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A NETFLIX ORIGINAL SERIES

EPISODE 13

Zhou Caina is probably Shancai's most formidable opponent.

They're all her opponents.

Junior champion of Chinese Delicacies Competition,

finalist of Le Cordon Bleu Girls Competition...

Even without those titles, Shancai is nothing compared to her.

You're still drinking milk?

Are you even listening to us?

Do you want some? It's in the fridge.

Get some for yourself.

Is that supposed to be funny?

If Shancai loses, don't come complaining to us.

Did you guys forget?

She's the only girl that dares stand up to F4.

What can't she do?

I believe she can do it.

Just wait and see Shancai surprises everyone.

Attitude determines everything.

When you're cooking in the kitchen,

your attitude is what's most important.

-Have you read the Book of Songs? -Yes.

"The elegant virtuous maiden; the noble person would love to marry her."

From now on,

I'll train you well and turn you into a star chef!

Only when you combine the Book of Songs and cuisine,

you will be able to make food that has culture.

Those who eat the food will experience amazement

deep down in their hearts.

Bring out the scallions.

Okay.

Why did you squeal?

Ms. Zhuang, you stepped on me with your heels.

I'm sorry.

Make a pot of steaming hot soy milk

and instill your love for your family in it.

That's what touches hearts.

Appetizers aren't the main course,

but they can complement the main course.

They help people build up an appetite

and make the meal unforgettable.

You and your dishes will be engraved into their brains.

As long as you follow these principles,

you will be invincible in the world of cuisine.

But, you must work hard and practice continuously.

That's how you will improve.

I'll record everything I know

so you can listen and practice at the same time.

Remember,

no slacking off.

Okay, Ms. Zhuang.

BOOK OF SONGS

"Like a gem cut and filed, carved and polished."

Vertical cut, pushing cut, pulling cut, sawing cut, rolling cut.

"As if at the brink of a deep abyss, as if treading on thin ice."

When the water boils, add some salt.

Let it boil again and add cold water.

Take out the noodles quickly and put them in iced water.

"The peach tree is young and elegant; brilliant are its flowers."

Use high heat for raw ingredients, medium heat for cooked ingredients,

and low heat for mixing ingredients.

When the oil is about 120 degrees heated, throw in the spices to flavor the oil.

"Blue-collared lad, you’ve long been in my heart."

Whether it be classic plating, free form plating,

landscape plating, or radial plating,

remember, you must treat your food as a work of art.

Lover ducks meeting at Magpie Bridge.

Mushrooms and assorted vegetables.

Abalone, chicken, and pickled vegetables.

Steamed lobsters with garlic.

Today, we're going to practice cooking chicken.

We're making braised sliced chicken with eggs.

Now, take out a whole chicken.

Check if all the feathers have been plucked.

Next, marinate it in the sauce you prepared beforehand.

Massage the chicken and let the sauce sink in.

Zhuang, are you doing yoga?

Si, good thing you're here.

Take a video of me so I can show my friends in London.

Why are you wearing earphones?

I want to look professional.

Enough talking. Get ready.

-Ready? -Yeah.

There's skill involved in massaging the chicken.

Hello, Mom. I'm busy right now. I'll call you back later.

There's a skill involved in massaging the chicken.

Okay, make a circle with your right leg three times.

Okay, now your left leg.

Now, relax your neck.

Turn to the right, three times.

Okay, let's relax your whole body.

Slap your body.

Now, put your hands up,

exhale.

Repeat after me.

All right, last of all,

lower your head between your legs.

Go low for me, come on.

Last three breaths. Repeat after me.

Zhuang,

why are you here?

-I was worried you would disturb Shancai. -What?

I was just tucking her in.

"Nights of Azure Aea and Blue Skies."

"Famed Peony, Fairest Lady in Bliss."

-"Fine Wine in a Luminous Glass." -"Famed Peony, Fairest Lady in Bliss."

"Shepherd Points to Almond Flower Village."

"South of the River, the Grass Grows High While it Rains."

"The Moon is Low, Crows Caw in the Frosty Sky."

-"The Swallow Returns from Familiar Days." -Wait.

It's just food.

Why are you giving the dishes such complicated names?

These are all dishes inspired by Tang poetry.

Shancai worked very hard on them.

Try the food.

They all taste great.

Which one is your least favorite?

Which one?

I guess, this one.

Improve the shepherd dish.

Okay.

Which has the worst colors?

-Zhuang. I don't want-- -Which one?

I guess, this one.

Improve the moon and crow dish.

Okay.

Which one is the most delicious?

"The Peony and Lady" one was the best.

That was a failed dish.

You probably only remember that dish's name.

Nope.

This one was "The Bird Returns from Familiar Days."

I liked this one the most.

It's "The Swallow Returns from Familiar Days."

Don't be picky about the details.

You're right.

That chicken dish was impeccable.

Don't feel too proud.

Keep working hard.

Be diligent at all times.

-"As if at the brink of a deep abyss, -"As if at the brink of a deep abyss,

-as if treading on thin ice." -as if treading on thin ice."

Ice cream?

Let's eat.

What's Shancai up to lately?

I think she's preparing for a competition.

Competition?

Good morning, you two.

I was going to class to have you try this dessert I made.

Good thing I saw you here.

What a coincidence.

Please try this.

Let me know what you think.

This is so good.

Yeah, Shancai, this is amazing.

What is it?

"The Chinese Courtesan,

The Beautiful, Youthful, Sweet-scented Dong Xiaowan."

It's just a sesame ball.

Normal sesame balls don't have culture.

This is different.

By the way, what is Dong Xiaowan?

Well, Dong Xiaowan was a person.

I guess you didn't know that.

Who's Dong XIaowan?

She was one of the Eight Beauties of Qinhuai.

An outstanding cook as well.

Do you understand now, dear sir?

Shancai, what did you just call me?

Dear sir.

Li Zhen, what's wrong with her?

Ms. Zhuang said...

Ms. Zhuang said I need to be lady-like at all times.

That's how I can be more elegant.

By doing so in daily life,

I can be more natural during the competition.

Is this what you call natural?

It sounds like you're a machine.

You were cuter the way you were.

Really?

Did I go too far?

It's not like you're in a play.

It's not weird when Ms. Zhuang does it.

Why is it so weird when I do it?

It's fine. Shancai, just keep trying.

What competition were you talking about?

Chinese Cuisine Culinary Competition.

I'm participating in the contest so I can pay Si back with the prize money.

My fair lady, I'm sure you'll win.

-Qinghe. -Yes?

What did you just call me?

Gosh,

Shancai influenced me.

Now I'm talking weird.

You must work hard, my lady.

I will.

Why are you participating in the cooking competition?

I saw your name online.

Because I need money.

Did you know there's a contestant called Zhou Caina?

-Zhou Caina? -Yes.

Her dad is the founder of Double-X Real Estate Group.

My dad wants me to marry her.

She must be good then.

If I'm not mistaken,

she's competing because of me.

Why?

She knows I like cooking.

She wants to prove that she has the same hobby as I do.

It's not just because our families arranged it.

She's trying very hard. Do you like her?

She's very pretty,

elegant, and talented.

But I don't like her.

The person I like...

You know about that.

So, you're trying to tell me

I might be beaten by your childhood friend?

I'm suggesting that you give up.

You won't win the prize.

Zhou Caina was a finalist in Le Cordon Bleu Girls Competition.

She's going to win the competition.

Shancai, I know your capability.

There's a huge difference between you two.

If you compete with her, you'll embarrass yourself.

THE EXTRAORDINARY ZHOU CAINA

Zhou Caina was a finalist in Le Cordon Bleu Girls Competition.

She's going to win the competition.

She's so talented.

Even if I don't eat, drink, sleep,

and just study for three years straight, I can't win.

How can I win?

I'm going to embarrass myself.

No.

I should go tell Ms. Zhuang that I'm quitting.

Let me tell you.

I hate those people who think that they'll lose

even before they enter the competition.

That kind of people would never succeed no matter what.

Never mind.

Ms. Zhuang would beat me to death.

I'll just secretly leave

and explain everything to her later.

Are you running away?

I'm going to find a way to pay you back.

I thought you were a special girl.

But you're just another coward

who runs away when things get tough.

If I can't win, why should I compete?

You're so weak.

I'm not weak.

But how am I supposed to compete with someone

who competed in Le Cordon Bleu Girls Competition in high school?

-I don't want to disappoint everyone. -What about disappointing me?

I'm sorry.

I'm sorry I let you down.

You're being ridiculous.

This isn't the Dong Shancai I know.

You don't have the right to say that.

You've never failed in your whole life growing up.

Do you know how much stress I'm under?

Why do you care about what people think?

Just do what you want to do.

There's always a chance.

Why aren't you being mean anymore?

Why are you being so gentle?

Come to my room.

What are we doing?

Sleep. What else would it be?

Hurry up. I don't want you to worry too much.

Your room is so big.

I'm kind of thirsty.

Do you want some water?

Here.

Are you tired?

Then...

Do you want to play?

You're very bold.

You tricked me!

I won't go easy on you.

One, two, three, four, five.

You didn't want me to make it easy for you.

I won.

You cheated.

Hey, don't be a sore loser, okay?

-No. -No?

You already got away with it a few times.

We're going through with it this time.

Don't make me look ugly.

Don't move. Or it'll ruin my masterpiece.

What are you drawing?

You'll see later.

Aren't you getting up yet?

Or, do you want to play rock-paper-scissors?

Sure.

I won't lose this time.

Do you want to win so much?

Of course.

It'll be embarrassing if I lose again.

How about you take that spirit and use it during the competition?

Do you think rock-paper-scissors is the same as the competition?

Rock-paper-scissors is about pure luck.

The cooking competition is about skill.

Shancai,

I believe in you. You can do it.

You should believe in yourself too.

You're actually pretty cute up close.

I rarely compliment people.

You should be proud.

Let's play again.

Give it your best.

Daoming Si, thank you.

I'll try my best.

What? Shancai disappeared?

-Yes. -Did you look for her?

I did.

I called the school and her family.

But, the weird thing is,

Shancai's luggage is in the hall.

Where's Si?

He's sleeping.

I didn't want to disturb him.

Shancai's gone and he's sleeping?

Hey, Daoming Si!

Who said you could take these ugly pictures of me?

What? I think they're cute.

Cute? They're hideous.

Hey, what are you doing? You can't rip them up.

They're mine.

It's my face. I didn't give you permission.

Hey!

Calm down!

Hey!

-Calm down? -Hey!

I won't!

-Hey! -Hey!

So, Si, how's Shancai doing?

It's going great.

My sister and I are very confident.

Really?

Ms. Zhuang thinks she'll win?

Especially that dish called

"The Bird Returns from Familiar Days."

It's better than any dish I've ever had made by famous cooks.

Isn't it "The Swallow Returns from Familiar Days"?

It's a famous poem by Yan Shu.

Whatever.

It's just chicken.

I don't understand what the fancy name is for.

Food is not just for the taste buds, it's a form of cultural exchange.

Shancai has really improved.

But, even if she cooked rat poison,

Si would gobble it up right away.

Shut up.

I'm very objective, okay?

It's really tasty.

Here. This is tasty too.

More importantly, this Zhou Caina

seems to be the most likely to win.

I read about her.

She's smart, pretty, and elegant.

I wonder if she has a boyfriend.

Just wait and see.

I don't care if she's Caina, Lina, Xiena,

or even Madonna.

Shancai's cooking skills

will not disappoint you guys.

Let's hope the judges will be able to see her true talent

and appreciate her for being different.

Who said she's different?

Bye.

The competition is starting soon.

I don't know if Shancai has a chance.

Honestly, Chinese cuisine is deep and profound.

It's not something she can master in a short time.

But I think her basic skills are very solid indeed.

Shancai's dishes are very natural

and they're free from excessive processing,

which is a lot like her personality.

Maybe during the competition, she'll be able to find her niche.

"Like a gem cut and filed, carved and polished."

"As if at the brink of a deep abyss, as if treading on thin ice."

"The peach tree is young and elegant; brilliant are its flowers."

"Blue-collared lad, you’ve long been in my heart."

QINGHE HAS SENT YOU A QQ MESSAGE

Shancai, what are you doing after class?

I need to practice cooking.

Done.

"The Swallow Returns from Familiar Days," version two.

Please enjoy.

What's this dish called?

"The Return of the Double Swallows."

There's only one chicken. Why double?

Ms. Zhuang, you'll know once you try it.

This chicken...

It's magnificent.

One side tastes sweet and sour, one side has the fragrance of oranges.

It's too special!

Shancai,

how did you come up with this idea?

My mom's signature dish is sweet and sour pork ribs.

I dedicate this dish to her.

There's a lot of vitamin C in oranges.

They're healthy and nutritious.

I want to share this dish with everyone to help people eat healthier.

Shancai, you're very smart.

After using the orange juice, you didn't throw them out.

You used them as decorations.

I really think you can go to the competition now.

Shancai, are you busy?

I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that yesterday.

I know deep down that I'm not good enough.

So I never thought that I would be able to enter the competition.

But, I want to seize this opportunity.

I don't want to let down the people who helped me along the way.

Is one of them Daoming Si?

He's one of them.

I never would've guessed.

I thought you didn't like him.

I don't know.

In the beginning, I really hated him.

Sometimes I still want to punch him.

But, he's always been by my side

in a very peculiar way

and I couldn't help but notice him.

When I want to run away,

one look at him gives me courage.

I don't know how this happened.

Shancai,

you can probably tell that I like you, right?

I think we'd be great together

if Si didn't exist in this world.

I hate to admit that

I lost to a guy like that.

Tian Ye,

I wish you all the best.

In the future, you'll become a great chef.

You'll own a fantastic restaurant

and meet a wonderful woman.

For real. Because you're a wonderful person, too.

Thank you.

Shancai,

I hope you'll find happiness.

All right, I have to go now.

Shancai, you can stay here.

Leave after I'm out the door.

Because I don't have money for the bill.

Just kidding.

I just don't want to watch you leave.

Bye.

What?

You're competing in Chinese Cuisine Culinary Competition?

No wonder you've been so busy lately.

Shancai, that's awesome!

Who's your teacher? The restaurant you work at?

No, it's Daoming Si's sister.

She and her chef have been teaching me.

That's great.

She seems to be very nice.

How kind of them.

Next time, invite her to our house.

Your mom will cook them some food.

I can't do that.

They're professionals.

My food could never satisfy them.

That's not true.

My mom's cooking

-is the best in the world. -That's right.

My wife's cooking is healthy and delicious.

-Really? -Yes.

All right, Shancai, do your best at the competition today.

Dad and I will watch it on the TV.

-All right? -Okay.

-Go! -Go!

CHINESE CUISINE CULINARY COMPETITION

Ladies and gentlemen, hello.

CHINESE CUISINE CULINARY COMPETITION

Sponsored by high-end smart kitchen electronics brand, Vatti,

and Nongfu Spring mineral water,

we will now begin the sixth Chinese Cuisine Culinary Competition.

Our exclusive broadcasting platform is Tencent Now Live,

streaming our content right here, right now, live.

Now, let us introduce our outstanding judges.

Experienced cuisine and culture expert, Tu Xiaowen.

Cooking expert on Chinese cuisine, Zhang Jinbao.

The pickiest food expert of the South, Wu Lihua.

And the most beautiful senior at Mingde, Tang Jingmei.

After our strict open audition, a total of ten contestants have advanced.

One of them will be the winner.

The winner will receive one million yuan

and a set of Vatti high-end smart kitchen electronics.

Our contestants are preparing backstage right now.

Let's go there right now and check out what they're doing.

After many rounds of elimination,

ten contestants have made it to the final round.

All the contestants are now backstage preparing for the competition.

Hello, I'm Zhou Caina, I graduated from the University of California.

Nice to meet everyone.

Hello, I'm Xu Meixin, I graduated from Sun Yat-sen University.

-Thank you. -Hello.

My name is Li Fangru, I just graduated from Chinese University of Hong Kong.

Hello, I'm Gao Xinting. Please support me.

I'm Dai Jingjing. Please cheer for me. Thank you.

BACKSTAGE: MINGDE UNIVERSITY DONG SHANCAI

I'm...

Hi, I'm Dong Shancai.

-It's Shancai. -Shancai!

-Shancai! -Shancai!

-We're here. Shancai! -Shancai!

Go, Shancai!

Shancai!

What are you doing?

-Go! -Go!

-What are you doing? -Look.

Mom, Dad, I'm on TV!

Shancai!

Hey, look!

-It's our daughter! -Shancai said she's on TV.

What a cute girl.

Now, we'll hand it over to today's host for the competition.

We've introduced all our contestants.

I'm sure our viewers have a good idea of who all our chefs are.

Going into commercials now

and then we'll see who gets a head start.

That Dong Shancai is so funny.

She's such a dork.

In my opinion, the organizers wanted someone funnier

so the audience would feel entertained.

Hello, I'm Zhou Caina.

Hello.

I know about you. You're famous.

I'm Dong Shancai.

I know you too.

-You're famous too. -Me?

That's impossible.

We have a mutual friend, don't we?

I've heard Tian Ye say that you're very special.

No, that's not true.

It's all right. Good luck.

Don't get eliminated in the first round.

Compared to those showoffs, I like opponents like you more.

What the hell?

There are so many commercials.

Si, the official competition hasn't started yet.

Just be patient.

It's been forever.

It's been like one hour, right?

It's only been five minutes, okay?

He's in love. Days feel like years to him.

That Caina looks even better in person.

You're watching someone else?

Si's going to beat you up.

I now announce

that the sixth Chinese Cuisine Culinary Competition starts now.

CHINESE CUISINE COOKING COMPETITION

The first round of this competition is stir-frying and slow stewing.

The contestants can pick any ingredients they need

and complete their dishes within two hours.

Four contestants will be eliminated in this round.

We can see that our contestants have chosen their ingredients.

They will have to work fast.

The main criteria for cutting is to cut cleanly and precisely.

This can help the ingredients suit the method of cooking.

The ingredients should be of the same thickness and length.

This will ensure that the ingredients will be cooked thoroughly

at the same time.

It seems like our contestants

have all decided to start with the stewing part.

Zhou Caina is making a duck dish.

The duck is placed downwards in the pot.

Jinhua ham is used to give it flavor. This should be a very healthy duck soup

with handmade fish balls.

Dong Shancai is now frying the meatballs she just made.

She's probably making braised pork balls.

Shancai's making my signature dish!

When did you ever make that?

Once or twice.

The contestants are putting their pots on the stove to stew.

They need to constantly check the heat and be patient.

The first round has a two-hour time limit.

They have only 15 minutes left.

Excuse me.

Dong Shancai has finally moved her pot to the stove.

Will her dish be done within the time limit?

Excuse me.

Thank you.

I'm telling you, Shancai is only using 50 percent of her skills now.

-Wait and see. -What about Zhou Caina?

She's going to get eliminated for sure.

While waiting for the pot to heat up,

the contestants are now starting to make their stir-fry dish.

Stir-frying is an important skill in Chinese cuisine.

It is essential to control the heat, mix the ingredients,

and add everything in the right sequence.

This affects the taste of the dish and shows the contestant's skills.

We can see Dong Shancai's ingredients.

She's going to make crystal prawn balls, a Shanghai cuisine.

On the other side, Zhou Caina is placing crab into the wok.

She's making a Cantonese dish, fried crab with chili.

Fried crab with chili may seem simple, but it's hard to get right.

Zhou Caina is really something.

Shancai's crystal prawn balls look so good!

I'm starting to drool.

Who will be able to advance to the next round?

We are about to find out.

Translated by Sophie

Ripped by gabbyu @ Subscene