Hong Kong Young Writers Anthologies Fiction 12 | Page 89

“I see…” The emperor slowly took out his golden chopsticks. He held the dumpling up slowly and bit into
the delicate green skin of the Xiao long bao. Soup gushed into his mouth and he slurped it all up. As he chewed the
ginseng flavoured pork, his face twitched in thought.
Xiao Long gave a nervous look.
“Excellent! What a way to start my day. I like your new dumpling, and the soup is just amazing!”
Xiao Long smiled proudly. The crowd cheered. He could see his mother crying happy tears, his father
clapping and laughing, his siblings also laughing while eating pig ears and his grandmother waving her cane (again).
After the emperor tasted many more dumplings, it was time to announce the winner, Xiao Long's father hugged him
tightly, which made Xiao Long sweat even more.
The emperor whispered to his servant.
“The winner will be…… ” started the emperor's servant. The emperor’s drummers started beating on their
drums to add suspense.
“The winner is Ko Xiao Mei! Her original flavoured Shui Jiao was fantastic, and she will have a magnificent
statue.”
“What?” Xiao Long thought. He had seen the emperor’s face frowning uncomfortably while eating her
dish.
Ko Xiao Mei’s chubby face smiled up at the emperor’s servant.
“Thank you father,” she murmured quietly.
The emperor shuffled nervously on his throne.
“I thought Zhuang Xiao Long was the winner?” The emperor frowned as he asked.
“No….my majesty! It was Ko Xiao Mei.” The servant smiled at the tall throne with a guilty face.
“Ko Lo Yang! You must have wanted to make your daughter a winner right? Make your family proud? I don't want
to upset you, but her food was … different. Yet you dare to favour your daughter?! Wave your last wave to your
family. Guards,take him away!”
The servant’s daughter’s smile turn into a sob, and her mother’s happy face turn as sour as a lemon.
Still, Ko Xiao Mei did go and work in the palace kitchen, but her job was to sweep up the food that fell on the
floor and take it her father in the dungeon.