into Mina’s pot.

Mina, guarding her pot like an eagle protecting its chick, immediately glared at her. “Why aren’t you looking at your own pot? What are you looking at mine for?”

The plump middle-aged woman felt a bit guilty from the glare, squinting her eyes as she said, “Your soup is green, and it smells sour. Are you using rotten, moldy food, perhaps?”

Mina immediately put her hands on her hips. “This is sauerkraut made by Miss Long Ling. It’s delicious! How could it possibly be rotten? Do you even know how to talk?”

The middle-aged woman scoffed. “Who knows? Some people will do anything to get the encouragement prize, with black hearts and livers, using rotten vegetables that not even a dog would eat to pad out the fish soup.”

As soon as she said this, the surrounding crowd began to chatter and debate.

“Last time, that person who made fish soup used rotten vegetable leaves; they really messed us up. We took one sip and were immediately throwing up!”

Nora grew angry hearing people start to claim that Mina’s fish was spoiled and used rotten vegetables.

“What nonsense are you talking about? Sauerkraut fish is super delicious! You haven’t even tasted it, so what right do you have to slander us?”

Mina was so furious her eyes turned red and tears streamed down her face. She felt like rushing down and fighting those people!

For days, Miss Long Ling had been working hard to prepare for the tavern’s opening. Everyone had worked together to prepare new dishes and print many flyers, all anticipating making a spectacular debut at the Salmon Feast Competition.

Now, their meticulously prepared food was being called awful before anyone even tasted it, and people were spreading rumors.

Unfortunately, their voices were too weak. No matter how much they argued, it was like a drop of water falling into the ocean—it had no impact whatsoever.

More and more voices drowned out Mina and Nora’s words. Some people in the crowd, ignorant of the truth, even started mocking them.

“Getting so worked up means we must have hit the mark. Young girls nowadays are so wicked. Why not just make a nice steamed fish dish? Why must they come out here to harm people?”

Mina and Nora were going crazy with anger. Were they bored enough to specifically use freshly caught fish and rotten vegetables to harm them?

Why did some people have to think of others so maliciously?

But newcomers were easily dismissed. Even if their sauerkraut fish was prepared with the utmost care, in the absence of support, most people would just follow the crowd.

The reality was more powerless than they had imagined.

Long Ling restrained Mina, who was holding a cleaver, and Nora, who had rolled up her sleeves. “Alright, stop arguing with them.”

Mina’s eyes were red, and her voice choked with sobs. “Miss Long Ling, I used half of the fish to make the sauerkraut fish. I never thought they would be so mean. I’m sorry, Miss Long Ling, I messed up the task you gave me.”

As she spoke, tears fell uncontrollably. She covered her face with trembling hands, and strings of tears rolled down through her fingers.

Nora had never felt so wronged. The usually carefree girl had tears on her face and clenched her fists. “Miss Long Ling, let me go drag out the people who said those things. I’m going to beat them up severely!”

“They have no idea how long you prepared for this dish, how hard we worked to catch the fish, and how much time you spent making the sauerkraut!”

Long Ling patted their shoulders, gently comforting them. “It’s alright. I know everyone has worked very hard. Leave the rest to me. I will solve this problem.”

Mina and Nora’s eyes widened in surprise. “Miss Long Ling!”

Long Ling said softly, “Time is running out. Once a rumor starts, it’s difficult to change people’s impressions in a short time.”

Not just in this world, but in her previous world too, if rumors of treason against the previous dynasty arose, the Emperor would rather kill a thousand innocents than let one guilty person escape.

If people are not related to you, even if you tell them you worked hard and put your heart into it, every chef here will say they put their heart into it. So, who will they choose to believe?

The first step in earning trust has always been to rely on absolute skill.

Long Ling couldn’t bear to see her subordinates being wrongly accused in front of others.

“If I step in, I will lead everyone to victory. I won’t let anyone’s efforts go to waste. Stop crying, girls. The time will be a bit tight now. You just need to follow my instructions.”

Long Ling’s ice-blue eyes were filled with gentleness, and she radiated confidence and powerful brilliance.

Mina and Nora were completely captivated by Miss Long Ling at this moment.

They had all witnessed Long Ling’s capabilities and knew that if Long Ling personally stepped onto the stage, she would absolutely stun the crowd.

Forget one Jones; even a hundred Joneses could be defeated!

The two girls couldn’t help but break into smiles, wiping away their tears, and spoke in unison, “We will all help Miss Long Ling!”

She’s much easier to appease than the Evil Dragon Miss. Whenever the Evil Dragon Miss throws a fit, I’m always on pins and needles.

Right now, in the middle of the competition, Long Ling shouldn’t be thinking about Violet. She collected herself and walked onto the competition floor.

Because she was wearing a specific magic cloak, others couldn’t tell she was a dragon.

As soon as Long Ling appeared on the field, she attracted many people’s attention.

The silver-haired girl had a calm and gentle demeanor. She walked straight onto the Salmon Feast Competition stage as if she were walking on a brightly lit, red-carpeted stage.

The originally chattering crowd couldn’t help but be impressed when they saw the new person suddenly appear.

Simply based on her beauty, she was already eye-catching.

The moment Long Ling picked up the cleaver, everyone witnessed a true visual feast.

Her effortless knife skills and skilled cooking techniques immediately made people overlook her beauty and focus directly on the artistry she displayed. The sharp cleaver seemed to create a flurry of activity in her hands. The intricate and complex process of cooking was, for her, nothing more than a simple game.

Since Long Ling chose to step up personally, she naturally wouldn’t limit herself to just one sauerkraut fish dish. Chinese cuisine is broad and profound; whether it’s steaming, boiling, stewing, stir-frying, or deep-frying, she could excel at every method.

In that case, why not show off to the entire audience? Any single dish she made could crush everyone else present.

For her, this competition was entirely a sweep.

Once Long Ling became fully immersed, everything around her became background noise.

The fresh salmon was scored with a flower pattern, coated with soft flour, and deep-fried in hot oil. The rich, sweet-and-sour sauce was thickened to a fragrant color. Fierce, raging heat burned under the wok, but the flames were tamed the moment Long Ling tossed the iron wok. Fire entered the pot, searing the fish. The spicy, numbing, and fragrant flavors instantly burst forth.

A gust of wind blew by, and the rich, overbearing aroma lingered, making everyone’s mouths water.

The surrounding spectators were utterly mesmerized, becoming captives of the gourmet food, and they couldn’t help but worship the chef who created such a delicious dish.

“Is she a witch? Why did I see her only add some very ordinary ingredients, and suddenly it became so fragrant?”

“Witches don’t cook; they brew potions. This is too fragrant. When can we start tasting the food? I can’t wait!”

More and more people were lured by the aroma of the food, surrounding Long Ling’s area completely. If it weren’t for the surrounding railings and ribbons, everyone would have rushed onto the competition floor.

Nora and Mina, afraid that Long Ling, who was concentrating on cooking, would be disturbed, scanned the area like hawks. If anyone dared to bother Miss Long Ling, they would fight them.

They attracted so many people that even members of the group originally cheering for Jones, curious, wandered over, only to find themselves unable to leave once they got close.

It was fragrant, too fragrant! Just the smell was enough to keep them rooted, making them incredibly greedy!

Jones’s big grilled fish was also fragrant, but they ate it every year and had long lost the sense of novelty.

However, the beautiful silver-haired girl in front of them cooked every dish flawlessly, and they were all dishes they had never seen before, fully capturing people’s appetites and curiosity.

Even the middle-aged woman who had previously claimed the sauerkraut fish was made with rotten vegetables and spoiled fish was slightly dizzy from the aroma, and she couldn’t help but stand on her tiptoes.

When Nora saw her dare to approach, she immediately raised her fist. “Didn’t you just say our fish was made with rotten vegetable leaves?”

The middle-aged woman still tried to argue, “I was just saying it casually, joking. You actually took it seriously.”

Nora’s face flushed with anger. “I don’t care what you say. You’re not allowed to come over, and you’re not allowed to smell Miss Long Ling’s cooking!”

The middle-aged woman, glared at coldly by Nora, felt a bit guilty. “Fine, I won’t smell it.”

The other party scurried away. After a while, Nora saw her change positions, secretly watching Miss Long Ling cook—shameless.

Nora immediately ran to tell on her to Long Ling. “Miss Long Ling, that woman who said our sauerkraut fish was made with rotten vegetable leaves is still standing there. Could she be trying to steal your cooking techniques?”

Mina, who was preparing vegetables, immediately stopped and rushed to protect Long Ling, not letting anyone look.

Long Ling gently tapped both of their heads. “What are you thinking? Focus on cooking. One minute on stage takes ten years of practice off stage. If others could learn it just by watching, everyone would be a master chef.”

Nora and Mina smiled foolishly when their heads were tapped. Hehe, Miss Long Ling is right. Miss Long Ling is our backbone.

The Mayor, who was originally sitting in the judging panel waiting to eat the grilled fish, saw the commotion in the crowd and asked his secretary, “What’s going on over there? Why are there suddenly so many people?”

The secretary had already sent his subordinate to check, but for some reason, they hadn’t returned for a long time.

He had no choice but to say to the Mayor, “I’ll go take a look.”

As soon as the secretary arrived at Long Ling’s area, he saw the freshly braised large salmon being served. The sauce was rich, and the aroma was overpowering.

He gulped loudly and couldn’t help but push through the crowd and walk several steps forward.

From his angle, he could only see Long Ling’s back, which was blocked by two girls wearing black clothes with the Misty Tavern embroidered on the back.

The secretary wiped his saliva and hurried back to report to the Mayor. “Mayor, a new chef has arrived. The salmon she made is too fragrant. It’s comparable to Jones’s big grilled fish. Everyone can’t help but gather around to watch.”

The Mayor, beaming, said, “We’ll go together to taste the new dish later.”

The Mayor was also a food lover; otherwise, he wouldn’t hold the Salmon Feast Competition every year. The prize money for the competition was provided by the Bear-Beastman Legion. He could gain the residents’ praise and enjoy delicious food—a profitable venture.

The secretary nodded repeatedly, following behind the Mayor. His own belly had grown increasingly round over the years.

The Mayor was getting a little impatient. “The competition is about to end soon. Has the Councilman from Port Gliss arrived?”

The secretary replied, “The person sent out said they saw the carriage approaching.”

During lunchtime, Violet took a sip of coffee. As the highest administrative officer here, her office was always in the quietest area.

“Administrator, I have brought the magic communication crystal. If you wish to see the progress of the competition, the footage can be broadcast at any time.”

Councilman Koffy, standing below, hung his head. He couldn’t wrap his head around why Violet, the Duke, who was also a Lord and the Administrator, would suddenly be interested in a small Salmon Feast Competition.

Violet parted her red lips. “Don’t let anyone discover that I arranged for you to go. Understand?”

She didn’t care much about Long Ling’s small tavern or whether they won the competition, but the little dragon had to remain within her line of sight.

Koffy replied respectfully, “I will definitely handle this matter well, please rest assured.”

The superior officer across from him didn’t speak for a long time. Koffy couldn’t help but secretly look up. Violet, dressed in military uniform, was pinching the bridge of her nose.

She had been troubled lately. The matter of the toxic flame beast egg was just beginning to conclude, but halfway through the net-closing operation, an important suspect escaped and was collaborating with a gang of thieves. This group had killed many civilians and a number of police officers. If her leg hadn’t been injured and become disabled, she would have chosen to transform into her dragon form and pursue them herself. Now, she could only continue to listen to the case reports from her subordinates.

Fortunately, things were going smoothly in Loran. Under the military suppression she led, the restless Alphas finally settled down for a while, and she could also obtain sufficiently generous returns from it. It was just that a few stubborn old-timers still needed a bit more struggle before they would yield.

She had neglected the little strawberry dragon for a while, but the little strawberry dragon didn’t seem to mind at all, only thinking about the tavern. Violet couldn’t help but feel a little frustrated again.

Are all Alphas like this—they stop cherishing what they have once they get it?

Seeing that her superior seemed to be pondering other things, Koffy timely said, “If there is nothing else, should I head to Liepa Town now?”

Violet glanced at him from above, and Koffy immediately became apprehensive.

Half an hour later, Koffy sat next to the carriage driver, driving the luxurious carriage inlaid with the violet crest away from Port Gliss.

Koffy touched his nose in the cold wind. If the Duchess had planned to watch the Salmon Feast Competition all along, why did she ask him to prepare the magic communication crystal?