In the 1970s, it started with contracting out communal dining.

With that, Yang Limin took the lead and stepped down from the judges' platform.

Standing to the side, Lin Xiaoyan quickly handed the three scorecards in her hand to the three judges.

Behind Yang Limin, the bespectacled intellectual and the middle-aged man in his thirties were still hypocritically deferring to each other. Yang Limin had already stepped down from the judging panel and, with a harsh look in his eyes, pointed to the dishes at the first food stall.

"What are you making?"

"Um...it's...a carp..."

The first contestant at the stall was a dark-skinned young man who spoke haltingly. He probably didn't expect Yang Limin to arrive so quickly, and for a moment he was so nervous that he was flustered.

He had barely finished replying when he heard Yang Limin on the other end snort coldly.

"You didn't even scrape the fish scales off properly! With this kind of skill, what kind of cook are you? Go home and farm!"

hiss--

What an amazing old man!

Chen Wei watched from afar, secretly clicking his tongue in admiration.

Seeing this old man, who was small and thin, I didn't expect him to speak with such a strong voice, every word was precious and he was so aggressive and rude!

These words made Black Iron Egg's face fall, turning bright red, and he wished he could dig a hole and crawl into it immediately.

Fortunately, the two judges behind him quickly tried to smooth things over.

"Oh dear, young man! You certainly didn't clean the scales off this carp properly. But you're young, you have a bright future ahead of you. Just be more careful next time!"

These two sentences from intellectuals are worse than not making them at all.

Upon hearing this, Black Iron Egg knew he had no chance of getting a score, and immediately squatted down on the ground dejectedly, bursting into tears.

Yang Limin, who was walking in front, didn't even turn his head and went straight to the second stall.

The second contestant was a young man with a buzz cut, who looked a bit older than the black iron egg from before. As soon as he saw Yang Limin coming over, he straightened up and perked up.

"Chef Yang! You..."

Before he could finish his greeting, Yang Limin stretched out his thin fingers, picked up two leaves of vegetable from the boy's plate, shook them casually, and threw them on the ground with a "thud".

"These vegetables are so fresh and green, look how much oil you used! How can anyone eat this! The leaves are all yellow, and the stems are still growing! Go back and practice for another three years!"

The crew-cut boy was taken aback, and then his expression immediately fell.

Now, the bespectacled intellectual dared not offer any more comforting words. He simply smiled awkwardly and quickly followed Yang Limin.

Yang Limin's comments on the next few people became increasingly scathing. He only glanced at each dish and hadn't even touched it yet, but he had already driven the contestants to the brink of despair.

"Hmph! Each generation is worse than the last! With skills like yours, what's the point of a cooking competition? Go feed the pigs in the countryside, even they'd complain about how coarse your pig feed is!"

The old man's words were so vicious that the contestants below the stage couldn't lift their heads.

Next up is Ma Dayong.

As Yang Limin slowly strolled to his stall, Ma Dayong immediately straightened his posture, took a deep breath, and handed him chopsticks.

On the small table in front of the stall, poached chicken and claypot rice with preserved meat are placed side by side.

On the white porcelain plate, the chicken was tender, with traces of blood still visible between the chopped leg bones, while the dipping saucer next to it emitted a mixed aroma of ginger and peanut oil.

Yang Limin raised an eyebrow, his expression softening, before taking the chopsticks.

Ma Dayong felt a surge of excitement. This was the first time Yang Limin had picked up his chopsticks since leaving the field, and he was actually tasting his food.

"This poached chicken uses a 6-month-old rooster, whose meat is the most tender and springy. It's been slow-cooked for two hours. Please try it!"

"Um……"

Yang Limin nodded calmly, clearly satisfied with Ma Dayong's skills.

He picked up his chopsticks, took a piece of chicken, dipped it in the light sauce beside it, and put it in his mouth.

Ma Dayong was overjoyed and straightened his back even more.

However, after tasting it, Yang Limin did not speak immediately, but instead pointed to the large bowl that was upside down next to him.

"Ah! This!" Ma Dayong immediately understood and quickly introduced his other secret recipe, "This is a clay pot rice with preserved meats that I specially prepared for you. It uses our Cantonese-style sausages, absolutely authentic!"

As he said this, Ma Dayong immediately offered him a spoon.

Yang Limin looked up at him this time, his eyes seemingly filled with affirmation.

He took the spoon and tasted the claypot rice with preserved meat. This time, Ma Dayong saw it clearly, and Yang Limin nodded slightly.

He was very satisfied!

Ma Dayong could no longer hide his excitement.

Then Yang Limin commented, "The poached chicken is crisp and tender, not too tough or too raw; the cooking time is just right. As for the claypot rice with preserved meat... the crispy rice crust on top is perfect, very good..."

Ma Dayong was the first contestant to receive affirmation from Yang Limin!

His face immediately lit up with a bright smile, and he excitedly shouted back:

"Thank you for your feedback, Chef Yang! I will definitely continue to work hard!"

"Um!"

Yang Limin, on the other hand, had a neutral expression. He casually wrote down a score on the scorecard and then moved on to the next station.

The two judges following behind him naturally praised Ma Dayong highly, and they were also acting according to Yang Limin's wishes.

These words made Ma Dayong feel elated, as if the championship of this competition was beckoning to him, and his smug expression was almost overflowing.

About 10 minutes later, Yang Limin finally arrived at stall number seventeen.

Chen Wei stood behind the stall, moving slowly and deliberately, and briefly introduced his two dishes.

"Steamed pork with dried plum vegetables and braised pig's trotters in Mom's soup, please try them, Chef Yang!"

He spoke neither humbly nor arrogantly, unlike Ma Dayong who tried his best to please others, nor like some contestants who became extremely nervous as soon as they opened their mouths.

His calm and composed demeanor prompted Yang Limin to look up at him.

At first glance, the young man in front of me seemed gentle and refined, with a calm demeanor. He would blend into the crowd unnoticed, but upon closer inspection, he was quite handsome.

I just don't know how good the craftsmanship is...

Yang Limin's gaze fell on the steamed pork with preserved mustard greens. He was a native of Guangdong, and most of the contestants today knew his identity, so most of the dishes on the field were Cantonese.

Chen Wei prepared a dish that he was naturally familiar with; it was a typical Cantonese home-style dish.

However, a hint of surprise still flashed in Yang Limin's eyes.

The dish in front of him, whether it was the color of the meat, the presentation, or even the aroma, far surpassed any dish he had ever seen before.

This kid's got some skills!