The Game of Life

In the following days, Jiang Feng was busy preparing for the final, cooking century egg and lean pork congee in the kitchen every day. Although he could only use his right hand, it didn’t affect the work much, and the aroma of century egg and lean pork congee permeated the Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant’s kitchen daily. Guests were delighted with the specially priced congee they were served each day, to the extent that it even took away some business from Fang’s Porridge Shop.

The day before the final, Jiang Feng visited Professor Li’s house after dinner when he found some spare time.

The demolition of the teachers’ apartments had been scheduled, and residents were starting to move out. At the start of the semester, Professor Li had submitted his resignation to the college, explaining he could no longer fulfill his teaching responsibilities due to health issues. The college expressed understanding, declined his resignation, and agreed to arrange for his medical retirement within the year.

Wang Hao didn’t have to worry about failing the “Signal and System” course with Professor Li next year, but he was starting to feel some reluctance at the thought of the professor leaving.

When Jiang Feng arrived, Chen Suhua was mopping the floor. According to the school’s plan, they needed to move out of the teachers’ apartments by next week at the latest. By then, it didn’t matter if they mopped or not, as the building would eventually be reduced to ruins. Yet Chen Suhua had lived there for decades and was deeply attached to every tile and brick. While many residents had already moved out, leaving the building eerily empty, she continued her daily routine of shopping, cooking, and cleaning as before.

“Little Feng has arrived, huh? I haven’t seen you in some days; you seem to have slimmed down a lot,” Chen Suhua said, obviously pleased to see Jiang Feng. She put down the mop, wiped her hands, and went to rinse some fruit for him.

“No need, Auntie, I’m actually here to see Professor Li,” Jiang Feng said. By relationship, he should have called Chen Suhua ‘Grandma,’ but that was difficult for him to say out loud, so he stuck with calling her auntie, as she was the wife of his teacher.

“He’s in the room reading the newspaper. I’ll go call him for you.” Chen Suhua was as brisk and energetic as ever in her work. She headed toward the room, calling out as she went, “Old Li, Old Li, Feng is here. Little Feng is here to see you.”

Professor Li came out from the room wearing presbyopic glasses. Since Li Mingyi’s passing, he had visibly aged a lot, and his eyesight had even begun to blur—a problem he never had before since he never used to wear reading glasses.

“Little Feng has come.” Professor Li took off his glasses while walking toward him. “I’ve been watching the live broadcasts of your competition these past few days. Tomorrow is the finals, right?”

“These past evenings, he has been glued to the TV watching your competition live. Even if I need him to get something, he won’t budge,” laughed Chen Suhua.

“Stop talking about all that needless stuff. Don’t stress Little Feng about the finals tomorrow. Don’t stand, sit,” Professor Li beckoned Jiang Feng to take a seat as he asked, “You’re here to talk about the renovation of Taifeng Building, right?”

“You hit the nail on the head. My older cousin contacted a few decoration companies, and a few days ago we settled on Chengju Decoration Company. But their price is a bit on the high side, and we couldn’t bring it down, so I came here today to see if you know anyone who might help us negotiate the price,” explained Jiang Feng.

“Chengju Decoration Company?” Professor Li pondered, then replied with a nod, “I have some recollection. Is that the company that took over the renovation of Eight-treasure House a few years ago? Leave this to me. You don’t need to worry; I’ll have it sorted out for you in a few days.”

“I really appreciate it,” said Jiang Feng with a look of gratitude.

“It’s not a trouble. If Taifeng Building opens for business, my parents, if they have spirits in heaven, would be very happy,” Professor Li said with a smile. “If there’s any issue, feel free to come to me. Later this year, your Auntie and I will also be moving to Beiping.”

“You both are moving to Beiping too?”

“Yes, the Li Family’s old home is still there in Beiping. Now that he has taken medical retirement, of course, we have to return to our roots,” said Chen Suhua.

“The old home?” Now Jiang Feng was genuinely surprised.

He had some memory of the Li Family’s old home. It might not have seemed large by Beiping’s standards back then, but placed in today’s context, it was definitely a luxurious quadrangle dwelling—and to think it still existed!

“It’s not the kind of grand mansion you’re thinking of,” Chen Shuhua saw his expression and knew he had misunderstood. “The old house was destroyed in the war, and what stands now is a smaller quadrangle that my father built anew on the same site after he returned to the country. My mother’s ashes are buried there. It’s actually quite close to Taifeng Building, only about a half-hour walk. Once we move back, we’ll only be a short distance from your place, so we can easily stop by to see how you’re doing.”

With this clarification from Chen Shuhua, Jiang Feng understood.

Upon reflection, this arrangement seemed quite good. Professor Li and his wife, having no children of their own and being still capable of looking after themselves, would be well-situated. When they grew older and less mobile, everyone being in Beiping would make it easier to look out for one another.

After chatting a while longer with Professor Li and Chen Suhua at the Li home, Jiang Feng glanced at the time on his phone and realized it was getting late, so he took his leave.

On the way back, Jiang Feng found himself filled with a faint sense of anticipation for Beiping.

After tomorrow’s finals, when everything settles, everyone’s focus will shift entirely toward the Taifeng Building.

This restaurant, so unfamiliar yet familiar, which Jiang Feng had seen with his own eyes in the memories of Li Mingyi and Jiang Huiqin or had heard them mention, will also see the light of day in its true sense.

Jiang Feng even felt like he had been grinding monsters and leveling up in the beginner’s village for so long, and after a lot of hard work, reached max level and left the village to go to the main city to do the main quest line.

His left hand was still wrapped in gauze, and the wound had started to heal, probably leaving a significant scar.

No need to go back to the Healthy Stir-fry Restaurant, when Jiang Feng went to Professor Li’s place, Wang Xiulian and Ji Yue were already cleaning up the lobby preparing to close. By this time, the restaurant was probably already closed. Along the way, Jiang Feng saw UAL University students carrying backpacks ready to return to their dorms from the library, or couples too fond of each other to part, dawdling under the dorm buildings. Under the dim lights, Jiang Feng saw a familiar figure.

Wu Minqi was waiting for him with a thermal container at the bottom of the dorm building.

“You…”

“Tve brought you red date and loach soup.” Wu Minqi handed the thermal container to Jiang Feng, “I originally planned to make it for you after your match tomorrow, but this morning when I went to the market with my mom, we came across some wild loaches. I was afraid they’d die if we kept them, so I made the soup for you tonight.”

Under the faint light, everything seemed ethereal, but Wu Minqi’s smile was so genuinely dazzling.

“How long have you been waiting? Aren’t you cold?” asked Jiang Feng caringly. Although it was almost the end of April and nearing May, the evenings were still a bit chilly.

“Not long, I timed my arrival just right, waited only about five or six minutes,” Wu Minqi said with a smile. “Eat it while it’s hot when you get back to the dorm. Remember to bring the thermal container to the restaurant tomorrow, get some good rest tonight, and good luck with the competition.”

“You get some good rest too, good luck with the competition,” said Jiang Feng. “Good night.”

“Good night.”

Watching Wu Minqi’s receding figure, carrying the heavy light blue thermal container, Jiang Feng’s face could barely hide his smile, radiating the scent of a smug couple, drifting all the way back to his dorm.

Wang Hao had already returned from his night run and finished showering, now toweling off his hair.

“Yo, Feng, what delicious food have you brought back?” asked Wang Hao excitedly.

“My wife made me soup, what’s it to you?” Jiang Feng replied with the smug look of a show-off.

“How can it be none of my business? Let me have a taste of the soup sister-in-law made for you!” Wang Hao urged, “Come on, open it up and let me see what kind of soup your sister-in-law has made for you.”

Upon opening the lid, the aroma of the soup mingled with the fragrance of rice wine wafted out. The not-so-deep thermal container clearly showed four little loaches, stewed to perfection, and plump red dates floating on top, with a sprinkle of goji berries visible as well.

Red rice wine to remove the fishiness, and to enhance the flavor even further.

“Wow, loach soup!” Wang Hao’s face was full of jealousy and envy, “Feng, having this at night is too nourishing, let me take over all this burden for you!” “I’m not afraid of the nourishment, I can handle it!”

“Scram!”