The Game of Life

Jiang Weiguo noticed that Jiang Feng’s dishes were ready.

“If you’re done, come over and help out. Oh, call your uncle and let them know to come over for dinner tonight. How has your uncle been feeling lately?” Jiang Weiguo said.

Jiang Feng hadn’t been to Professor Li’s house for a long time, so naturally, he knew nothing about it. These days, the meals were delivered by Mrs. Wang Xiulian.

‘ Uncle’s been the same as before, just that recently he’s been getting very confused. The last couple of times I went there, I saw him being confused,” Wang Xiulian said.

“Dad, should I also invite big brother and our fourth and fifth brothers over for dinner?” Jiang Jiankang asked.

Jiang Weiguo, who was picking blood vessels from pork, paused his hands when he heard this, reluctantly nodding, “Call them, and go get another fifteen or so pounds of meat from the freezer. Can your single assistant handle the workload at your restaurant?”

There’s also Feng’s classmate helping out; they went to deliver a takeout and haven’t come back yet,” Wang Xiulian interjected.

Earlier in the afternoon, the app received a sudden order from downtown for more than twenty dishes, most of which were substantial mains, totaling several thousand yuan. The main issue was that the city center was at least 30 kilometers from the Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant, halfway involving highway driving, impossible for a small electric scooter. Helplessly, Jiang Jianguo had no choice but to let the helping hands, Liu Zixuan, Wang Hao, Qiu Chen, and Zhao Yang, four people in total, deliver the order by subway, and they hadn’t returned yet.

“Right, Feng, you need to modify that WeChat or whatever app. If we deliver this far, are we even doing business anymore?” Wang Xiulian complained, “Luckily the order was big. If it was just a fifteen-yuan rice dish, we’d have to go all that way by subway to deliver it; that’s just not possible!” This was something Jiang Feng hadn’t considered before, because the app required adding a WeChat public account to place an order, he subconsciously assumed all customers were students from UAL University. It seemed that he would have to contact Zhang Wei that night to add a delivery range restriction in the shipping settings.

Jiang Feng nodded in agreement, proceeding to chop the green onions into sections.

Only after Jiang Weiguo’s Four Joyful Meatballs were out of the pot did the four return, travel-weary.

Upon entering, Wang Hao couldn’t wait to share with Ji Yue, “You have no idea, Ji Yue. The person who ordered today actually lives in Tianfu Garden! They asked us to leave the dishes with the security guard; they didn’t even let us in.” “It’s really exhausting, I mean, someone from Tianfu Garden coming all this way to Alan City to eat near UAL University, finishing their meal, adding a WeChat public account, and then insisting on ordering delivery, what’s wrong with them?” Liu Zixuan also complained.

Qiu Chen and Zhao Yang, with faces of utter resignation, expressed no desire to comment on the matter.

Tianfu Garden could be regarded as the most high-end villa residence area in Alan City, forcefully carving out a piece of land right in the city center, touted in advertisements as an oasis of relaxation and silence amidst the bustling downtown. Initially assuming the Tianfu Garden security post as the delivery address was a random choice by some city-center shop, they never expected it really was a Tianfu Garden resident who placed the order.

“Hey, where’s Mrs. Wang? Why is she also in the kitchen? Wow, Qianqian is also staying to help out today.” After sitting down for a while, Liu Zixuan realized that Wang Xiulian was nowhere to be seen in the lobby.

“With all of you gone, how could I possibly manage alone? Feng’s grandfather has arrived, and they are all in the kitchen helping with cooking; don’t go in and mess around,” Ji Yue said.

“Feng’S grandfather!” Wang Hao’s body stiffened, “Feng once said his grandfather’s cooking skills are unmatched in the world!”

Unfortunately, due to Wang Hao’s reputation for spinning tales, nobody believed him.

Inside the kitchen, Jiang Feng placed the Clear Soup Willow Leaf Vegetables he’d prepared earlier on the steamer to keep them from cooling and went to the sink to wash his hands. He stepped out to make phone calls notifying everyone to come for dinner that evening. Jiang Weiguo, disdaining his knifework as subpar, wouldn’t let him touch anything besides onions, ginger, and garlic.

It was a rare sight for Jiang Feng to come out of the kitchen during off-peak mealtime.

Lately, he had been living a two-point life: kitchen to dormitory. Other than that, he hardly visited any other places. Sometimes when Wang Hao wanted to chat in the dormitory at night, Jiang Feng would only ask, “What do you think I should add to the mushroom soup?”

Shutting down all the thoughts Wang Hao had wanted to share.

“Feng, is your soup ready?” Wang Hao asked tentatively.

‘Yeah, it’s ready, and the dishes are done too.”

With those words, everyone got excited.

Who has been the most tormented by Jiang Feng’s obsession with perfecting soup these days? Not Jiang Jiankang or Wang Xiulian, but these people who came to help out and eat! A bowl of intolerably bad mushroom soup every day, even just a taste was enough to erase the flavor of any other dishes they had eaten before.

It’s not just Liu Qian; even Liu Zixuan and Qiu Chen felt as if mushrooms were growing on their heads.

“Tonight, my grandpa is in charge of cooking, so everyone stays for dinner and while you’re at it, try the new dish I made. Um, Liu Qian, you…” Though Jiang Feng didn’t know what Liu Qian had eaten before, he thought since she was there, she must have had her meal already.

I can eat, I can definitely eat!” Liu Qian immediately declared her readiness.

Then Jiang Feng started making the calls again.

Professor Li was away from Alan City for a conference during this time, and Chen Suhua said that Li Mingyi was currently lucid and she would bring him over soon.

When Jiang Jianguo, Jiang Jianshe, and Jiang Jianye were called on the phone, their responses were very unified, “Alright, alright, alright, I’ll be right there.’ Feng, what a coincidence, our family hasn’t had dinner yet!”

Then, one could hear three booming voices shouting over the phone, “Wife, Dad’s coming, and he’s telling us to go eat at San’s/Third Brother’s place! Where has that little rascal gone to fool around/work overtime again?”

At dinner time, two tables were set up, one large and one small. Li Mingyi, who was thin and frail, looked particularly isolated and helpless among the Jiang family’s tall and stout members, even pitiable and vulnerable. In stark contrast were Wang Hao’s unique physique characteristic of the Jiang family, which made him stand out and tower over a table of people of average build.

Sir prepared the meal in the manner of a country feast-plentiful in amount, heavy on seasoning, and pretty much a pure pork banquet.

There were pork slices coated in cornstarch and fried, steamed pork belly with preserved mustard greens, braised pork, Four Joyful Meatballs, lion’s head meatballs, spring onion exploded pork slices, Nine Turns Intestine, and radish stewed with ribs. At Li Mingyi’s table, there was also the vegetables and porridge that Jiang Weiguo had specially made for him.

The clear broth shredded chicken with green vegetables prepared by Jiang Feng was placed at Li Mingyi’s table.

Liu Qian looked at the full table of dishes, excited beyond measure, “This is the taste! The minced meat with eggplant we ate today also smelled just as good!” “Girl, you can even tell the difference by smell?” Jiang Weiguo asked across the table.

“Dad, don’t underestimate her. Qianqian can tell whether the dishes are made by Jiankang or Feng just by smelling, without even tasting them,” Wang Xiulian said.

Impressive!” Jiang Jianye couldn’t help but praise.

Jiang Weiguo paused, then gave Liu Qian a couple more glances, with a trace more laughter in his eyes.

“This dish…” Li Mingyi was slow to react, and Jiang Feng’s clear broth shredded chicken with green vegetables seemed inconspicuous amidst the array of large serving bowls.

“This is made by Feng, he’s been working on this recently,” Jiang Jiankang complained while looking proud, “Come on, everyone, try Feng’s culinary skills.”

He then helped Li Mingyi with his servings, making sure to include quail eggs, white fungus, and luncheon meat.

Li Mingyi slowly reached for the white fungus in his bowl with his chopsticks. “Feng’s skills have really improved!” Jiang Jianguo was the first to try a quail egg and his eyes lit up.

The dish felt unremarkable at first, yet, surprisingly, no faults could be picked out. Despite the poor pairing of ingredients, it maximized the natural flavor of each component.

Jiang Weiguo, too, picked up a piece of white fungus with his chopsticks.

“Ding, hidden mission [Transmit and Instruct] completed, reward obtained: [A Memory of Jiang Weiguo].”

Li Mingyi shakily brought the white fungus to his mouth.

“Ding, side mission [Li Junming’s Wish] completed, reward obtained: [Land Deed].”

Both missions completed at the same time?

Huiqin, Huiqin,” Li Mingyi suddenly grew confused.

“Huiqin, today’s not my birthday, where have you run off to?”

“Huiqin, Huiqin,” Li Mingyi grabbed Jiang Weiguo’s hand tightly, “Have you seen Huiqin? It’s so late, she must have sneaked out again. She caught a cold after falling into the river last time, and it’s not gotten better yet. Have you seen Huiqin? Tell me where she is.”

“Oh dear, Dad’s getting muddled again,” Chen Suhua quickly stepped forward. She was strong yet gentle in her actions, and soon she made Li Mingyi let go speaking softly to comfort him, “Dad, Mom’s at home. Isn’t your birthday in a couple of days? Mom’s preparing to cook for you; shall we go home to find Mom?”

But… but… the dish that Huiqin made is already ready.” Li Mingyi reached out trying to point at the clear broth shredded chicken with green vegetables on the table, “Where is Huiqin, she must be confused and remembered the wrong day.”

Chen Suhua didn’t understand the significance of the dish on the table, but she went along with Li Mingyi’s words, “Right, Mom is waiting for us at home, let’s go home.”

“Go home, go home,” murmured Li Mingyi.

“I apologize, my dad and I will head back now,” Chen Suhua said to everyone. “I’ll go with you,” Jiang Feng hurried to follow, assisting Li Mingyi together with Chen Suhua.