Hua Xiaomai was just threading half a fish onto a bamboo skewer when she suddenly heard these words, paused in her motion, and asked incredulously, "What do you mean? Isn't the Eight Treasures Conference always only open to eateries from the Provincial City?"
"Ha!" Old Xu slapped his palm and shook his head, "The Eight Treasures Conference has been held for a good fifteen years. At first, some small eateries were willing to join in the fun. But you know, just the cost of purchasing all sorts of rare ingredients takes a lot of money. People couldn't afford it, and secondly, the skills of cooks in small diners can hardly compare with those of master chefs in big restaurants. Gradually, they simply stopped participating in this thankless task. Especially in these last four or five years, it has been the same old faces, coming and going. Eventually, doesn't it get tedious?"
