Silence.
A silence as if the dead had taken over.
The entire grand auditorium—from the top military commanders down to the three-year-old children—was frozen, all eyes fixed on the basin in the center of the stage.
Inside the basin, thousands of delicate tofu shreds floated like clouds, mist, a dream made visible. Against the clear water, it was breathtakingly beautiful.
This wasn’t just tofu—it was a masterpiece of art!
“Is… is this magic?”
A trembling voice asked what everyone was thinking.
On stage, Su Hongxia slowly removed the black cloth covering her eyes.
Her expression held no pride, only calm, as if nothing extraordinary had happened. She lit the coal stove and set a pot of prepared broth on it.
Only then did the host seem to awaken from a daze. Stumbling onto the stage, he almost fumbled with the microphone: “Su… Su Hongxia, comrade, this… this is…”
“Wensi Tofu Soup,” Su Hongxia replied calmly, stating the dish’s name.
As she spoke, she carefully scooped the tofu shreds from the basin with a slotted spoon, draining them of water.
From the audience, someone finally reacted, letting out the first gasp of amazement.
“Oh my god! This is Wensi tofu! A masterful dish from Huaiyang cuisine! I’ve only ever seen it in newspapers!”
“Cutting tofu into hair-thin strands… while blindfolded? How is this even possible? That knife skill… it’s divine!”
“My goodness, where did Commander Lu find such a miraculous wife? She’s no fool—she’s clearly a hidden master!”
“Clap! Clap! Clap!”
An elderly commander sitting in the center of the front row, his white hair contrasting the star insignia on his shoulder, suddenly stood and began applauding vigorously.
With his applause, it was as if the entire auditorium had been ignited; thunderous clapping and cheers erupted, shaking the hall with overwhelming force!
“Excellent! Truly excellent!”
“Incredible! One more!”
The applause continued relentlessly. Everyone stood, watching the calm, composed figure on stage with admiration.
The eyes that had once mocked or scorned Su Hongxia were now filled with awe, respect, and sheer excitement.
Mrs. Wang’s face turned shades of blue and white, like a dyehouse in chaos. She couldn’t fathom how a supposed fool could possess such godlike skills.
Her own cheeks burned painfully from the overwhelming applause.
Lin Wan’er’s face had gone ashen.
Her meticulously prepared dance performance now seemed like child’s play compared to Su Hongxia’s breathtaking knife skills—utterly insignificant.
Her pride and sense of superiority were completely crushed.
She looked at the woman on stage, calm under the spotlight, then glanced at Lu Huaizhou in the corner, who had been watching her with pride and admiration the entire time. A surge of jealousy and unwillingness threatened to consume her.
On stage, the broth had reached a boil.
Su Hongxia added shredded chicken, ham, and shiitake mushrooms, seasoning the mixture and lightly thickening it. Finally, she gently slid the cloud-like tofu strands into the pot, giving a careful stir, and immediately turned off the heat.
A bowl of elegantly colored, aromatic Wensi Tofu Soup was now complete.
She served it in a delicate bowl, carried by a staff member, and presented it to the elderly commander in the front row.
The commander, Chen, was the highest-ranking officer in the military district.
He looked at the clear broth, the tofu strands distinct and interwoven with the colorful ingredients, and nodded in admiration. “Excellent! Such Wensi tofu! Even just the presentation marks it as top quality!”
He carefully took a spoonful and tasted it.
The soup was rich and flavorful, the tofu tender and silky, melting instantly in the mouth. The flavors of the various ingredients blended perfectly—light, elegant, and lingering.
“Excellent!” Chen exclaimed again, unable to hide his delight.
He looked up at Su Hongxia on stage, eyes bright, and asked aloud, “Comrade, where did you learn such extraordinary skill?”
Everyone perked up, straining to listen.
Su Hongxia answered with neither humility nor arrogance: “Reporting, sir, I never attended school and cannot read. I learned this by imitating the master chefs who worked at weddings and funerals in my village when I was a child.”
Once again, she credited the skill to a fictitious “master chef.”
The response caused a stir throughout the auditorium.
A village girl, uneducated, claiming to have learned from local chefs by imitation, could possess such divine culinary skill? A genius, plain and simple!
Commander Chen laughed heartily: “Truly remarkable! Our army hides dragons and tigers! Comrade, you are outstanding! Truly outstanding!”
With the commander’s official praise, Su Hongxia had firmly cemented her fame that night.
The rest of the talent show felt trivial. Everyone’s attention was glued to Su Hongxia and her miraculous tofu soup.
Lu Huaizhou, in the corner, never took his eyes off her.
Watching her shine on stage, answering the commander’s questions with ease, receiving the audience’s cheers, a profound pride and joy welled up in him.
She was his wife.
His wife, Su Hongxia.
At the same time, a fierce surge of protectiveness and possessiveness grew within him.
Such a remarkable, radiant woman, seen by so many…
He suddenly felt the urge to hide her away, somewhere only he could see her.
When the talent show ended and the crowd began to disperse, many officers and their families approached to greet Lu Huaizhou and Su Hongxia warmly.
“Commander Lu, you’re truly fortunate! Such a talented and skilled wife!”
“Hongxia, your culinary skills are incredible! You must teach us sometime!”
Su Hongxia merely smiled shyly, responding politely to each compliment.
On the quiet walk home, the moon bright and stars few, they walked side by side without speaking.
Su Hongxia had enjoyed the spotlight today but remained calm. What mattered more was Lu Huaizhou’s reaction.
She stole glances at him, noticing that he had kept his lips pressed tight, his face serious under the moonlight, impossible to read.
Her heart fluttered. Was he… unhappy with her taking the attention?
As she worried, Lu Huaizhou suddenly stopped.
She didn’t notice and bumped into his solid back.
“Ouch,” she muttered, lifting her head, confused.
Lu Huaizhou turned, his deep eyes locking onto hers in the darkness.
He said nothing, but suddenly reached out and grasped her hand.
His palm was hot, his grip strong, as if he wanted to fuse her hand into his very being.
Su Hongxia’s heart skipped a beat.
“Su Hongxia,” he spoke, low and hoarse, with an undeniable authority.
“From now on, whether it’s Wensi Tofu or Jiuzhuan Dazang…”
He paused, his burning gaze almost melting her.
“You make it only for me.”